Painter Le Pho's masterpiece fetches nearly EUR554,000 at France auction

The ink-and-colour-on-silk painting, created by the artist in 1942, depicts a woman holding a blue bowl in her left hand, and a finger citron - one of the five fruits used as offerings to ancestors, in her right hand.

During the auction, several of Le Pho’s works were also sold, including “Thưởng trà trong vườn” (Tea in the Garden), “Mẹ và Con” (Mother and Child), and “Người phữ nữ trên cánh đồng hoa cúc” (Woman in a field of daisies).

Pho was born in Hanoi in 1907 and was a resident of France from 1937 until his death in 2001. He is widely regarded as a significant figure in contemporary Vietnamese art.

The prominent Vietnamese painter developed a successful and prolific career in France with thousands of artworks to his credit. His works are enthusiastically hunted by art collectors from all over the world.

He is also the first Vietnamese artist whose paintings were sold for over US$1 million at public auctions.

In addition, paintings from other renowned Vietnamese painters such as Mai Trung Thu, Vu Cao Dam, ad Nguyen Gia Tri were also sold for high prices.