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, p. 10, colourplate

This work is in excellent condition as viewed and the paint layers are healthy overall. There are very few cracks to pigment at areas of thicker impasto, consistent with age. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals areas of restoration along upper left edge, at backdrop at upper left quadrant, and small spots of restorations at backdrop at upper right and bottom right quadrants. Framed.
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“Through some subjective processes, all symptoms in life can be a source for aesthetic experiences. Affandi did not differentiate such symptoms of life with the aesthetic objects. His paintings depict natural landscapes, cockfights, water buffaloes, fishermen’s boats, Balinese Barong dances, and horse carts. Symptoms of life, which one can call ‘reality’, are linked to aesthetic objects in his paintings”.

Sardjana Sumichan, ed., Affandi: Volume I, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, 2007, p. 58.

Affandi is celebrated as one of the founding fathers of modern art in Indonesia. An advocate for Social Realism and a self-taught artist, his paintings focused on the everyday happenings that took place in the country, for he believed that the essence of humanity could be found within the lives of the laymen and their stories. The painting Capsicums is a special piece from his oeuvre, for it was created early in his career, before he chose to forego with using a paintbrush and paint directly from the tube. The work is also reflective of the themes that were still gaining favoritism in the paintings, such as cockfights and horses, images that would come to frequent the later pieces.

Painted in 1953, the work is a portrayal of market life. Save for the hands picking the fruit, a comedic inclusion that provides a touch of humor to the scene, Capsicums can be seen as a still life painting per se, with the fruits a symbolic representation of Indonesian daily life. Affandi was regarded as the country's Van Gogh, and works such as the present piece are evident of the artist’s passionate depictions of the ordinary lives of his fellow countrymen. As seen through the energetic brushstrokes and attention to color, Affandi’s solidarity with his peers, and desire to portray their lives honestly, has garnered his paintings with a special kind of energy. His artworks can be seen as a testament to the art and history of Indonesia.