Pierre Le-Tan

The canvas is unlined. Apart from some light surface dirt, the work is in very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

signed 'Le Tan' (lower right), acrylic on canvas. Painted in 1998.

DIX TABLEAUX DE PIERRE LE-TAN PROVENANT DU RESTAURANT MIRABELLE, LONDRES

Pierre Le-Tan

En 1995, Sotheby's a le privilège de se voir confier la vente de l'extraordinaire collection d'œuvres néoromantiques rassemblée par Pierre Le-Tan. Dévoilant son propre univers, l'artiste nous permettait ainsi de redécouvrir ce groupe d'artistes énigmatique, proche du Surréalisme, du rêve et de l'imaginaire. Plus d'une décennie plus tard, Sotheby's est aujourd'hui fière de présenter une rare série d'élégantes acryliques sur toile, conçues en 1998 par l'artiste, afin d'orner les murs du restaurant londonien Mirabelle.

Fils du peintre vietnamien Le-Pho, Pierre Le-Tan est élevé dans un univers artistique raffiné et s'intéresse dès son plus jeune âge aux œuvres d'art, faisant son premier achat à l'âge précoce de six ans. Devenu peintre et illustrateur, Le-Tan se distingue par son approche singulière du dialogue qui existe entre art et littérature, les compositions qu'il crée étant parfois pertinemment appréhendées comme des  " dessins qui doivent être lus  et  des mots qui doivent être regardés " (Umberto Pasti, in Madrid, Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofia, Pierre Le-Tan, 2004, p. 35). Explorant et jouant des interactions entre ces deux champs, son œuvre comprend de nombreuses illustrations, des entreprises communes avec des écrivains de renom tels que Patrick Modiano, des collaborations avec des journaux tels que le New Yorker et le Figaro, la décoration de restaurants tels que le Mirabelle, des travaux publicitaires pour des maisons comme Chanel ainsi que des commandes de collectionneurs privés.

Les toiles ici présentées constituent l'une des rares séries de toiles élaborées par l'artiste. Présentée au complet, cette série est symptomatique de l'œuvre de Le-Tan : tonalités suaves aux accents surannés, lignes minutieusement détaillées situées dans un espace subtilement construit, objets, lieux & portraits souvenirs au "parfum Proustien" ( José Carlos Llop, in Madrid, Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofia, Pierre Le-Tan, 2004, p. 3). Ces compositions Trompe L'œil, curieusement fragmentées en cadres décoratifs, apparaissent comme le fruit d'une réflexion de l'artiste autour du travail de la mémoire ; Le Tan expliquant "voi(r) (s)on passé en images isolées et silencieuses."

Cet ensemble raffiné, empreint de douce nostalgie, nous révèle un univers sobre d'une étonnante modernité : représentations de souvenirs, images de personnages, de lieux, d'émotions, de moments et de choses se mêlent, tels, "une littérature de la mémoire, du temps qui fut mais n'existe plus, mais qui refuse de disparaitre".

Fig. 1,  Pierre Le-Tan devant deux œuvres en cours d'exécution pour le restaurant Mirabelle en 1998

 

In  1995  Sotheby's had the privilege of offering for sale an extraordinary collection of Neo-Romantic works collected by Pierre Le-Tan.  Revealing his inner world, the artist afforded us the opportunity to rediscover an enigmatic group of artists whose work is linked with Surrealism, with dreams and the imaginary.  Over ten years later, Sotheby's is today proud to present a rare series of elegant acrylics on canvas, created by the artist in 1998 to adorn the walls of the London restaurant Mirabelle.  The son of the Vietnamese painter Le-Pho, Pierre Le-Tan was raised in an artistic household and from a young age became interested in works of art, making his first purchase at the precocious age of six.  As a painter and illustrator, Le-Tan sets himself apart by his singular approach to the dialogue between art and literature; his compositions are sometimes conceived as "drawings which should be read and words that should be looked at" (Umberto Pasti, in Pierre Le-Tan (exhibition catalogue), Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, 2004, p. 35).  Exploring and playing with the interaction between these two fields, his oeuvre comprises numerous illustrations, joint ventures with renowned writers such as Patrick Modiano, collaborations with newspapers such as the New Yorker and the Figaro, the decoration of restaurants such as Mirabelle, advertising work for companies such as Chanel as well as private commissions.  

The paintings presented here constitute one of the rare series of canvases executed by the artist.  Presented as a whole, this series is a indicative of the totality of Le-Tan's oeuvre: smooth tones with faded accents, minutely detailed lines situated in a subtly constructed space, objects, places and portraits redolent with memories like "Proustian perfume" ( José Carlos Llop, in Pierre Le-Tan, Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, 2004, p. 3).  These trompe l'oeil compositions, curiously fragmented in their decorative frames, appear to be the product of the artist's meditation on the theme of memory; Le Tan explained that he "saw his past in isolated silent images."

This refined collection, imbued with gentle nostalgia, reveals a subdued world of surprising modernity: representations of memories, images of people, places, emotions, moments and objects merge like "a literature of memory, of a time that was but no longer exists, but which refuses to disappear".