The Supple Grace of the Women Who Populate Their Paintings... Le Pho Sale at Aguttes, May 13, 2025

Vietnamese artist Lê Phổ graduated from the Indochina School of Fine Arts in Hanoi in 1930 and settled permanently in Paris in 1937, where he participated in numerous French exhibitions, galleries, and art salons.
His work blends the influences of the Italian Renaissance masters with the precepts he learned during his training.

On the occasion of an exhibition at the Salons de l'Agence économique de l'Indochine (Indochina Economic Agency Salons) in 1939, Raymond Lécuyer wrote in an article in Le Figaro:

“The supple grace of the women who populate their paintings remains mysterious to us 'white barbarians'... These creatures with long eyes and small mouths, who retain a distant and modest air in all their attitudes, what and of what do they dream? In all the compositions of our three artists, there are no sudden movements, no violent expressions: dignity, meditation, gentleness, gentleness with undertones... This Asian art is a conversation in whispers—where silences matter...”

While Le Bain, presented here today, perfectly illustrates the work produced by Lê Phổ between 1938 and 1943, the exact location of its acquisition remains to be established, whether at Agindo, the Grand Palais, or the Palais de Tokyo...

Furthermore, discovered in Algiers during the exhibitions organized by André Romanet from 1942 onwards, La lettre is also a beautiful testimony to the artist's perfect mastery of painting.

Both works have been passed down through the family since their respective acquisitions and will be offered for sale by Aguttes on Tuesday, May 13, at 2:30 p.m. in Neuilly-sur-Seine.

Visuels :
Lê Phổ (1907-2001), Le bain, circa 1938. Vente [47] Aguttes, 13 mai 2025.
Détails, en vente le 13 mai 2025.
Lê Phổ. Jeune femme au bord de l'eau. Vente [5] Aguttes, 2 juin 2015 ©Aguttes
Lê Phổ. Vente [17] Aguttes, 25 juin 2018 ©Aguttes
Lê Phổ. Mère et enfant. Vente [10] Aguttes, 24 octobre 2016 ©Aguttes
Lê Phổ (1907-2001), La lettre, circa 1942. Vente [47] Aguttes, 13 mai 2025.
Lê Phổ. Le thé. Vente [1] Aguttes, 25 juin 2014 ©Aguttes
Lê Phổ. Jeune fille au voile clair. Vente [4] Aguttes, 30 mars 2015 ©Aguttes