Vietnamese Modernism at Auction | Lê Phổ, Vũ Cao Đàm & Important Vietnamese Art
As international demand for Vietnamese Modernist art continues to grow, Freeman's is launching a dedicated sale devoted to one of the most dynamic categories in the global art market.
Highlighting exceptional works by Lê Phổ and Vũ Cao Đàm, the auction celebrates artists whose works bridge Eastern traditions and Western modernism.
What Is Vietnamese Modernism?
The Origins of a Distinct Artistic Movement
Vietnamese Modernism emerged during the early twentieth century and stems from a group of artists trained at the École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochineunder Victor Tardieu, who blended traditional Vietnamese aesthetics with European artistic techniques.
The result, throughout several years, was a unique visual language characterized by lyrical compositions, refined color palettes, cultural symbolism, technical innovation, and cross-cultural influences.
Lê Phó (French/Vietnamese, 1907-2001) Composition de Fleurs, c. 1983 | Price Realized | $197,350; Vũ Cao Đàm (French/Vietnamese, 1908–2000) Composition, 1984 | Price Realized $62,500
The École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine
The School That Shaped a Generation
Founded in Hanoi in 1925, the École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine became one of the most influential institutions in Southeast Asian art history.
The academy introduced Western academic training while encouraging students to explore local traditions and materials, helping create a distinctly Vietnamese artistic identity that continues to resonate with collectors worldwide.
Lê Phổ: Master of Vietnamese Modernism
A Global Market Favorite
Among the most celebrated figures of Vietnamese Modernism stands Lê Phổ, who developed a signature style known for its luminous color, elegant, elongated figures, and poetic, relaxing depictions of family, gardens, and daily life in Vietnam and abroad as the artist formally settled in Paris in 1937.
Lê Phó (French/Vietnamese, 1907–2001) "Sur La Terrasse" | Price Realized $140,000; Lê Phó (French/Vietnamese, 1907-2001) | L'Enfant aux Pavots | Price Realized $101,600
Vũ Cao Đàm: Bridging East and West
A Distinctive Artistic Voice
Vũ Cao Đàm was another important name associated with the expansion of Vietnamese Art out west. First established in Paris, he moved to the South of Franceresiding in Vence, where he met Henri Matisse. A sculptor by training, his art focused on women models, maternities as well as Vietnamese folklore and mythology, which he celebrated throughout his life to appeal his manyWestern Collectors, in Europe and in the United States.
Vũ Cao Ðàm (French/Vietnamese, 1908-2000) | Divinité Blanche, 1976 | Price Realized $102,100; Vũ Cao Đàm (French/ Vietnamese, 1908-2000) | Mother and Child | Price Realized $190,500
Why Collect Vietnamese Modernist Art?
Rising Global Demand
Collectors, institutions, and investors increasingly recognize Vietnamese Modernism as one of the most important and rapidly expanding sectors within the Asian art market.
A particularly heartwarming recent trend is the rise of Southeast Asian collectors joining this global movement, united by a shared effort to bring their beloved national heroes back home.
Contact a Specialist
Interested in buying or selling Vietnamese Modernist art? Connect with our specialists to discuss upcoming auctions, valuations, and collecting opportunities.
Latest Articles
Freeman’s to Present The Middendorf Collection: A Legacy of Art & Diplomacy
Property from the Estate of Ambassador J. William Middendorf II, spanning Old Master and American paintings, early American furniture, and historic manuscripts, to be offered across fall and winter auctions
From Picasso to Pop Art: Freeman’s Announces November Prints & Multiples Auction in New York
Freeman’s is pleased to present Prints & Multiples, its marquee New York auction on November 4, featuring an impressive selection of Old Master, Modern, and Contemporary prints and multiples. Spanning centuries of artistic innovation, the sale brings together works by some of the most influential artists in art history, offering collectors a diverse range of styles, techniques, and price points. Leading the auction is an important Pablo Picasso linocut, alongside notable works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Mitchell, and Joan Miró. Additional highlights include prints by Helen Frankenthaler, Tom Wesselmann, and Albrecht Dürer, as well as a selection of Picasso ceramics. “We’re particularly excited about the strength of the works in this sale, from Picasso’s exceptional linocut to iconic examples of Pop Art by Warhol and Lichtenstein,” saidMatthew Stavro, Senior Specialist, Prints & Multiples at Freeman’s. “The auction also features a wonderful selection of works from the Estate of Ray Retzlaff, offered to benefit charitable organizations. Together, these highlights reflect the quality and depth of the sale, with exciting opportunities for collectors across a wide range of interests and collecting levels.” Auction Highlights Lot 107 | Pablo Picasso, Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe, d'après Manet I, 1962 Estimate: $100,000–150,000 Leading the auction is Pablo Picasso’s Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe, d'après Manet I, a vibrant 1962 linocut that reinterprets Manet’s iconic composition through bold colors, flattened perspective, and playful distortions of the human figure. The work exemplifies Picasso’s inventiveness and technical mastery of the linocut medium. As Abstract Expressionism gained prominence, Picasso increasingly turned to the great masters of European art, including Velázquez, Cranach, and Rembrandt, for inspiration. Rather than simply reproducing their celebrated works, he boldly reinterpreted them, paying homage to his predecessors while asserting his own artistic vision. In this dynamic print, Picasso extends Manet’s revolutionary spirit, reaffirming the enduring influence of the original composition nearly a century after its creation. Lot 29 | Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, 1975 Estimate: $80,000–120,000 Property from the Estate of Ray Retzlaff, sold to Benefit Charitable Organizations.Another significant highlight is Andy Warhol’s Mick Jagger, a striking 1975 screenprint that brings together two defining figures of twentieth-century popular culture. Part of a portfolio of ten portraits created from Warhol’s own photographs of the Rolling Stones frontman, the work reflects the artist's fascination with celebrity, fame, and the intersection of art and popular culture. Warhol's friendship with Jagger lent a personal dimension to the series, while his characteristic use of photographic imagery and graphic interventions transformed the musician's likeness into an iconic Pop Art image. Signed by both Warhol and Jagger, the work is numbered 98 from an edition of 250. Lot 25 | Roy Lichtenstein, Brushstroke, 1965 Estimate: $10,000–15,000 Property from the Estate of Ray Retzlaff, sold to Benefit Charitable Organizations. Roy Lichtenstein’s Brushstroke, executed in 1965, represents a pivotal moment in the artist's exploration of the relationship between fine art and popular imagery. Departing from the comic-book subjects that first brought him recognition, Lichtenstein turned his attention to the expressive brushstroke itself, a defining feature of Abstract Expressionist painting. Using the crisp outlines, Ben-Day dots, and flat colors associated with his Pop Art vocabulary, Lichtenstein transformed the spontaneous gesture of painting into a carefully constructed graphic image. Lot 23 | Roy Lichtenstein, Modern Head #2, 1970 Estimate: $10,000–15,000 Also featured is Lichtenstein’s Modern Head #2, a 1970 work from the artist's Modern Head series. Executed as a two-color embossed lithograph and line-cut on handmade paper, the print demonstrates Lichtenstein's continued exploration of stylized imagery and innovative printmaking techniques. Combining geometric forms with the suggestion of a human face, the composition reflects his interest in reinterpreting familiar artistic subjects through the visual language of modern design. Lot 102 | Joan Miró, Femme et chien devant la lune, 1935 Estimate: $15,000 – 20,000 Joan Miró’s Femme et chien devant la lune (Woman and Dog in Front of the Moon), created in 1935 and published in 1936, exemplifies the artist’s distinctive Surrealist vocabulary. Combining biomorphic forms, expressive lines, and imagery drawn from the natural world, the composition reflects Miró’s ability to move between abstraction and representation. Executed in pochoir, a stencil-based printing technique, the work was published by the Barcelona-based artists’ association ADLAN in an edition of 60, during the early development of Miró’s printmaking practice. Lot 2 | Joan Mitchell, Bedford III (from Bedford Series), 1981 Estimate: $10,000–15,000 Joan Mitchell’s Bedford III, a 1981 color lithograph, exemplifies the artist's expressive approach to abstraction and printmaking. The work belongs to Mitchell’s Bedford Series, a group of ten large-scale color lithographs created in collaboration with master printer Kenneth Tyler and published by Tyler Graphics in New York. Produced as Mitchell expanded her exploration of printmaking, the series translated the gestural energy and vibrant color that characterize her paintings into the lithographic medium. Printed in an edition of 70, Bedford III reflects the dynamic relationship between color, gesture, and composition that remained central to Mitchell's artistic practice. Lot 39 | Alex Katz, Springtime, 2026 | Estimate $35,000 - 45,000 Additional Highlights • Lot 5 | Helen Frankenthaler, All About Blue, 1994 | Estimate $6,000 - 8,000 | Property from the Estate of Ray Retzlaff, sold to Benefit Charitable Organizations • Lot 32 | Andy Warhol, Black Bean Soup (from Campbell's Soup I), 1968 | Estimate $30,000 - 50,000 | Property from the Estate of Ray Retzlaff, sold to Benefit Charitable Organizations • Lot 33 | Andy Warhol, Chicken 'N Dumplings Soup (from Campbell's Soup II), 1969 | Estimate $25,000 - 35,000 | Property from the Estate of Ray Retzlaff, sold to Benefit Charitable Organizations • Lot 39 | Alex Katz, Springtime, 2026 | Estimate $35,000 - 45,000 • Lot 93 | After Marc Chagall, by Charles Sorlier, La Flûte Enchantée, 1967 | Estimate $20,000 - 30,000 • Lot 136 | Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, Le Rêve, 1929 | Estimate $15,000 - 25,000 Auction Information Prints & Multiples Wednesday, November 4, 2026 | 11:00 a.m. EST 32 East 67th Street, New York Preview Exhibition: October 26 - 30, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. October 31, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. November 2 – 3, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. How to Bid The Prints & Multiples auction will be offered on November 4 at 11:00 a.m. EST in Freeman’s New York saleroom. Bidding will be available in person, over the phone, and via absentee or live online bidding. About Freeman’s Freeman’s is a premier American auction house offering services in multiple categories including fine art, jewelry, design, books and manuscripts, furniture, decorative arts, antiquities, couture, and Asian works of art. With 15 regional locations nationwide, the firm provides auctions, appraisals, private sales, and art advisory services, connecting clients to the global art market. Freeman’s strives to bring art, history, and design to life by connecting people with extraordinary objects through exceptional service and expertise.
Auction Services in South Florida | Freeman’s
Freeman’s serves South Florida collectors with fine art and jewelry auction services, appraisals, valuations, estate services, and expert consignment guidance.
The Middendorf Collection: A Legacy of Art & Diplomacy
Property from the Estate of Ambassador J. William Middendorf II, spanning Old Master and American paintings, early American furniture, and historic manuscripts, to be offered across fall and winter auctions
Never Miss An Auction