Lot 9. Mai Trung Thu (Vietnamese-French, 1906-1980), Sur le seuil de la maison, 1941, signed and dated MAI THU 1941, with one seal of the artist (lower left); titled (reverse), ink and colour on silk laid down on paper, 45.6 x 56.6 cm. Estimate €180,000 - €280,000 © Bonhams 2025

Paris – Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr is honoured to offer a delicate painting by the Vietnamese-French artist Mai Trung Thứ entitled Sur le seuil de la maison in the upcoming Vietnamese Art Online auction from 9 to 16 December 2025 (estimate: €180,000-280,000).

Joan Yip, Senior Specialist for Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr, said: "Mai Thu's work has been widely acquired by public and private collections around the world. Last May, Musée Cernuschi in Paris concluded the first major retrospective in France of modern pioneers in Vietnamese art, featuring Mai-Thu as a central subject along with Lê Phô and Vu Cao Dam. This painting is a masterpiece, combining Western compositional principles with traditional Asian techniques, creating a distinctive visual harmony. The sale also offers a curated selection of Vietnamese works of art."

Born in 1906 in Hai Phong, Vietnamese-French artist Mai Trung Thứ, also known as Mai Thu, was one of the most prominent figures in the history of Vietnamese modern art in the twentieth century. He was one of the pioneer graduates from the École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine in Hanoi, a school that encouraged the integration of Western painting techniques with traditional Vietnamese aesthetics. The school's objective was to establish a new style that would combine heritage and modernism. In the 1930s, artists from this school began using Vietnamese silk as a medium for their paintings, establishing a distinctive trend in modern Vietnamese art as a means of asserting cultural identity. Their works frequently depicted scenes of everyday life, featuring figures dressed in modernised versions of the Ao Dai, reflecting the fashionable styles of the period.

Mai Trung Thu was demobilised from military service between 1940 to 1942, and settled in Mâcon, France. During this time, he was commissioned to paint a commemorative mural honouring soldiers who had died in the First World War. This mural is currently located in the Chapel of Sainte-Thérèse-de-Lisieux at Église Saint-Pierre in Mâcon. During this period, his artistic career flourished, with French families acquiring his paintings and commissioning family portraits. He also exhibited regularly in galleries in Nice, Algers and other locations.

The silk painting  Sur le seuil de la maison, dated 1941, is characteristic of this Mâcon period. Executed in ink and colour on Vietnamese silk laid down on paper, the work embodies refined craftsmanship: smooth textures, transparent layers and delicate application of pigment, all hallmarks of silk painting. The silk, which was sourced from Vietnam, was considered a rare material during wartime. Mai Trung Thu, like his friends Lê Phô and Vu Cao Dam, who are also based in France, reserved large pieces of silk for major works, such as exhibition centrepieces or commissioned pieces. This painting was acquired by the great-aunt of the present owner from the Galerie des Arts La Scala in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France.

The composition captures a tranquil moment on a porch. On the left stands a young woman wearing a yellow Ao Dai  with a matching headdress. She holds a delicate, translucent fan in pale blue that partially conceals her chin, evoking the gentle relief of a summer breeze. On the right, an elderly woman in a dark Ao Dai and a faint red headdress is seated on a red lacquer stool, tenderly caressing a child who is clinging onto a green patterned blanket while climbing onto the porch railing. The scene appears to be suspended in time. The three figures are relaxed on the porch of the house, enjoying the cool breeze.

This painting combines Western compositional principles with traditional Asian techniques, creating a distinctive visual harmony. The three figures are shown in full-length view and arranged with a sense of intimacy that recalls Western photographic framing. The artist employs a traditional Asian ink painting approach, outlining the figures with precision before applying colour, thereby enhancing clarity and structure. The perspective reflects Asian aesthetics, characterised by an absence of depth and shading, resulting in a flat, serene surface that prioritises decorative balance over spatial illusion. The colour palette is dominated by warm yellow tones, complemented by faint blue accents and touches of red. The overall tonal value is moderate, with minimal contrast between light and dark, which reinforces the painting's calm and harmonious atmosphere.

Other highlights of the sale:

Lot 16. Vu Cao Dam (French-Vietnamese, 1908-2000), Black Horse, 1962, signed and dated Vu Cao Dam 1962 (lower right), oil on canvas, 46 x 38 cm. Estimate €25,000 - €35,000. © Bonhams 2025

Lot 20. Nguyen Van Binh (Vietnamese, 1917-2004), Bamboo and Banana, circa 2000, signed Van Binh (lower left), lacquer with gold and silver foil on wood panel, 66 x 100 cm. Estimate: €10,000-20,000 © Bonhams 2025

Lot 12. Alix Aymé (French, 1894-1989), Portrait d'une enfant, signed Alix Aymé (lower left), ink, colour and gold foil on silk, 19,5 x 20,3 cm. Estimate: €6,000-8,000. © Bonhams 2025

Lot 15. Bui Huu Hung (born 1957), Lady in Red, 2018, signed bui huu hung (lower right),lacquer on wood panel, 122 x 122 cm. Estimate: €3,000-5,000. © Bonhams 2025