Led by Do Xuan Doan Masterpiece at €43,520, second-highest price ever achieved at auction for a work by this artist.
Paris, The online auction Vietnamese Art Online, held at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris and concluding on 10 June 2026, delivered exceptional results, underscoring the continued strength of the market for modern and contemporary Vietnamese art. The sale realized a total of €279,142, with 41 lots sold, representing a remarkable 98% sell-through rate by lot and 100% sell-through by value.
The auction was highlighted by strong bidding across works by some of Vietnam's most celebrated artists, with collectors demonstrating sustained interest in both established masters and contemporary figures.
The top-performing lot of the sale was Do Xuan Doan's Lac Hoan Kiem, which achieved €43,520, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of €20,000, €40,000. The result confirms growing international appreciation for Do Xuan Doan's evocative depictions of Vietnamese culture and landscape. This is the second-highest price ever achieved at auction for a work by this artist.
Joan Yip, Senior Specialist for Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr, said: "Several lots significantly outperformed their estimates, reflecting robust demand for high-quality Vietnamese artworks and continued confidence among international collectors. Particularly notable were works by Tran Luu Hau, Do Xuan Doan, and Bui Huu Hung, all of which attracted competitive bidding and achieved substantial premiums over their upper estimates. Collectors showed a clear preference for museum-quality works with strong provenance and representative subject matter, especially paintings depicting Hanoi, traditional culture, and royal court themes. As interest in Southeast Asian art continues to expand worldwide, the success of this auction further positions Vietnamese art as one of the region's most dynamic collecting categories."
Bui Huu Hung (born 1957) is a figure whose career embodies both the heritage and the evolution of Vietnamese lacquer. This technique has been part of Vietnam's visual culture for centuries, traditionally used in temples, ritual objects, and royal artifacts. Its transformation into a modern painting medium began in the 1930s at the École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine, where artists such as Nguyen Gia Tri and Nguyen Khang elevated lacquer from decorative craft to fine art. Subsequent generations continued to redefine the medium, embracing texture, abstraction, and unconventional supports, and transforming lacquer from a classically refined art form into a vehicle for contemporary expression. It is within this rich artistic lineage that Bui Huu Hung emerges as a significant figure and an artist who both preserves tradition and expands the boundaries of lacquer through his dynastic-inspired figurative compositions and his groundbreaking use of lacquer on canvas.
Among the six works presented at Bonhams were La famille de la cour royale (The Royal Family), a superb 2007 lacquer on wood panel sold for €14,080, Dame de la cour royale en jaune (Royal Lady in Yellow), a lacquer on wood panel sold for €10,880 exceeding its estimate of €4,800 - €6,800).
Other notable results included:
• Tran Luu Hau's Auto-portrait achieved €28,160, doubling its pre-sale estimate of €10,000, €20,000.
• Bui Xuan Phai's Hang Dau Street sold for €17,920 (estimate: €13,000, €23,000)
• Do Xuan Doan's Le vieux Hanoï et ses feuilles rouges d'automne. This 2006 oil on canvas sold for €15,360, tripling its estimate of €4,800 to €6,800.
• Ho Huu Thu's Deux femmes sold for €15,360
• Tran Dinh Tho's Dans la rizière sold for €14,080 (estimate: €2,800, €4,800)
• Dang Xuan Hoa's Flowers of the New Day sold for €11,520 (estimate: €5,000, €7,000)
(Press Release)
