Fine Art M.S. Rau | Le Vase Chinois By Le Pho

Lê Phổ
1907-2001 | Vietnamese-French

Le Vase Chinois
(The Chinese Vase)

Signed “Le Pho” With Chinese Characters (Lower Right)
Oil On Canvas

A Woman’S Visage Appears Behind A Spray Of Fresh Flowers In This Serene Oil By Vietnamese Painter Le Pho. Alongside Vu Cao Dam, Le Pho Was One Of The Most Important Vietnamese Painters Of The Modern Age. His Portrayals Of Women And Children On Silk And Canvas Offer A Unique Mix Of Eastern And Western Styles That Give His Works A Broad International Appeal. Le Pho Is Most Renowned For His Works Of Women, Capturing Them In States Of Both Thoughtful Repose And Joyful Jubilation.

In The Present Work, Le Vase Chinois, Le Pho Positions His Subject Within A Lush Interior Setting With A Bountiful Bouquet That Is Heavily Reminiscent Of His Western Contemporaries. Blooms In Vivid Reds And Crisp Whites Pop Against The Woman’S Orange Dress. Effusive Strokes Of Pastel Blues And Yellows Add A Further Vibrance To The Image, Which Feels At Once Vivacious And Tranquil. Having Spent Several Years Studying And Working In France, Le Pho Developed A Unique Style That Melded His Asian Heritage With The Styles And Colors Of His French Contemporaries, Like Henri Matisse And Pierre Bonnard. In Le Vase Chinois, This Rich Cultural Tapestry Is Boldly Manifested.

Born In Vietnam In 1907, Le Pho Was The Son Of The Viceroy Of Tonkin, Lê Hoan. Thanks To His Prominent Upbringing, He Received A Cultured Education. He Began His Artistic Training In 1925 At The Ecole Des Beaux-Arts In Hanoi, Vietnam, Before Garnering A Scholarship In 1930 To Attend The Ecole Des Beaux-Arts In Paris. When In Paris, He Encountered Many Of The Post-Impressionist Painters Who Would Greatly Influence His Style, As Well As The Old Master Paintings That Inspired His Many Madonna-Like Subjects. Today, His Works Can Be Found In The Musée D’Art Moderne In Paris, The National Museum Of Fine Arts In Hanoi And The Oklahoma Arts Center, Among Others.

20Th Century

Inscribed “No. 190, Chicago, Findlay Galleries” And “#24572” (On Stretcher Bar)

Canvas: 25 1/2“ High X 36” Wide
Frame: 32 1/2“ High X 43 1/4” Wide X 3“ Deep

Provenance: Findlay Galleries, Chicago
Private Collection
M.S. Rau, New Orleans