LE PHO | Le voile jaune (The Yellow Veil)

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals no signs of restoration. Framed, under plexiglass.
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A portrait of romantic elegance, the present lot is a masterpiece of sheer poetic artistry. Executed by one of the leading figures from the pantheon of modern Vietnamese artists, Le Pho’s Le Voile Jaune (The Yellow Veil) is an exquisite rarity from his polished oeuvre. Centered around the titular yellow veil, the headpiece’s ethereal translucency is undoubtedly one of the painting’s most captivating highlights. Wrapped in its silken yellow glow, the woman’s poised composure is redolent of the dignified air associated with aristocratic Vietnamese ladies. Despite spending the later stages of his life in France, Le Pho retained a strong fidelity to his roots throughout his extensive opus, endeavoring to capture the feminine charm of the local Vietnamese women with his cosmopolitan voice.

One of the first-generation of students from the École des Beaux-Arts de L’Indochine in Hanoi, Le Pho was part of the pivotal wave of graduates that defined the trajectory of modern Vietnamese art. A man of unceasing originality, Le Pho forged an elegiac amalgam of Western stylistic formalities and Vietnamese motifs that brought his heritage and artistic adroitness to the fore. Dated to 1938, Le Voile Jaune is a poignant piece from the maestro’s early years in France. Set upon his native silk canvas, the painting reinforces Le Pho’s close affinity with his Vietnamese background which is expressed in his refreshing interpretation of Western idioms.

In Le Voile Jaune, Le Pho plays a game of concealment and revelation with the yellow veil. Crowning the woman’s head in a diaphanous haze, the sheath both hides and exposes her features with its veiled translucency. The tension between the known and the unknown leaves her enigmatic figure in a state of constant intrigue, instantly rousing the viewer’s gaze with her elusive nature. Folds of cloth fall between her fingers with fluidity, its realistic rendering and sheerness a testament to Le Pho’s experienced brushwork and familiarity with the subtle interplays between gouache on silk. Her jet-black hair and ao dai ground the loose and airy fabric, its presence hinted at behind the creases of the gauzy material. Le Pho’s astute grasp of realism prevails itself throughout his body of work, instilling his scenes with a recognizable veritable depth. A blue patterned cloth hangs over her arm, the floral design tracing back to traditional Eastern decorations as a vivid reminder of the artist’s native roots. Each bend and curve of the fabric is a rhythmic force that enervates the piece with its life-like similitude. The veil embraces the woman’s body in a shimmering veneer, elevating the scene of a lady in her regular dress into one of demure propriety. 

Against the refined silk medium, the postured woman is a picture of sophisticated grace. The delicacy of the silk allows for a muted wash of colors, imbuing the work with a humbled charm characteristic of the women that populated Le Pho’s oeuvre. The form-fitting ao dai encases the lady’s slender figure, an emblem of tasteful sensuality rendered in the surreal, elongated forms of Le Pho’s archetypal woman. A slim collar wraps around her neck, accentuating her lithe features and drawing focus to her beatific countenance. Her eyes flit downwards, a bashful gaze that immediately enraptures the eyes with their alluring placidity. A paradoxical vision of coy decorum, the woman is an enchanting sight illustrated in Le Pho’s eclectic taste. In the far distance lies a mountain, its flattened outlines reminiscent of the two-dimensional perspective of Eastern aesthetics. A striking red gate stands between the terrain and the woman, its auspicious color injecting the piece with spirited chromaticity. Situated behind is a sky comprised in washes of grey and yellow, evocative of the overcast weather glooming over the glowing scene below. Even with strong underpinnings of Eastern vocabulary, Le Voile Jaune possesses a unique, novel understanding of Western traditions that set the maestro apart from his contemporaries.

A visionary ahead of his time, Le Pho’s unparalleled dexterity and ingenuity married the finest aspects of both Eastern and Western vernacular with his own eclectic flair. Each artwork produced in his vast arsenal is different from each other with his seminal compositions, united by a common motif of feminine beauty that set the artist apart as one of the monoliths in modern Vietnamese art.