Le Pho

The work is in good condition overall. There is indication of two small holes on the silk on the upper left corner (curtain). Examination under ultraviolet light revealed light restoration on the upper right corner and scattered miniscule spots of foxing (particularly located on the left and right curtain and figure's hands), which are not visible to the naked eye. Framed, under Plexiglas.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Le Pho’s first encounter with Madonna and Child was during a visit to Europe in 1931, as an assistant to the head of the Hanoi École des Beaux-Arts, Victor Tardieu. He travelled to France, Italy, Germany and Belgium, where he paid numerous visits to cathedrals and monasteries, admiring their treasures of sacred art. His travels to Europe inspired and influenced him to explore different subject matters and techniques. Le Pho interprets religious-themes as a representation of the relationship between a Vietnamese mother and child instead of portraying Virgin Mary and the infant, Jesus.

Upon leaving his comfortable post as a lecturer at the École des Beaux-Arts Hanoi, in 1934, one of his first achievements was to master the technique of silk painting. Placing a fine sheet of Japanese pongee silk on cardboard, Remy glue is then eliminated by pushing it through the edges of the silk, which is then dried overnight before gouache and ink is applied.

Mother and Child (Lot 270), executed in the late 30s and early 40s is an excellent pattern of Le Pho’s expertise with the medium. With intricacy, the artist resembled Eastern traditions in the use of Chinese calligraphy to outline his figures with a Western perception. Le Pho has employed soft and pastel-toned palettes into his silk paintings. Mastering the art of silk painting techniques, the artist expresses both the subtle pellucidity and brilliance in texture and contour.

Le Pho’s ink and gouache on silk interpretation of the Madonna and Child became arguably one of the artist’s most fascinating subject matters, not only because of their rarity and exceptional technique, but also because of the uniqueness of each painting. Le Pho has probed into portrayals of motherhood continually in his oeuvre, emphasizing a diverse impression in each different work. As a result, each composition is infused with its own spirit and relationship, drawing the viewer’s attention to his articulation, richness and complexity of his paintings. Layered with themes of divinity, motherhood, hope, Western influence and Indochinese identity – these elements firmly establish Mother and Child as one of Le Pho’s masterpiece works of Vietnamese Modern Art.