Trần Minh Thi (1919–1961), known as LE THY - Lot 399

Trần Minh Thi (1919–1961), known as LE THY “Fishermen and Villagers” Lacquer panel. Signed lower right. Height: 50 cm Width: 70 cm Trần Minh Thi, known as Lê Thy, was born in 1919 in Cholon, near Saigon. A student at the Indochina School of Fine Arts in Hanoi under the guidance of Nam Sơn, he went on to become one of the leading lacquer artists in South Vietnam. His work combines traditional techniques, gilded backgrounds, and simplified forms sometimes influenced by Art Deco. His compositions draw on classic themes of rice paddies, waterways, and lush vegetation. Animal scenes, featuring deer or big cats, are rendered in a different style. The panel we are presenting displays iconography characteristic of the Vietnamese rural landscape. The composition is organized around a winding waterway, brought to life by small boats and figures. Lush vegetation takes center stage, framed by large rocks that close off the horizon. In the lower part, the presence of water buffalo and peasants evokes agricultural life and daily rural existence. The work as a whole thus offers a vision of traditional Vietnam that is both descriptive and poetic, in which humans appear intimately integrated with nature. The use of a palette of brown, red, and gold, as well as the meticulous rendering of the vegetation, reinforce the panel’s serene and contemplative atmosphere.