Vu Cao Dam is in our next sale: Mother and Child · Lot 1 · 31 October 2026, 17:00 CEST
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Vu Cao Dam (1908-2000) Maternité, 1964
Details
We wish to thank The Findlay Institute for confirming the authenticity of this work, which will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné.
Signed and Dated: Hand-signed “vucaodam 64” in the lower left corner.
Verso Inscriptions: Hand-inscribed by the artist on the back of the canvas: “Maternité,” followed by Chinese characters, and “vu cao dam 1964”.
Sizes:
Artwork: 59 × 78.5 cm | 23.2 × 30.9 in
Executed in 1964, Maternité is a serene and luminous oil on canvas that perfectly captures Vu Cao Dam’s delicate fusion of traditional Vietnamese aesthetics with Western modernism. The composition features a tender depiction of a mother holding her child, a central theme in the artist’s oeuvre, set against an ethereal, impressionistic landscape. The work is characterized by a soft, atmospheric palette of blues, greens, and golden yellows, applied with light, rhythmic brushstrokes that create a sense of poetic tranquility.
A pioneering figure of modern Vietnamese art and a member of the School of Paris, Vu Cao Dam often imbued his subjects with a statuesque grace and a timeless, spiritual quality. In this piece, the influence of French Impressionism is evident in the dappled light and vibrant textures, while the figures themselves retain the elegant lines and quiet dignity found in classical Asian art. This painting stands as a masterful example of his ability to transcend cultural boundaries through a universal language of beauty and maternal love.
Condition Report
The work is in very good overall condition, with the oil pigments remaining vibrant and the impasto textures well-preserved across the canvas surface. The canvas is properly tensioned on its original wooden stretcher. There are some minor, age-appropriate handling marks along the extreme edges where the canvas meets the frame. The verso of the canvas exhibits natural age-related toning but remains clean and stable, with the artist’s original inscriptions clearly legible.
Authenticity & Buyer Information
This lot is catalogued under the artist’s name without qualification and is covered by our Five-Year Authenticity Guarantee under Section 4 of the Conditions of Sale. The guarantee concerns authorship; it does not extend to provenance, dating, condition or value, which are described to the best of our knowledge.
Buyers should review the catalogue carefully and raise any questions before bidding; additional information is not ordinarily provided after the auction.
5-Year Authenticity Guarantee
Five years on authorship for works catalogued under the artist’s name without qualification (Section 4 of our Conditions of Sale); headings such as “Attributed to” or “Circle of” are sold as described.
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Questions about this lot
How does the estimate compare with the artist’s recent auction results?
The estimate of €12,000–€15,000 is our opinion of the range this work should reach; the starting price of €10,000 is the lowest bid we accept. We have not published comparable results for this lot; ask us before the sale and we will send the results we based the estimate on.
What will this lot cost in total?
Bidding on this site, the buyer’s premium is 25%, Spanish IVA included, and there is no VAT on the hammer price and no card fee: at the starting price of €10,000 the total is €12,500; at the low estimate of €12,000 the total is €15,000; at the high estimate of €15,000 the total is €18,750.
Through LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, Drouot or Bidspirit the premium is 30%, so the same hammer of €15,000 costs €19,500 there. Shipping and insurance are quoted separately; the estimator on this page gives the figure for your country. Buyers outside the EU pay no Spanish tax on the lot; the destination’s import rules apply (United States: original paintings and drawings enter duty-free; United Kingdom: 5% import VAT on art). Card payments are accepted up to €10,000; larger amounts by bank transfer.
Is the attribution covered by the Five-Year Authenticity Guarantee?
Yes. This lot is catalogued under the artist’s name without qualification, so it carries our Five-Year Authenticity Guarantee under Section 4 of the Conditions of Sale: if the authorship proves materially incorrect, you may return the work within five years for a refund of the purchase price. The guarantee concerns authorship; provenance, dating, condition and value are described to the best of our knowledge and are not guaranteed.
Can I see the condition report, more photographs or the work itself?
A condition report with ultraviolet photographs is prepared on request, normally within two working days; the condition summary on this page is examined in-house and is not a conservator’s report. Further photographs of any detail, the reverse or the frame are sent on request. The work can be examined in our Barcelona showroom by appointment before the sale, and you are welcome to send your own conservator or specialist.
Vu Cao Dam
Vu Cao Dam was a leading figure in modern Vietnamese art and a key member of the historic first generation of artists trained at the École des Beaux-Arts of Indochina in Hanoi. In 1931, he moved to France, where he spent the majority of his life and career, successfully bridging traditional Eastern aesthetics with Western modernist techniques. He became particularly renowned for his mastery of silk painting and bronze sculpture, developing a distinctive, lyrical style characterized by flowing lines, delicate palettes, and serene, nostalgic depictions of Vietnamese women, family life, and folklore.
As a prominent voice of the École de Paris, Vu Cao Dam’s work achieved international acclaim, celebrating his cultural heritage through a refined universal lens. Today, his paintings and sculptures are highly sought after by collectors and are preserved in major museum collections and institutions around the world.
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