The painting became the highest valued work during the April 14-21 auction  which involved a total of 49 paintings from artists and teachers of the Indochina College of Fine Arts.

According to details given by Sotheby’s, the piece of ink and colour on silk was created in 1960s and depicts a mother carrying her child in her arms. 

Initially the Vietnamese painting was expected to be sold at around EUR60,000 to EUR80,000, although its price skyrocketed and it was eventually auctioned off at the impressive price of EUR529,200.

Le Thi Luu, who lived from 1911 to 1988, was the first female painter of Indochina College of Fine Arts. In the 1940s she moved to France with her family and lived there until her death.

Her favourite themes to paint were Vietnamese women and children, and her paintings have been exhibited in many galleries across France.

Auction house Sotheby’s is a 278-year-old institution that is headquartered in London in the UK and has branches located in New York in the United States, Hong Kong (China), and Moscow in Russia.

Indochine, an online session dedicated to Vietnamese fine arts of the 20th century, includes 49 works in the genres of paintings, lacquers, and sculptures by the first graduates of the Indochina College of Fine Arts.

An auction session took place from April 14 to April 21 on Sotheby’s website, featuring paintings of many famous faces, such as Nguyen Nam Son, Vu Cao Dam, Mai Trung Thu, and Le Pho.