Pham Hâu (1903-1995) - Lot 212

Lot 212
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20000 - 30000 EUR
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Pham Hâu (1903-1995) - Lot 212
Pham Hâu (1903-1995) Polychrome lacquered wood panel, the Thây pagoda (Chùa Thầy). Signature in cursive Sino-Vietnamese and lotus stamp lower right. Vietnam, 20th century. 90 x 110 x 1.3 cm The three cult buildings, the artificial lake and the surrounding Sài Sơn mountain can be seen against a backdrop of lush vegetation. Provenance: Mr. Louis-René Chardon, colonel of the gendarmerie in Hanoi between 1947 and 1948, and remained in the family by descent to this day. Condition report: small chips and missing material around the edges, fine crack and scratch at the back. Located in Quốc Oai district (formerly Hà Tây province), the Thầy pagoda (Chùa Thầy) is an 11th-century Buddhist temple known as Thiên Phúc Tự.Built during the reign of Emperor Nhân Tông of the Lý dynasty, it is thus one of Vietnam's oldest Buddhist temples still in use. Today, it is a pilgrimage center for the Tết festival. Located in the village of Sài Sơn about 30 km from Hanoi, it consists of three parallel temples: the main hall or Lower Temple for the monks; the central building for the worship of the Three Jewels; and the innermost building containing the statues of Zen master Từ Đạo Hạnh. The whole is situated on the shores of an artificial lake, at the foot of the Sài Sơn mountain. Pham Hau was born in 1903 in the village of Đông Ngạc, near Hanoi. Like Nguyen Giatri (graduated in 1936) and Lê Quoc Loc (graduated in 1942) for the Vietnamese ; and Alix Aymé, Joseph Inguimberty for the French, Pham Hau attended the École des beaux-arts du Viêt Nam (Trường Đại học Mỹ thuật Việt Nam), also known as the École des beaux-arts de l'Indochine, founded by Victor Tardieu and Nguyen Nam Sơn in 1925. He entered in 1929 and was trained by Joseph Inguimberty. In 1945, he was awarded the Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam. The present work is inspired by this sacred place, one of the artist's favorite themes. It is a vibrant tribute to the beauty of the site. Superimpositions of black, red, orange and yellow lacquer enhanced with gold create a striking relief, depth and light, imbued with poetry. Pham Hau also produced everyday objects such as boxes and trays, but his panels are the most sought-after and highly prized. Witness other representations of the Thầy pagoda, some of which have gone on public sale: Asium, Salle VV, June 14, 2019; Artvalorem, March 16, 2021; Sotheby's Hong Kong, April 5, 2024.
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