It was among pieces from the personal collection of Vietnamese patron of the arts, Prince Nguyen Phuc Buu Loc (1914-1990). Painter Le Pho (1907-2001) was a friend of the Prince.
Le Pho has painted many other famous pieces, such as “Nude”, which fetched nearly 1.4 million USD at the 20th Century & Contemporary Art auction in Hong Kong (China) in May 2019, and “Family in the garden”, which sold for 2.37 million USD on April 5, 2023 at Sotheby’s 4th Anniversary Contemporary Evening Auction.
“Uyen uong hy lien” now appears on the list of the most expensive Vietnamese art works.
Others include “Portrait of Mademoiselle Phuong” and “The Woman Wearing a Conical Hat by the River” from painter Mai Trung Thu, and “Paysage de Phnom Penh” from painter Le Quoc Loc, among others./.
