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Hoi Lebadang (1921–2015)
Blue and Red Horses — Original Vintage Color Etching with Sculptural Relief Embossing
Hand-Signed & Numbered 186/275 | Circa 1970 | French-Vietnamese Modernist Art
Offered is a captivating, original vintage color etching with striking sculptural relief embossing by the internationally celebrated Vietnamese-French modernist artist Hoi Lebadang (Lê Bá Đảng, 1921–2015).
Titled Blue and Red Horses, this extraordinary composition beautifully demonstrates Lebadang’s imaginative visual language, combining expressive equestrian imagery, intricate etched linework, brilliant contrasting colors, and deeply impressed sculptural elements in a sophisticated work of modernist printmaking.
Hand-signed in pencil by Lebadang at the lower right and individually numbered 186/275 at the lower left, this is a limited-edition original fine-art print, not a photographic reproduction or ordinary decorative poster.
A Captivating Composition of Color, Movement & Symbolism
The composition presents two beautifully contrasting rectangular etchings arranged diagonally across a generous expanse of richly textured, deckle-edged fine-art paper.
The upper composition, rendered in luminous shades of cerulean blue, turquoise, smoky gray, and velvety black, features an enigmatic horse-like figure emerging from an intricate landscape of swirling organic forms. Delicate crosshatching, radiating botanical motifs, and fluid, almost dreamlike contours create an extraordinary sense of movement and atmospheric depth.
Below, a second composition bursts with saturated crimson, vermilion, and warm red tones. An expressive, fantastical horse appears to gallop through an elaborate surrealist environment populated by celestial sunbursts, circular motifs, curling ornamental forms, and delicately etched textures. Its flowing mane and animated silhouette bring remarkable vitality to the composition.
Contrasting these two colorful impressions are raised, uninked relief elements, including two sculptural medallion-like forms that emerge directly from the paper. Their subtle interplay of light and shadow introduces a remarkable three-dimensional quality, transforming the work into a harmonious union of painting-like color, traditional printmaking, and sculptural abstraction.
The result is an exceptionally engaging example of Lebadang’s distinctive artistic vocabulary, balancing Eastern-inspired symbolism with the experimental spirit of European postwar modernism.
About the Artist — Hoi Lebadang
Born in Vietnam in 1921, Lebadang moved to France in 1939 and subsequently studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse.
Over an artistic career spanning more than six decades, he developed an internationally recognized body of work encompassing painting, lithography, etching, sculpture, and innovative relief compositions.
Lebadang became particularly admired for his inventive treatment of space, texture, and dimensionality. His work frequently explores the relationship between humanity, nature, spiritual symbolism, and the surrounding universe.
His compositions often feature horses, abstract landscapes, celestial imagery, and fantastical forms, expressed through an unmistakable combination of delicate draftsmanship, expressive movement, and richly layered surfaces.
Blue and Red Horses is a particularly appealing example of these artistic interests, bringing together the horse as a powerful symbol of vitality and freedom with Lebadang’s fascination for sculptural surfaces and the expressive possibilities of handmade paper.
Artwork Details
* Artist: Hoi Lebadang / Lê Bá Đảng (1921–2015)
* Title: Blue and Red Horses
* Period: Circa 1970, traditionally associated with this composition
* Medium: Original color etching with blind relief embossing
* Edition: 186 of 275
* Signature: Hand-signed in pencil, lower right
* Paper: Heavy textured fine-art paper with natural deckled edges
* Colors: Crimson red, cerulean blue, black, gray, and natural ivory
* Dimensions: Approximately 11.5 × 15 inches overall
* Presentation: Unframed
* Origin: Associated with the artist’s French printmaking career
Condition & Preservation
This original vintage work displays the natural characteristics of an older fine-art impression, including an attractive warm ivory patina to the paper and visible evidence of its previous mounting and display history.
There is age-related toning throughout the sheet, with localized brown discoloration along portions of the margins and several areas of staining visible on the reverse. Remnants of earlier mounting tape are present on the back, together with corresponding discoloration from its former presentation.
The handmade-style deckled edges retain their distinctive character, with minor irregularities, localized creasing, and some wear along the margins, particularly near the left edge.
Importantly, the two richly colored etched compositions remain visually compelling, retaining their detailed linework and strong red-and-blue contrast. The raised relief elements remain clearly defined, and both the pencil signature and edition numbering are legible.
The work is offered in its present, unrestored condition, preserving its original surface and historical character. Please carefully review all photographs, including the detailed images of the margins and reverse, as they form an important part of the condition description.
Collectibility & Presentation
An appealing opportunity to acquire a genuine, hand-signed and numbered original work by one of the most recognizable Vietnamese-born artists of the twentieth century.
The unusual combination of vivid color etching, equestrian symbolism, embossed sculptural imagery, and textured fine-art paper makes this composition especially attractive to collectors of Lebadang, French modernism, Asian modern art, original works on paper, and experimental twentieth-century printmaking.
The artwork would make a striking presentation when professionally mounted and framed using conservation-grade, acid-free materials, with the full deckled sheet and embossed elements left visible.
A distinctive and highly decorative original vintage Lebadang etching, individually signed and numbered, with wonderful dimensional character and an unmistakable modernist artwork will be carefully protected using appropriate archival-safe materials and rigid packaging to preserve the delicate paper, deckled edges, and raised embossed elements during transit. Shipping includes tracking and insurance. Orders are generally dispatched within 1–2 business days.
