Asian Painters

Three departments dedicated to the Middle Kingdom, Asia and the Far East

Aguttes is the first Western auction house to have explored and conquered the Indochinese art market with its expert, Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, a leading specialist in Indochina for over 10 years. She is behind the phenomenal growth in sales of paintings by modern 20th century Vietnamese artists, and her knowledge of these works has been a source of inspiration to collectors in China, Vietnam and Indochina. She has enabled the expansion of a great many collections and helped thousands of remarkable works to be passed on. Since 2014, around 1,000 modern Asian art works, including nearly 150 paintings by Lê Phổ, over 115 works by Mai Trung Thứ and 100-odd works by Vũ Cao Đàm, have passed through her hands. The founder of the AAP (Artistes d’Asie à Paris) association, she is currently listing works by painters Mai Trung Thứ, Vũ Cao Đàm and Lê Phổ in catalogues raisonnés. Her book, L’Art Moderne en Indochine (Modern Art in Indochina), published to celebrate the centenary of the Indochina School of Fine Arts’s creation in Hanoi, provides an economic analysis showing how Aguttes has influenced the average annual growth in the prices achieved for artists in this movement. Between 2000 and 2022, Vũ Cao Đàm and Lê Phổ, major artists in this movement, each recorded growth of 21%, and Mai Trung Thứ  a rise of 26%. In 2022, Aguttes’ market share in the French market was 78%, 66% and 72% by value for sales of works by Vũ Cao Đàm, Mai Trung Thứ and Lê Phổ respectively.

The Asian arts of China, Japan, Vietnam, Southeast Asia and Tibet are selected in France and Europe by specialist Clémentine Guyot and her team of collaborators and experts. Ophélie Guillerot, a former gallery director in Singapore and an expert in contemporary art, is in charge of showcasing post-war Chinese and Vietnamese artists at auctions designed to attract the attention of international buyers.

The Artists of the École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine & Their Favorite Subjects

Paris has always attracted artists from all over the world. Many of the leading artists trained at the École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine came to France to complete their studies, enrolling at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, working in studios in the Montmartre and Montparnasse districts, or drawing inspiration from the galleries of the Louvre Museum. At the time, Paris was a hub of ceaseless creative energy, fostering an extraordinary artistic effervescence. These artists primarily expressed themselves through painting, whether using ink and color on silk, oil on silk, oil on canvas, or hardboard. However, lacquerwork and sculpture were also highly esteemed, showcasing the breadth of their technical mastery and talent. As for their preferred subjects, the female figure was among the most recurrent. They painted young women, either in full-length or bust portraits, depicted indoors or in nature, as well as female nudes. Motherhood and children, sometimes accompanied by elderly parents, were also a central theme, reflecting a deep reverence for filial piety traditions. Many still lifes were created, particularly floral compositions. Finally, nature, the animal world, and landscapes were widely celebrated, evoking nostalgic memories of these painters’ homelands.

The provenance of the artworks

The provenance of the works – paintings, lacquers and sculptures – is often highly personal and historical, with owners who bought pieces directly from the artists or inherited family heirlooms. These objets d’art, sometimes forgotten or little-known in the West, are kept for many years by the owners and their families for sentimental and aesthetic reasons. Given the growing interest in these pieces, specialists are offering free estimates to assess their value in today’s market.

Seeking Signatures: Lacquerware, Paintings & Sculptures

For Vietnam, notable artists include Lê Phổ, Lương Xuân Nhị, Vu Cao Dam, Mai Trung Thu, Lê thi Luu, Phạm Hậu, Nam Son, Lê Văn Đệ, Nguyễn Ðức Nùng, Nguyễn Khang, and Minh Châu. For China, artists such as Sanyu, Lin Fengmian, Pan Yuliang, and Zhu Yuanzhi stand out, as do French artists who traveled or taught in these regions like Victor Tardieu, Alix Aymé, Evariste Jonchère, Joseph Inguimberty, and Henri Emile Vollet.

Four Auctions Per Year

Our Painters of Asia department stages four auctions a year in Paris, which are held close to the sales dates of the Arts of Asia department. The calendar follows international events and the Parisian cultural diary connected with the Arts of Asia: Asia Now – Paris Asian Art Fair, the Printemps Asiatique de Paris and Asian Week. Our correspondents in China and Vietnam work hard on press relations in Asia. Our “Painters of Asia, China, Indochina & Vietnam” and “Asian Art” sales attract the world’s leading buyers in the field.

With our powerful communication strike force and international clientele, the auction house regularly achieves world records

The promotional programme is based on modern tools and a trusted network built up between the company, collectors and professionals over many years. The company has a unique communication strike force, providing sellers with modern, targeted tools for effective international distribution. We devote particular attention to producing the sales catalogue in terms of both design and content, whether the print or entirely digital version. During our campaigns, we mobilise buyers from our portfolio in all specialities and any potential buyers we pinpoint. We communicate with them using several channels: on- and off-line advertising, social networks, email shots, the media, influencers and bidding platforms, using appropriate, high-quality supports: images, texts and videos.

Free and Confidential Appraisals of Your Artworks

Our experts and specialists travel throughout France and Europe in collaboration with our representative offices in Lyon, Aix-en-Provence, Brussels and Geneva.

The team can help you find, sell or purchase a unique work of art, privately and discreetly. Our auctioneers are also available for all inventories of your items and collections, in view of a division or sale.