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Lot Essay
In 1963, Le Pho was approached by the famous American gallerist Wally Findlay, after being noticed for his exhibitions at the Romanet Gallery following the period after the Second World War. The Findlay Gallery would come to have a great influence on Le Pho's work. Indeed, he was asked to move away from his main technique of applying ink and gouache on silk and laying it onto paper. The Findlay period marked Le Pho's shift towards producing works on oil and canvas, but continuing to paint his distinctively stylized Vietnamese women within verdant landscapes.
The present lot is an exceptional example from this part of Le Pho's career. A group Le Pho's iconically elegant ladies are depicted in a lush landscape. The slender women are dressed in the traditional Vietnamese ao dai, and in their postures and demeanours, embody the ideals of grace and beauty. The central figure with her back turned towards the viewer has her hair arranged in a Hanoi style, and is evidence of Le Pho's attention to detail in situating his subjects. A young child looks up to her lovingly, and Le Pho makes the maternal relationship the central focus of the painting. The tropical greenery of the background fills the composition of the painting with an overflowing abundance, and transports the scene into the realm of fantasy. On a grand scale and within an ideal landscape, Le Pho achieves an elaboration of the ideals of beauty and love.
Written by Jean-Franois Hubert, Senior Consultant, Vietnamese Art
The present lot is an exceptional example from this part of Le Pho's career. A group Le Pho's iconically elegant ladies are depicted in a lush landscape. The slender women are dressed in the traditional Vietnamese ao dai, and in their postures and demeanours, embody the ideals of grace and beauty. The central figure with her back turned towards the viewer has her hair arranged in a Hanoi style, and is evidence of Le Pho's attention to detail in situating his subjects. A young child looks up to her lovingly, and Le Pho makes the maternal relationship the central focus of the painting. The tropical greenery of the background fills the composition of the painting with an overflowing abundance, and transports the scene into the realm of fantasy. On a grand scale and within an ideal landscape, Le Pho achieves an elaboration of the ideals of beauty and love.
Written by Jean-Franois Hubert, Senior Consultant, Vietnamese Art