LÊ VAN DÊ (Ben Tre, 1906 - Ho Chi Minh City, 1966) Portrait of Louis Gillet (1876 - 1943) at his reading Gouache and ink on silk Localised, signed and dated 'Paris 1938 / Lê Van Dê' in French and signed with ideograms and the artist's stamp lower left Portrait of Louis Gillet (1876-1943), watercolor and Indian ink on silk, signed and dated, by Lê van Dê 18.5 x 10.431 in. 44 x 23.5 cm Provenance: Louis Gillet Collection (1876-1943), Paris ; Then by descent ; Private collection, Ile-de-France Lê Văn Đệ grew up in Ben Tre province in the Mekong delta. He was in the first class of the Hanoi School of Fine Arts, directed by Victor Tardieu and Nguyen Nam Son. He was quickly noticed by his teachers for his great technical mastery and graduated top of his class in 1930. He took part in the Exposition Coloniale in Paris in 1931, where he learned traditional Asian techniques from the painter Jean-Pierre Laurens, whose studio he frequented. He continued his artistic education by travelling to Rome, where he was received by the Pope. This meeting was to have a profound effect, as he converted to Catholicism and took the baptismal name Celso-Leon Francesco. In 1934, the French government bought one of his large canvases, The Interior of a Tonkinese Family. In 1936, the Holy See entrusted him with responsibility for Asian artists at its Exhibition. On his return to the East, he became close to Bao Daï, who asked him to draw up the design for the new flag of South Vietnam. He also taught Zao Wou-Ki, Chu Teh Chun and Wu Guanzhong. To a certain extent, our painting is an allegory of syncretism, since Lê Văn Đệ's portrait of the art historian Louis Gillet on silk pongee illustrates the links and mutual curiosity that unite the painters of the Hanoi school with classical Western artistic culture. Contact: Maxence Miglioretti Phone: +33 (0)1 42 99 20 02 Email: [email protected] LÊ VAN DÊ (Ben Tre, 1906 - Hô Chi Minh City, 1966) 44 x 23.5 cm Lê Văn Đệ grew up in Ben Tre province in the Mekong delta. He was in the first class of the Hanoi School of Fine Arts, directed by Victor Tardieu and Nguyen Nam Son. He was quickly noticed by his teachers for his great technical mastery and graduated top of his class in 1930. He took part in the Exposition Coloniale in Paris in 1931, where he learned traditional Asian techniques from the painter Jean-Pierre Laurens, whose studio he frequented. He continued his artistic education by travelling to Rome, where he was received by the Pope. This meeting was to have a profound effect, as he converted to Catholicism and took the baptismal name Celso-Leon Francesco. In 1934, the French government bought one of his large canvases, The Interior of a Tonkinese Family. In 1936, the Holy See entrusted him with responsibility for Asian artists at its Exhibition. On his return to the East, he became close to Bao Daï, who asked him to draw up the design for the new flag of South Vietnam. He also taught Zao Wou-Ki, Chu Teh Chun and Wu Guanzhong. To a certain extent, our painting forms an allegory of syncretism, since by painting the portrait of the art historian Louis Gillet on silk pongee, Lê Văn Đệ illustrates the links and mutual curiosity that unite the painters of the Hanoi school with classical Western artistic culture. Contact: Maxence Miglioretti Tel: +33 (0)1 42 99 20 02 Email: [email protected]