A Lé Phô screen, a work of youth and a national tribute

Preserved in the descendants of its commissioners, this early piece of furniture by the Vietnamese painter is also one of his rare productions in lacquer, a material he used for only eight years.

Eminently Art Deco, this screen is one of Lé Phô‘s earliest works in lacquer. The painter, who graduated in 1930 from the inaugural class of theÉcole des Beaux-Arts d’Indochine (EBAI), at the same time as his compatriot Mai-Thu, needs no introduction. Along with Mai-Thu and Vu Cao Dam – valedictorian of the 2nd EBAI class – he is part of the triumvirate of modern Vietnamese art whose works still dominate the auction market. This folding screen, made around 1930, is sure to be a hit.

It was acquired directly from Lé Phô by Auguste Tholance (1878-1938) and Orsolla Tholance-Guglielmi (1888-1968), a couple of collectors and patrons who very early on built up an important collection of works by students of the Beaux-Arts d’Indochine, including Nguyen Phan Chanh and Nguyen Tuong Lan. Auguste Tholance, a leading French civil servant, was appointed Governor of Cochinchina in 1930, then Superior Resident of Tonkin from 1931 to 1937. As for Orslolla-Guglielmi, a native of Corsica, she played an important role in the creation of EBAI, encouraging Governor General Martial Merlin to sign, on October 27, 1924, the decree formalizing its foundation under the aegis of Victor Tardieu. The couple had formed an almost family-like relationship with Lé Phô, from whom they commissioned a number of creations, both lacquers and silk paintings. Now a widow, Orsolla called on the Vietnamese master to decorate her apartment in Nice in 1941.

Eminently art deco, this screen is one of Lé Phô’s earliest works in lacquer.

Lacquer in search of a new lease of life in Vietnam

Using a reduced range of colors subtly enhanced by gold and silver, Lé Phô develops a highly stylized mountain landscape on the five panels, made up of flat tints and simple shapes. Its modern, poetic layout, which relegates the mountain to the background – hidden behind flowering branches – is reminiscent of certain plates in the famous Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji series by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). The reverse side of the screen features a more sober Chinese-inspired décor, with twisted rocks – reminiscent of scholar’s rocks -, tinder plants or lingzhi (a mushroom from which tinder is extracted and which enjoys an important reputation in China) and a bowl of flowers with chrysanthemums and orchids. The top right-hand corner features a pentasyllabic quatrain by the poet Wu Lai (1297-1340), who lived during the Yuan dynasty: “The north wind knocks people down/Old trees turn to iron/A [flowering] branch: springtime in this world/Snow covers all South of the River”.

A traditional practice in Vietnam, the lacquer technique is taught at EBAI with a view to breathing new life into it. Although sensitive to this art form, Lé Phô would only devote a short time to it – between 1930 and 1937 – due to an allergy to the resin used in its manufacture. This explains why Lé Phô’s lacquer works are so rare, and are mainly to be found in private collections.

Also read L’oiseau et l’enfant by Lé Phô

Hommage à l’Art Moderne Vietnamien 1925 / 2025

Tuesday 09 September 2025 – 14:30 (CEST) – Live

164 bis, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle – 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine

Aguttes

Info and sales conditions

Lé Phô