THE COLLECTION OF MR NGUYỄN HỮU HỢP & HIS WIFE NGUYỄN NGUYỆT NGA

March 2, 2024

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XIX - XXI century

Asian painters

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Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier
reynier@aguttes.com
+ 33 6 63 58 21 82

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Asian Painters

Vietnamese Modern Art

La revue
THE COLLECTION OF MR NGUYỄN HỮU HỢP
& HIS WIFE NGUYỄN NGUYỆT NGA

In the mid-twentieth century, Nguyễn Hữu Hợp and his wife Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga were a notable couple close to the imperial family, in particular Bảo Đại, the last emperor of Vietnam. From 1948 onwards, they lived between France and Hanoi, evolving in an intellectual, artistic and social circle, frequenting Vietnamese artists Mai Trung Thứ, Vũ Cao Đàm and Lê Thị Lựu and her husband Ngô Thế Tân. Keen to support these artists in their work, they commissioned several portraits from them, which have remained in the family collection to this day.

In 1953, the artist Vu Cao Dam welcomed collectors and patrons Madame Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga and her husband Hop to his home at the Villa Les Heures Claires in Vence.
and patrons Madame Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga and her husband Hop, during their visit to buy artworks.
Courtesy of Yannick and Ben Jakober Fondation

VŨ CAO ĐÀM (1908-2000)
Portrait de Monsieur Nguyễn Hữu Hợp
Huile sur soie, signée en bas à gauche
53,5 x 44,8 cm

Une attestation d’inclusion au catalogue raisonné de l’artiste, actuellement en préparation par Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier pour l’association des Artistes d’Asie à Paris, sera remise à l’acquéreur.

PROVENANCE
Collection de Nguyễn Hữu Hợp et Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga, proches de la famille impériale, et notamment de Bảo Đại. Partagés entre la France et le Vietnam à partir de 1948, ce couple illustre s’est lié d’amitié avec les artistes vietnamiens Mai Trung Thứ, Vũ Cao Đàm, Lê Thị Lựu et son époux Ngô Thế Tân.
Collection particulière, région parisienne (par descendance du précédent dans les années 1970)

VŨ CAO ĐÀM (1908-2000)
Portrait de Monsieur Nguyễn Hữu Hợp, 1951
Huile sur toile, signée et datée en bas à droite
41 x 33 cm

PORTRAIT DE MADAME NGUYỄN NGUYỆT NGA BY MAI TRUNG THỨ

Portrait de Madame Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga is a testament to the beauty and richness of a distinctive style that combines Western and Vietnamese influences, gracefully capturing everyday life and human emotions. Mai Trung Thứ’s 1950 portrait of Madame Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga, for example, was created with the utmost care. It was a commissioned portrait, an unusual exercise for the artist. The work is imbued with great sensitivity, expressing feminine gentleness and beauty in all its simplicity. The woman is depicted in a carefully decorated interior, posed with the elegance befitting her social status. She is seated on a stool, arms and legs crossed, holding a booklet in her hand. The refinement of her outfit is matched only by the finesse of the decoration adorning the carpet, or that of the ravishing pointed slipper. Her hand, delicately crossed over her mauve-toned ao-daï over white pants, is adorned with a beautiful diamond, a rare detail in the artist’s work. Her graceful neck is adorned with a necklace of jade pearls.

Behind her, on a dresser, a vase of flowering branches and two books. Among them is the tale of Ngọc Hoa. This anonymous poem of 928 verses tells the tragic love story between a Vietnamese princess and a Japanese merchant. Princess Ngoc Hoa kills herself to protect Pham Thai from the wrath of the king. This work, which dates back 400 years, is part of the tradition of tales in the vernacular. The choice of colors creates a warm, evocative atmosphere, transporting the viewer into a moment of calm and tranquility. The woman’s hair is delicately pulled back into a bun, her lips are made up with red make-up and her posture epitomizes the elegance

MAI TRUNG THỨ (1906-1980), Portrait de Madame Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga, 1950
Encre et couleur sur soie, signée et datée en haut à gauche
61 x 46 cm

PROVENANCE
Collection de Nguyễn Hữu Hợp et Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga, proches de la famille impériale, et notamment de Bảo Đại. Partagés entre la France et le Vietnam à partir de 1948, ce couple illustre s’est lié d’amitié avec les artistes vietnamiens Mai Trung Thứ, Vũ Cao Đàm, Lê Thị Lựu et son époux Ngo The Tan.
Collection particulière, région parisienne (par descendance du précédent dans les années 1970)

LES CHRYSANTHÈMES BY VŨ CAO ĐÀM

Chrysanthemums have strong, positive symbolism in Vietnam. Etymologically derived from the Greek «chrusos» and «anthemis» meaning «golden flowers», they represent joy, harmony and filial piety. For these reasons, they are often displayed in homes during the Tet holidays, helping to balance circulating energies and bring happiness to the family. These flowers are also a sign of longevity, nobility, good health and eternity. In fact, unlike other flowers, chrysanthemums bloom in an autumnal atmosphere, revealing vivid hues on the petals.

Like Mai Trung Thứ, whose refined portrait of Madame Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga pays tribute to the generosity of the patron couple, Vu Cao Dam in turn offers a work rich in symbolism. With masterful brushstrokes, the artist skilfully draws almost ethereal petals, which come together perfectly to form flowers. The use of color is equally masterful, as the buds appear in flat tones of white, soft yellow and pastel blue. In the background, green tones and shades of brown enhance the design of the leaves and branches, echoing the Italian sfumato technique.

VŨ CAO ĐÀM (1908-2000), Les chrysanthèmes, 1949
Encre et couleur sur soie, signée et datée en bas à droite
46 x 54,7 cm

BIBLIOGRAPHIE
L’art moderne en Indochine, Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, In Fine éditions d’art, 2023, repr. p. 386 (pour une œuvre en rapport)

PORTRAIT DE MADAME NGUYỄN NGUYỆT NGA PAR NGÔ THẾ TÂN

In 1934, Ngô Thế Tân, an agricultural engineer by training, married artist Lê Thị Lưu a recent graduate of the Indochina School of Fine Arts (class III in 1932). The young couple settled in France in 1940. In 1942, Ngô Thế Tân found a job as director of the Kindia botanical garden in Guinea. This stay in Africa lasted 4 years and was an opportunity for Ngô Thế Tân to return to his initial artistic training, executing in 1943 drawings based on the way of life of young women in Guinea, commissioned by the local French Governor at the time. His political commitment to the communist North of Viet Nam led him to focus his career on senior administration. He returned to Hanoi at the Ministry of Commerce between 1956 and 1959, the year he returned to France. It was probably his links with Mai Trung Thứ and Vũ Cao Đàm that led to his meeting the patronage couple Nguyễn Hữu Hợp and Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga. The portrait shown here is a rare painted work by Ngô Thế Tân

NGÔ THẾ TÂN (1910 - ), Portrait de Madame Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga, 1973
Huile sur carton, signée et datée en bas à gauche
46 x 38 cm

Click here to discover our upcoming auction Asian Painters, Modern Vietnamese Art.

Upcoming auction
Thursday 7 March 2024, 2.30pm

Public exhibition
From Monday 12 February to Wednesday 6 March: 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 5.30pm (except weekends)
Appointment recommended for a visit by the expert

Auction in preparation
May 2024

For further information or to include a lot in our upcoming auctions, please contact
Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier - Expert
+33 1 41 92 06 49 - reynier@aguttes.com