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1 - Mai-Thu, also known as Mai Trung Thứ (1906–1980), Five Gener…
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Estimate €300,000 - €500,000
Sale commission
Description
Mai-Thu, also known as Mai Trung Thứ (1906–1980), Five Generations, 1971 Ink and gouache on silk, signed and stamped with the artist’s seal in the lower left-hand corner, titled on the reverse of the frame – 94 x 68 cm In its original frame made by the artist (121 x 91 cm) This work will be included in Mai-Thu’s catalogue raisonné, currently being compiled by his daughter, Mrs Lan Mai. The ‘star’ painting of the exhibition ‘The Child and the Family’ at the Doucet Gallery, Place Beauvau, Paris, in 1971. THIS PAINTING IS SUBJECT TO SPECIAL CONDITIONS. TO BID, PLEASE REGISTER WITH OUR AUCTION HOUSE AT [email protected] TO PAY A SECURITY DEPOSIT NO LATER THAN 48 HOURS BEFORE THE AUCTION. BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED LIVE. Five Generations: Mai-Thu at the Summit Painted in 1971, this large-scale composition on silk brings to its climax the theme that runs through Mai-Thu’s entire career: family, lineage and the passing down of traditions across generations. Against a deep, luminous green background, five generations are arranged in tiers, like an unfurled family tree. At the top, the ancestors with their white beards and hair, gathered around the iconic tea ceremony, exude great wisdom. The child in bright pink and green clothes adds a touch of mischief, bringing a slight smile to the grandmother’s face. In the centre, the mother in a turquoise ao dai stands out as the central figure: holding the newborn in finely detailed clothes, her yellow headdress forming a halo, she embodies the artist’s blend of Eastern and Western influences, reminiscent of the Virgin and Child. At the bottom, the children: some are learning their lessons, whilst one appears to be being told off, under the father’s disapproving gaze. Every face, every hand gesture guides the viewer’s gaze. The entire Vietnamese ideal of family continuity, captured in a single work. To bring together five generations on a single silk scroll is something of an exception. Mai-Thu’s family scenes usually feature one or two generations; here, the entire lineage is depicted. Measuring 94 x 68 cm, the piece is a very large-scale work, the most ambitious and rarest in her body of work. It displays immense mastery: with intense colours and lines of the utmost delicacy, Mai-Thu achieves the feat of creating a painting that is at once exuberant and soothing, rich in meaning and easily comprehensible. This seminal work was the centrepiece of the exhibition ‘L’enfant et la famille’, held in 1971 at the Galerie Doucet on Place Beauvau in Paris. Few paintings encapsulate Mai-Thu’s artistry quite so fully: for collectors of the master’s work, it stands as a benchmark piece.
See original version (French)
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Auction location
Auction time 09/12/2026 at 10:30 AM
Lot description modified on 07/24/2026 at 1:07 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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