The piece is 131cm x 195cm in size and was created in 1960, drawing plenty of attention from collectors as it was estimated by the auction house to be valued at around US$866,000.

During the October 7 auction which featured 37 pieces from many global painters from the 20th century, a collector purchased the painting by Le Pho for US$1.3 million.

The painting depicts a leisurely afternoon tea session being enjoyed by four women in a garden. They are all seated at a white table, enjoying fruits, cakes, and tea.

Le Pho was born in Hanoi back in 1907 and was admitted to the Indochina Fine Arts College in 1925 before being subsequently awarded a scholarship to study in France in 1931.

Two years later he returned to the nation and became a teacher at his former university, the Indochina Fine Arts College, before later passing away in Paris in 2001.

Previously, some other paintings by Le Pho had gone to auction for over US$1 million, including the masterpiece “Jeune femme attachant son foulard”, also known as “Young Lady Tying Her Scarf”, which sold for US$1.1 million, "Family Life" costing US$1.1 million, “Nude” for US$1.4 million, and “Figures in a Garden” for US$2.28 million.