V? Cao ?àm (1908-2000) Lot n° 240

Maternité et cavalier, 1989 Oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left 73.5 x 60.5 cm - 28 7/8 x 23 3/4 in. Made in 1989, Maternité et cavalier offers a wonderful overview of Vũ Cao Đàm’s work. Symbolizing prestige but also power, horses have a strong symbolism in Asia and occupy a prominent place in Vũ Cao Đàm’s work. Riders but also mothers and children are also inseparable from his paintings. Feminine or masculine, their silhouettes are slender emphasizing with grace their traditional Vietnamese dress while their round faces are full of softness. If the background is non-figurative, the characters allow to define the perspective thanks to their proportions. The soft brushstrokes and color tones also delineate depth. The blue-dominated palette is recurrent in the artist’s work. However, he plays with his brush and brightens the composition with subtle touches of yellow or red, other primary colors dear to the painter. Having adopted oil on canvas for several decades, Vũ Cao Đàm demonstrates a personal style with a modernist spirit.