HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s Hong Kong will present more than 230 lots of Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art during the Autumn 2019 Sales Series. The Evening Sale on 5 October will spotlight an exceptional grouping of works by Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès from an important European private collection, including the remarkable Women on the Terrace from a highly sought-after period of the artist. Other highlights include museum quality works with impeccable provenance by Indonesian artist Affandi, as well as some of the finest works by established Vietnamese artists including Tô Ngọc Vân, Pham Hầu and Nguyen Gia Tri.

Kim Chuan Mok, Sotheby’s Head of Southeast Asian Art, says, “Over the years Sotheby’s has played a prominent role in bringing to world attention the gems of Southeast Asian art. We continue to impress this season with a strong line-up of works of utmost quality and freshness, led by a private collection of Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès paintings with illustrious provenance, along with exceptional works by artists from the thriving markets of Vietnam and Indonesia. The diverse offering fully captures the exotic vibrancy of the region’s flourishing art scene.”

Exceptional works by Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès (Modern & Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Evening Sale: 5 October). Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès (1880-1958). Women on the Terrace Oil on canvas, 90 by 110.5 cm Est. HK$5,500,000 – 7,500,000 / US$705,000 – 960,000.
Women on the Terrace is a striking masterpiece by AdrienJean Le Mayeur de Merprès that captures the lively exuberance of Bali’s culture against a stunning backdrop of the island’s vistas. Paying homage to the romantic nostalgia of old Bali, this brilliant work embodies the maestro’s virtuosity and his unending chase of light. An overflowing sense of jubilance streams from Women on the Terrace, a work that hails from the artist’s immediate post-war period. Depicting a total of eight main figures, the full idyllic composition is adorned with dancing flower petals and dabbles of warm setting sunlight.

Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès (1880-1958). A Conversation in the Garden Oil on canvas, 100 by 120.5 cm. Est. HK$4,000,000 – 6,000,000 / US$510,000 – 765,000.
Conversation in the Garden is an iconic work and was selected as the only oil painting by Le Mayeur to be illustrated in the 1995 Lexicon of Foreign Artists who Visualized Indonesia, (1600-1950). The intimate work stands as a significant example of Le Mayeur’s pre-war works, characterized by the light, pastel palette and thin applications of paint.

Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès (1880-1958). Balinese Maidens by the Balcony Oil on canvas, 75.5 by 90 cm. Est. HK$3,200,000 – 5,500,000 / US$408,000 – 705,000.
Combining the interior of the artist’s Sanur cottage with glimpses of the surrounding gardens, Balinese Maidens by the Balcony is a richly composed work of great rarity – very few of such scenes have surfaced on the market.

Vietnamese Masterworks (Modern & Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Day Sale: 6 October). Le Pho (1907 – 2001), Le voile jaune (The Yellow Veil) Ink and gouache on silk, 34.5 by 20 cm. Est. HK$450,000 – 680,000 / US$57,500 – 87,000.
A portrait of romantic elegance, the present lot is a masterpiece of sheer poetic artistry. Executed by one of the leading figures from the pantheon of modern Vietnamese artists, Le Pho’s Le Voile Jaune (The Yellow Veil) is an exquisite rarity from his polished oeuvre.

Pham Hầu (1903-1995), A wooden cabinet with lacquered doors Doors: Lacquer on wood panel, Cabinet: wood, 180 by 125 by 51 cm. Est. HK$300,000 - 500,000 / US$38,300 – 64,000.
Phạm Hầu was a master of lacquer art, exemplified by this exceptional cabinet. As one of the first among Vietnamese artists to incorporate lacquer painting into furniture, Phạm Hầu’s synthesis of Western techniques and Vietnamese principles is evident here, crafting a dynamic narrative while creating a sense of depth and spatiality within the landscape to provide the viewers with an unparalleled perspective.

Indonesian Master Focus: Affandi (Modern & Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Evening Sale: 5 October). Affandi (1907-1990), Ari (Affandi, Raka and Iwan) Oil on canvas, signed and dated 1958, 130 by 150 cm Est. HK $3,000,000-4,000,000 / US$383,000-510,000. Affandi (1907-1990), Tower of the Sun, Expo '70, Osaka Oil on canvas, signed and dated 1970, 96 by 129.5 cm. Est. HK$1,500,000-2,500,000 / US$192,000-319,000.
Ground-breaking, unorthodox and evocative, Indonesian artist Affandi is one of Southeast Asia’s most daring painters from the 20th century. The works in this prestigious collection are testament to the artist’s ease in both portraiture and landscape scenes, each picture created with equally stunning prowess. ARI is undoubtedly one the most art historically import works from Affandi’s vast and varied oeuvre, as a rare portrait of Affandi’s biggest collector, Raka Sumichan, his son and himself; while Tower of the Sun is a striking piece from an integral time in Affandi’s career, starring the titular structure from the Osaka Expo in 1970 rendered in his vibrant, abstract vernacular.