122 - André MAIRE (1898–1984)

André MAIRE (1898–1984) Landscape with a Temple, Saigon, 1920 Watercolor on paper, signed lower right H. 23 cm - W. 30.5 cm Note: An iconic travel painter trained under Émile Bernard, André Maire (1898–1984) found in Indochina—and particularly in Vietnam—the essential inspiration for his work. Sent to Hanoi for military service in 1919 and later returning there to teach drawing at the Lycée Albert-Sarraut and the Indochinese School of Fine Arts between 1948 and 1958, he immersed himself fervently in local life, from the banks of the Red River to the intimate scenes of Tonkinese villages. Far from the superficial colonial “picturesque,” his work is characterized by often monumental formats executed in charcoal, red chalk, or gouache enhanced on paper or silk, featuring rigorous compositions, a powerful, sculptural line, and a subdued palette of earth tones, sepia, and deep blacks. Capturing the serenity of the river landscapes, the nobility of the peasants, and the harmony of traditional architecture, his Vietnamese works convey an almost mystical contemplation of Asia, making them today the most sought-after and highly valued part of his body of work on the art market.