Marius Bauer Dutch, 1867-1932

Kunsthandel E. J. van Wisselingh, Amsterdam, inv.no. 8194

In 1931 Marius Bauer travelled to Indonesia, Malasia, Thailand and Vietnam. In Saigon he got fascinated by the opium-dens he saw in Cholon, a Chinese part of the town. This resulted in a series of watercolours, which the artist exhibited in Amsterdam in 1933. The critics were surprised to see how Bauer had characterised the strange world of the opium smoker, who seeks oblivion in the world of the dream. The colours the artist uses clearly echo the intoxication, ranging from thin violet to transparent blue and subdued ochre. During his lifetime Bauer held on to most of these watercolours, because he valued these works highly. Another work from this series was sold in these rooms on 18 October 2005, lot 142 (illustrated).