Sunday, July 3, 2016

Sidharta Fine Art Auction 22 May 2016: Basoeki Abdullah's Early Work




[#159]

Basoeki Abdullah was well-known for his beautiful paintings of women and idealized portraiture. The collection of President Sukarno includes fifty-nine of his paintings, making him the most represented artist in that renowned collection. In the 1960s, he became the court painter of the Kingdom of Thailand. He painted the portraits of many world leaders and dignitaries, as well as prominent personalities, particularly members of the elite in Southeast Asia.


The painting entitled Two Young Women seems to date from the 1940s, when the artist had already started to gain a name for his art, but had not yet established himself as a portrait artist. During this time, his art was more spontaneous, free spirited and fun. The way he applied his signature on this painting is also slightly different from the other paintings from that time. While his signature on his other paintings dating from the 1940s are signed horizontal following more or less a straight line, the signature on this painting seems to follow a upturned curve which suggest a sense of joy on the part of the artist. It is certainly quite a unique painting

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