Affandi

Property from the collection of the late Professor Arthur Lim

Singapore, NUS Museums, National University of Singapore, The Arthur Lim Benefaction: Twelve Important Paintings, 2003

Singapore, NUS Museums, National University of Singapore, The Arthur Lim Benefaction: Twelve Important Paintings, 2003, pg. 12, colorplate

The painting is brighter than it appears in the catalog illustration. The canvas has been relined. Upon close inspection, there is very light cracking to areas of thicker impasto, consistent with age. There are two very small areas of paint loss and abrasion at upper right quadrant. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals areas of restoration at the edges of the painting, the background at upper right and upper left quadrant and at black pigments throughout the surface of the canvas, including the hair, torso and signature. Framed.
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Affandi's lifetime encompassed some of the most important periods in Indonesia's history: the birth of nationalism, the struggle for independence, the transition from colonialism, and finally, the dawn and development of a new nation. His self-portrait has therefore become emblematic of a certain kind of socio-cultural validation and national pride for Indonesia. Breaking boldly from the conventions of its time, and pursued with the same relentless productivity as Rembrandt, whom he admired, Affandi's iconic self-portraits, each varying in colour, intensity, strength, and mood, have become one of the ultimate icons of Indonesian Modern Art. For the Indonesian people, they carry a deeper meaning than mere artistic expression. Affandi's self-portraits can be seen as a documentation of not only his personal development, but also that of the tumultuous world he lived in.

Atypical from Affandi’s collection of self-portraits, the present Lot depicts the artist himself in a seated manner resembling the iconic 1650 painting of Pope Innocent X by Diego Velázquez. The British artist Francis Bacon also completed a much darker and distorted version of Velázquez’s painting just a year later in 1953. The particular composition of this self-portrait therefore stands apart from most pieces with the same theme, while also demonstrates Affandi’s awareness and understanding of Western art history. Akin to Bacon’s paintings, the emotions here are raw and primitive, and when transferred onto the canvas, they form a complex swerving pool of energy that is at once intimate, profoundly reflective and mesmerizing. However, on the present painting, Affandi is not depicted on a chair nor a throne, but rather, he appears to be crouching on the ground. This symbolizes his life view of being an artist for the common people. By portraying himself in this manner, he positions himself with the homeless and the destitute ostracized by society.  The way Affandi is crouching or seating here is echoed in the configuration of his “life symbol” consisting of the sun, in the position of the head, as the source of life and inexhaustible energy; the hands, the artist's creative tool; and the feet, a symbol for moving forward constantly. The “life symbol” is typically scribbled onto those works that marks the artist’s personal satisfaction and approval of the work. The raw power seen in the exuberant and direct application of paint from the tube heralds the artist as one of the founding fathers of Indonesian modern art. Affandi’s life as an artist and a revolutionary can be regarded as a powerful and inspirational anthem, boldly empowering his viewers to push forward, to have courage, and to never stop believing.