ALIX AYMÉ | Femmes dans la Forêt (Women in the Forest)

Private Collection, USA

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There are very fine lines of craquelure to the surface of the lacquer which is consistent with ageing of the wooden base. There are a few losses and light wear due to abrasions at the edges of the work. Unframed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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Born in Marseille in 1893, French artist Alix Angele Marguerite Aymé (b. Hava) was inextricably linked to the French colonial experience in Indochina. Married to General Georges Aymé, the Commander of the French Forces in Indochina, Aymé lived and worked for many years in Hanoi and was considered instrumental in the revival of the ancient art of lacquer painting. She was sent to both Angkor Wat and Luang Prabang by the French government to do research for the Colonial Exposition, where she met the Laotian Royal family and was commissioned to paint a series of murals in the Royal Palace. Today, the murals have become a natural treasure, and her work can be found in private collections as well as in the collections of prestigious museums such as in the Cabinet des Dessins of the Louvre and the Musee des Trente in Paris. The largest of Alix Aymé screens to come to auction, Femmes dans la Forêt (Women in the Forest) is an exquisitely rendered panel that exudes an Asian influence, which often suffused her work. While Aymé mastered working in various media, her lacquer works truly demonstrated sophistication in palette, figuration and composition. Spanning two meters, this screen envelops the viewer into a lush verdant landscape, thick with winding trees and golden leaves, delineated in varying detail. Akin to the Vietnamese lacquer masters like Nguyen Gia Tri and Pham Hau, Aymé employed atmospheric perspective to lend depth and complexity to the present work. Two figures with wind swept hair enter the picture plane from the right corner, they lead the eye towards the three ladies in repose beside the stream, and then further still towards a nude figure hidden in the dense forestry.

Aymé’s work reflects her early training with the great Nabi painter, Maurice Dennis, who was her mentor and life-long friend. Likely a depiction of a European temperate forest, the sophisticated amber and coral hues of this lacquer panel display an extremely refined sensibility and the precise hand of a gifted artist.