Lot 390
  • 390

Basoeki Abdullah

Estimate
90,000 - 150,000 HKD
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Description

  • Basoeki Abdullah
  • Cendrawasih (Birds of Paradise)
  • Signed, inscribed and dated 31-1-76
  • Oil on canvas

Provenance

Gifted from the artist to the late Mr. Ali Sadikin
Private Collection, Indonesia

Condition

This work is in good overall condition as viewed, and the paint layers are healthy overall. There is evidence of light wear along the edges of the work, due to abrasions with the frame, but this does not affect the overall image. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals a few very tiny and minor spots of restoration at the edges of the work, some tiny and minor spots of restoration at the background of the work (primarily at the bottom right quadrant), and an area of restoration at the upper right quadrant of the work. Framed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Indonesia’s lush landscape and flora and fauna have been continuously revered throughout the country’s art history. A place with many islands, rich with mountains, oceans, and exotic wildlife, the country has become for artists the embodiment of their muse. For local artists this respect and appreciation has been expressed within a nationalistic schema, the sweeping landscape symbolic of the integrity and pride of the people. Basuki Abdullah’s oeuvre followed in this vein, for the artist’s romanticized depictions of the external landscape represented his great admiration for his homeland.

The painting entitled Cendrawaish (Bird of Paradise) is a passionately rendered portrayal of the animal captured mid-air, the vibrant tail feathers fully displayed to show the beauty of the bird. Abdullah was very much a student of the Mooi Indie (Beautiful Indies) aesthetic. However unlike his foreign contemporaries who painted Indonesia as a sentimentalized version of the country, the artist’s paintings are a visual celebration of the beauty of the archipelago as seen through the eyes of a local.

Abdullah underwent his art education at the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (Royal Academy of Visual Arts) in the Netherlands during the late thirties. This firsthand experience with European masters and who were very different from local Indonesian artists at the turn of the century had a lasting impression on the artist’s creative vision. From that period onwards he would incorporate the Dutch schools’ application of light and shadows, as well as color palette, onto his own works. This combination of European aesthetics set into an Indonesian context would establish Abdullah’s career, and garner him a reputation as being able to succinctly pair both East and West styles together with ease.

Cendrawaish (Bird of Paradise) is reminiscent of European naturalistic paintings that chose animals as their subject matters. The bird in the self-titled painting is a frenetic whirl of shapes and colors. Abdullah has captured the energy of the animal with his brushstrokes, with the blur of colors further establishing the motion of the bird in flight. It is a visceral and powerful portrayal of tropical wildlife in their natural environment.