SUDJANA KERTON | Harvest

Collection of Hans Guyer, Switzerland
Sotheby's Singapore, 27 September 1997, Lot 64
Private Collection, Singapore

Sanggar Luhur, Tanah Airku, My Country, Indonesia- Paintings by S. Kerton, 1990. P.13, Plate no.6 

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There is evidence of craquelure, but this is consistent with the age of the work and the nature of the medium. There is evidence of paint losses, primarily along the right side of the bottom edge. There is a very light dent to the canvas at upper right edge (above the man's purple hat). Examination under ultraviolet light reveals no sign of restoration as viewed. 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

“In all my paintings, I show hard-working people who realize they don’t need to be rich to enjoy life…who still, in work or play, find joy in living, who have learned to live harmoniously with nature and their fellow man, to accept their daily life. As an Indonesian, I have tried to live my own life in tune with nature in order to achieve the peace and tranquility we call “Tentram” and I feel that this mystic communion with nature is the force in my artistic expression. To me, life and art are inseparable things. Basically, an artist should have a very strong imagination; if a painter doesn’t use one he might as well be a mechanic.” In the words of Sudjana Kerton, from Tanah Airku, My Country Indonesia.



Sudjana Kerton was a Sundanese painter, born in Bandung in 1922. Kerton spent a significant amount of time in the West, studying and living in the Netherlands, France, and the United States for 25 years. It can be said that his artistic paradigm was highly influenced by his exposure to Western art, his patriotic ideology as well as the witnessing of Indonesia’s modernization. His time spent abroad brought him a wealth of interesting experiences that had a lasting influence upon his work thereafter, and, in the same vein as other artists who witnessed the transition of Indonesia’s colonial era to Independence, his choice of artistic expression conveyed a deep concern for the common people, particularly the farmers, of his country.


Harvest is a powerful juxtaposition of composition and color that conveys a tropical intensity and richness. In the painting, Sudjana depicts a group of hardworking paddy farmers reaping their crops against an idyllic backdrop of lush fields. Huddled and working together, they appear to share a casual camaraderie. The warm, apricot blouse of a hunched farmer juxtaposed with subtle hints of turquoise and blue dominates the right half of the picture field, serving to balance the panoramic composition. The human figure has been explored expressively as Sudjana uses deliberately simplified, effortless lines that produce semi-abstract forms, leaning towards a cubist tenor. The fields, executed with heavy, yellow dashes varying in size and thickness, densely occupy the scene to produce a magnificent and vibrant symphony of painterly expression. By highlighting the people on a grand scale, Sudjana Kerton captures his audience’s attention and reveals his keen interest in human behavior and kindred relationships.


The recurring theme of nationalism in Sudjana’s work embodies the artist’s mastery of poetic themes infused with a sense of communal friendliness, sincerity and simplicity. Inspired by Diego Rivera’s murals after a trip to Mexico in 1963, Harvest serves as testimony to Sudjana’s fascination with the Mexican artist’s murals. A captivating sense of mythology subsequently began to permeate Sudjana’s paintings in subtle form, as he transformed the plights of quotidian existence into a celebration of human connection. Upon his return to Indonesia in 1976, he was faced with a rapidly changing country and had realized how twenty-five years away had affected the nation. However, the artist continued to fill his canvases with honest and sharp memories of his environment and his home, depicting a past that he undoubtedly cherished and reminding the people of their roots to Javanese traditions.