VŨ CAO ĐÀM (1908-2000)

Mère et enfant Ink and color on silk, signed lower right, titled and numbered on back 54,8 x 45,2 cm - 21 5/8 x 17 3/4 in. A remarkable testimony to the work of the pre-war years, Mère et enfant, circa 1942-1944 by Vũ Cao Đàm illustrates the tenderness of a mother holding her child in her arms. In this painting, exhibited in Algiers at the instigation of gallery owner André Romanet in 1944, Vũ Cao Đàm depicts the protagonist’s attitude with refinement and elegance. She moves against this homogeneous background, which gracefully brings her to life. The result is a precious chromaticism, the product of a skilful arrangement of blue tones. The precision of the line, visible in particular in the fine, precise work on the hair, bears witness to the excellence of the training received by the artist in Hanoi. In 1942-1944, the Romanet gallery organized a Mai Trung Thứ, Lê Phổ and Vũ Cao Đàm exhibition in Algiers, Galerie d’Art Pasteur. Mai Trung Thứ, L’écharpe bleue, 1942 n°19 Aguttes, 3 octobre 2022 Lê Phổ. Méditation, circa 1940 Aguttes, 6 mars 2023 Mai Trung Thứ, Mère et enfant dormant, 1944 n°21. Aguttes, 6 mars 2023 Vũ Cao Đàm, Mère et enfant, 1944, n°93 Aguttes, 22 mai 2024 The works exhibited at the time are listed opposite. Most were then acquired by private collectors and subsequently passed down through the family.We are honored to have been chosen on several occasions in recent years to present for sale a fine selection of works from this original first exhibition.