Mai Trung Thứ's Odalisques

Tiếng Việt

A Forgotten Work by Mai Trung Thứ Rediscovered in Nantes

For its 53^rd auction dedicated to Asian painters, Aguttes unveils one of the most sophisticated works in Mai Trung Thứ’s oeuvre.

Purchased from the Moyon-Avenard Gallery—a true Nantes institution since 1885—this large-scale silk painting is finally being revealed after having remained in private hands for nearly 50 years.

“After discovering La Source in a private collection, a painting we had lost track of since acquiring it from a gallery in Nantes in the 1970s, I am delighted to have been able to present it to Mai Lan Phuong, the painter’s daughter, and her son, Aymeric Le Brun.”
Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, expert in modern Vietnamese art

Mai Trung Thứ pays particular attention here to individualizing each of the Vietnamese odalisques depicted. Their languid poses introduce a discreet sensuality that is particularly rare within the artist’s oeuvre. The presence of the nude remains exceptional in his work, despite the academic drawing classes taught at the École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine.

“I am happy to have been able to contemplate and examine this major work by my father before it found a new home. I have a photo in my archives showing my father posing in the early 1970s in his studio, in front of this work and others.
I was surprised to notice a few charming details he had added shortly after this photo was taken.”
Mai Lan Phuong, daughter of Mai Trung Thu

An interpretation of a theme that has been celebrated throughout the history of art

The scene can thus be interpreted as a variation on the theme of women bathing, a subject particularly conducive to representations of beauty and intimacy. Through this reference to subjects such as Diana or Bathsheba at her bath, Mai Trung Thứ expresses his admiration for the Old Masters.

In the background of the composition, concealed among the foliage, a voyeur observes the scene, creating a playful interplay of gazes that draws attention to the viewer’s own position as an observer.

The sense of serenity emanating from the scene is heightened by the idyllic landscape surrounding the figures. The limpid spring, fed by a waterfall cascading through the mountainous landscape rendered in darker tones, provides a striking contrast with the women’s pale complexions.

The chosen moment appears to be twilight: the final rays of sunlight filter between the mountains and bathe the scene in a soft glow, further enhancing the poetic quality of the composition.

The sense of serenity emanating from the scene is heightened by the idyllic landscape surrounding the figures. The limpid spring, fed by a waterfall cascading through the mountainous landscape rendered in darker tones, provides a striking contrast with the women’s pale complexions.

The chosen moment appears to be twilight: the final rays of sunlight filter between the mountains and bathe the scene in a soft glow, further enhancing the poetic quality of the composition.

AUCTION [53] IN PREPARATION | MODERN ASIAN ART: CHINA AND VIETNAM
November 5, 2026, 2:30 p.m.

A QUATERLY AUCTION IS IN THE WORKS: DO YOU KNOW THE VAUE OF YOUR ITEMS?

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