THE DELICATE CHRYSANTHEMUMS OF VŨ CAO ĐÀM (1908-2000)

Descriptions:

TITLE: LES CHRYSANTHÈMES
DATE: CIRCA 1949
MEDIUM: SILK
DIMENSIONS: 53,5 × 45 CM (21 × 17 3/4 IN)
ESTIMATE: 90,000 – 120,000 EUR

‘Chrysanthemum’ was created during Vũ Cao Đàm’s peak period of silk painting. This is a work that should be in a large, quality collection.

In the second half of the 1950s, Vũ Cao Đàm created more oil paintings because his artistic style was greatly influenced by Impressionism. Two great artists, Matisse and Marc Chagall, were great friends that Vũ Cao Đàm was fortunate to meet when he moved to Vence. During this period, he created images inspired by ‘Truyện Kiều’, ‘Chinh Phụ Ngâm’, young women, warriors… with bright and vibrant colors.

In the late 40s and early 50s, Vũ Cao Đàm created silk paintings, small in size with a dark, elegant color scheme. The works of this period contained moods about nostalgia for the homeland, the sense of war in Việt Nam. The image of young women with a sad, loving look in a graceful, gentle appearance had given Vũ Cao Đàm’s works of this period a special weight of “subtlety”.

The word “subtlety” is indeed suitable for the silk painting ‘Chrysanthemum’ auctioned at Bonhams on December 11, 2024.

Vũ Cao Đàm only focused on describing white chrysanthemums, in order to show all their beauty. They occupy almost the entire surface of the painting. The white petals, with a warm purple-pink glow, are meticulously and carefully described with a soft brush, standing out against the dark green background. Just that, but it captivates the viewer with its grace and sophistication in every descriptive detail. This brushwork is almost the opposite of the bold strokes that he freely made in the red, blue, yellow, and purple of his later oil paintings.

With white chrysanthemums, Vũ Cao Đàm quietly presented the sophistication and elegance without any need for ostentatious colors. It is implicit, subtle, and memorable for the viewer. In addition, the large size of 53.5 × 45 cm is also an advantage for Vũ Cao Đàm’s silk paintings from the late 1940s. In 2022, a chrysanthemum painting by Vũ Cao Đàm was auctioned in France for 21,140 EUR (including tax). With a reasonable estimate of 90,000 – 120,000 EUR, hopefully ‘Chrysanthemum’ will reach a price commensurate with the value of the work.

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