98,9% OF LOTS SOLD BY VALUE FOR THE 36TH ASIAN PAINTERS, MAJOR WORKS AUCTION OF NOVEMBER
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From left to right: Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, Asian painters expert, and Claude Aguttes, auctioneer
With 98.9% of the lots sold by value, the 36th Asian Painters, Major Works auction at Aguttes attracted the attention of Vietnamese, Filipino and Hong Kong collectors. A forerunner in this market, Aguttes presented a remarkable lacquer work by the artist Nguyên Khang, which set a world record for the artist on November 28, 2022 in Neuilly-sur-Seine.
TOP 5
1 - Lot 4 - Mai Trung Thứ (1906-1980), Jeune femme arrangeant des fleurs de lotus - 514 000 €
2 - Lot 7 - Nguyên Kang (1911-1989), La famille de bergers - 501 240 €, record mondial
3 - Lot 2 - Mai Trung Thứ (1906-1980), Mélodie - 360 880 €
4 - Lot 5 - Lê Phổ (1907-2001), L’illumination de Bouddha - 256 490 €
5 - Lot 9 - Mai Trung Thứ (1906-1980), Jeunes travailleuses - 221 000 €
All prices are inclusive of fees
See the complete results of the sale
« Since 2014, my goal has been to offer a customized service in Paris for the promotion of properties entrusted to us that are related to Asia, while respecting their history. This is proving to be a winning strategy. It has allowed the Asian Painters market to blossom; numerous works have been discovered and world records have been set under Claude Aguttes' hammer. The outstanding result obtained this week by Nguyên Kang's triptych, which tripled the previous world record, illustrates this perfectly.».
Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, expert in Asian painters
Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, expert in Asian painters
Lot 4
Mai Trung Thứ (1906-1980)
Jeune femme arrangeant des fleurs de lotus, 1943
Ink and colors on silk, signed and dated lower left
59.6 x 43 cm
514 000 €
The 35 previous "Asian Painters" sales operated by Aguttes Auction House have put the spotlight back on Mai Trung Thứ’s work, which remained unknown for a long period of time. During this 36th opus, Aguttes unveiled several works by this Vietnamese painter who graduated from the Indochina School of Fine Arts and lived in France from the late 1930s. This group of paintings alone fetched €1,423,480. Jeune femme arrangeant des fleurs de lotus (lot 4) demonstrates his perfect mastery of the ink-on-silk technique. The work fetched 514,000 €. Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier emphasizes, here, a fair price and a fine result.
Lot 2
Mai Trung Thứ (1906-1980)
Mélodie, 1950
Ink and color on silk, signed and dated lower left, titled and dated on back
Dans le cadre d'origine réalisé par l'artiste.
49,8 x 61 cm
360 880 €
Mélodie (lot 2), which features a young woman playing the dan nguyet, a moon-shaped lute, landed 360 880 €. A musician himself, Mai Trung Thứ recorded an album in 1960. Music, like children, occupies a prominent place in his work.
Lot 9
Mai Trung Thứ (1906-1980)
Jeunes travailleuses, 1974
Ink and colors on silk, signed and dated upper left, titled and dated on back
Dans le cadre d'origine réalisé par l'artiste.
65 x 27 cm
221 000 €
Concerned about the political situation in his country, Mai Trung Thứ focused on depicting the Vietnamese people in their daily lives. In this work painted just one year before the end of the Vietnam War, two simply dressed young girls stand, presumably in the maquis. Jeunes travailleuses (lot 9) won over bidders up to 221 000 €. Another highlight of the sale was a world record for Nguyên Khang, a rare artist on the market.
Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, expert, in front of the three panels of Nguyên KHANG (1911-1989)
Lot 7
Nguyên Khang (1911-1989)
Famille de bergers
Lacquer, with gold highlights, 3 panels, signed and dated lower right
61 x 60.5 cm - 61 x 61 cm - 61 x 61.5 cm
Total : 61 x 183 cm
501 240 €
This lacquerware attests to Nguyen Khang's technical and artistic mastery. It is the last work produced by the artist before his death. Born in Hanoi in 1912 and graduated from the Indochina School of Fine Arts five years after Lê Phô, Nguyên Khang worked with the greatest in the renewal of modern Vietnamese art, and specialized in the lacquer technique. From this set of three panels, which fetched 501 240 €, three times the previous world record, emanate a quietude and a feeling of softness. Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier is delighted with this result, the proceeds of which will go to support the Long Bien Bridge (cầu Long Biên), Pont des Arts in Hanoi**, an architectural project carried by the seller, Madame Nguyen Nga.
Several works by Lê Phổ, a major artist of the Indochina School of Fine Arts, displayed in the catalog totaled 1 000 000 €. This artist demonstrates a perfect syncretism between the traditional ink painting on silk from his native land and the french impressionist influences, linking Easter and Western cultures. L'Illumination de Bouddha (lot 5), was sold for 256 490 €, reaching one of the highest prices of the sale. This work was especially commissioned from one of the artist’s Buddhist friends. It is a rare subject and composition for Lê Phổ in a quite impressive size.
Lot 5
Lê Phô (1907-2001)
L'illumination de Bouddha, 1947
Ink and color on silk, signed and dated lower left
86,5 x 114 cm
256 490 €
Several works by Lê Phổ, a major artist of the Indochina School of Fine Arts, displayed in the catalog totaled 1 000 000 €. This artist demonstrates a perfect syncretism between the traditional ink painting on silk from his native land and the french impressionist influences, linking Easter and Western cultures. L'Illumination de Bouddha (lot 5), was sold for 256 490 €, reaching one of the highest prices of the sale. This work was especially commissioned from one of the artist’s Buddhist friends. It is a rare subject and composition for Lê Phổ in a quite impressive size.
Lot 5
Lê Phô (1907-2001)
L'illumination de Bouddha, 1947
Ink and color on silk, signed and dated lower left
86,5 x 114 cm
256 490 €
Another remarkable result was fetched by a work on paper by Nguyễn Nam Sơn (lot 1), Jeunes femmes revenant de la récolte, which was sold 13,000 €. Among its consigners, Aguttes Auction House counts a number of foreign collectors to sell their properties. The total amount of works from foreign collections was 829 550 €. Buyers bid in the sale room or from Vietnam, the Philippines or Hong Kong.
"I am delighted with the results obtained today, which confirm our success in this market. The total amount of our Asian sales already exceeds 20 million euros for the year 2022. This does not take into account the last dedicated auction, which will be held on December 20."
Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, expert in Asian painters
Find all the results here
Next auction Asian art on Tuesday, December 20, 2:30pm
Aguttes Neuilly • 164 bis, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle - Neuilly-sur-Seine
REQUEST AN EXPERTISE
Pierre-Alban Vinquant
+33 1 47 45 08 20 • vinquant@aguttes.com
Next auction Asian painters on Monday, March 6, 2:30pm
Aguttes Neuilly • 164 bis, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle - Neuilly-sur-Seine
REQUEST AN EXPERTISE
Asian painters expert
Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier
+33 1 41 92 06 49 - reynier@aguttes.com