MAI TRUNG THỨ (1906-1980) Nature morte aux pommes, 1959 Ink and color on silk, signed and dated lower left. In the original frame made by the artist 38,3 x 46,1 cm - 15 1/8 x 18 1/8 in. A timeless exercise, still life painting allows artists to express the fragility of life and the art of painting the most common objects to elevate them to the status of works of art. The composition of fruit, particularly apples, is the prerogative of old masters such as Giuseppe Ruoppolo, the studious Henri-Fantin Latour and the avant-garde Cézanne. Following in the footsteps of European painters, Mai Trung Thứ chooses to showcase spoiled apples and an empty porcelain bowl, using the Far Eastern medium of silk painting. The work of volumes and textures imitates oil painting to perfection. This work demonstrates the revival of the synthetic heritage of Mai Trung Thứ, a movement in which he was immersed during his studies, through its flat composition and singular perspective. Unlike his other Nature morte aux pommes from the same year, the clarity and vaporous effect give way to a striking naturalism, while retaining his personal touch. Emotion and sensitivity come into play in the depiction of this still life through the prism of the artist’s feelings about reality. Combining Far Eastern and Western influences, Mai Trung Thứ brings an innovative vision to one of painting’s oldest genres.