VU Cao Dam (1908-2000) - "Portrait présumé de... Lot 254

VU Cao Dam (1908-2000) - "Portrait présumé de Roger Bourdin", Bronze print with brown patina - signed on the back. Formerly on a base, not present. Minor wear to the patina. Height 21 cm. There is another bust in terracotta on the same model. V Cao Dam is one of the rare Vietnamese artists who has made a name for himself outside his native country. And for good reason, this artist is not only remembered for the lightness of his paintings, but especially for his love affair with French culture. He knew, through his works, to produce a unique amalgam between the best of Eastern and Western art. Before painting, V Cao Dam was mainly interested in sculpture. The artist was even first recognized for his talent in this field, a talent that earned him many commissions when he arrived in Paris. He mainly made busts and among the most famous of them there is that of Albert Sarraut (bronze, 1935), of the emperor Bao Dai (stone, sd) and that of Ho Chi Minch (1946). The model, Roger Bourdin studied at the Paris Conservatory with Gresse and Jacques Isnardon. He made his debut at the Opéra-Comique in 1922 in Manon by Jules Massenet, and at the Paris Opera in 1940, in Mârouf, savetier du Caire by Henri Rabaud. He was a member of the troupe at these two theaters until 1959, where he performed more than 30 important creations and revivals, defending a repertoire of nearly 100 roles.