MAI trung THU (1906-1980) Lot n° 18

Femme se coiffant, 1956 Ink and color on silk, signed and dated upper right. In its original frame made by the artist. 18 x 12.8 cm - 7 x 5 in The intimate scenes representing moments such as the washing or the hairdressing have inspired the greatest French artists of the nineteenth century. Degas, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec or Berthe Morisot have left to posterity many works capturing a fragment of the daily life of these young women. Hiding from the indiscreet gaze of the spectator, they have abandoned their formal attire to appear in a disarming naturalness. Although not belonging to the same generation nor to the same movement, Mai Trung Thứ, has made these delicate moments one of his favorite subjects. Femme se coif - fant thus illustrates his talent for capturing a simple moment of everyday life while retaining a unique sincerity and gentleness. The composition is sober, devoid of artifice. Only a typical Asian table and bowl adorn the background. The young girl is dressed in a simple white shirt worn over yellow pants. Untangling her long jet-colored hair with a graceful hand, her eyes are lost in the distance, letting herself be carried away by daydreams. Her soft face is that of a young Vietnamese woman: light skin, fine features and almond-shaped eyes. Made in a period when bright colors are important, Mai Trung Thứ, uses primary colors such as yellow and blue that he skillfully contrasts with a slightly faded green. The juxtaposition of these flat tints is made pos - sible by this particular technique of colored gouache on silk that is so dear to his heart and that he has developed considerably over the years. Nearly a century after the Impressionists, Mai Trung Thứ, renews one of the most inspiring scenes of intimacy with an innovative vision marked by the softness of Asian models.