John Moran Auctioneers to Sell Lê Phổ Painting and George Nakashima-Designed Conoid Lounge Chairs

Les Tulipes Rouges et Blanches is an oil on canvas by Lê Phổ (1907 – 2001) available in the upcoming Art + Design Auction, offered by John Moran Auctioneers. It was created in Findlay Galleries, Chicago, IL, in July 1966, signed by the artist on the lower right. Lê Phổ was a multi-cultured Vietnamese painter. Born in 1907 in Hanoi in an elite Vietnamese family, Lê Phổ received Chinese literature and French education. In the 1930s, he earned a scholarship to study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under the instruction of Victor Tardieu, a friend and companion of Henri Matisse. Lê Phổ had several distinct styles of painting, including nostalgic Vietnamese landscapes, the artist’s French Romanet period, and his Findlay period, which was perhaps his most recognizable. After Lê Phổ moved to America, his works caught the attention of Wally Findlay, an American gallerist and owner of Findlay Galleries. Lê Phổ produced oil on canvases that depicted Vietnamese women surrounded by lush landscapes. 

A collection of furniture pieces by the renowned American woodworker George Nakashima (1905 – 1990) is also available in the sale. One notable lot by Nakashima is a set of three Conoid lounge chairs. These were designed between 1980-85 in Pennsylvania. Each chair is signed and dated to the underside in marker: Nakashima / II / Sept 12, 1991. Each sculptural carved walnut chair has a blonde hickory spindle back, cantilevered over just two legs, and set upon two horizontal, tapering feet. These chairs were made for Eleanor Koffler in 1990 directly by Nakashima, whose furniture creations are highly prized by collectors. The sale will also offer decorative art, pop culture, and 20th-century collectibles. View the complete catalog of the Art + Design Auction and find other online auctions by visiting Bidsquare.