HENDRA GUNAWAN | By the Beach

Private Asian Collection

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There is some craquelure and paint shrinkage, but this is consistent with the age of the work. There are some minor accretions at the right edge. Examination under ultraviolet light reveal consolidation of craquelure at the surface of the work, a spot of restoration at the bottom of the right edge, another at the bottom most foot, and another area of restoration at the flower. 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.

By the Beach is a vibrant work by Hendra Gunawan, an artist who still holds the imagination and fascination of so many lovers of Indonesian art. The composition serves as an allegory of the tenacity and strength of Indonesian women – a subject the artist often painted as he insisted on the beauty of his people and their land. Through stylized, exaggerated figures, Hendra captured intimate close-ups of Indonesian life, actively engaging humanity and empathy. Like many of the works within his opus, the lounging women  in the present lot become the subject of a painting rife with meaning; one that celebrates life’s moments through a depiction of social gathering, individual reflection and active daydreaming – serving as a historical and contemporary emblem of rural existence in Indonesia.  

Hendra plays with multiple contrasts within his painting. The bending of colors in a dazzling energy dance on the generous slopes of prints and patterns, alongside elongated, sinuous movements of the women’s fingers and sarongs makes for an exquisite composition that captures the rich vocabulary of their body language and elegant gesturing. Hendra dwelled on the looks and dress of his country’s people, seeking to translate the vivid colors of their dress, their hair, or the warmth of their skin into paint and imaginative form. Deep, turquoise blues accompanied by peachy skies convey a lushness of both the tropics and the land itself, seducing the viewer into Hendra’s creative genius that seamlessly melds together dynamism, balance, familiarity and emotion.

 

Perhaps it is a profound paradox that Hendra’s paintings are rendered so energetically, despite the colonial oppression and poverty experienced by his countrymen and women. Or perhaps, Hendra’s paintings, the creating of which sustained him when nothing else could, are celebrations of his people’s tenacity and strength despite harsh wartime occupation. Thus, in his work, the women are portrayed as active, strong and nurturing as Hendra innately recognizes that they are the glue that holds the societies and communities of his country together.

Upon viewing the work, one’s spirit is pulled into motion. The artist has a way of monumentalizing his land and its people, securing a personal visual language like no other. It is no wonder then, that Hendra is frequently cited as the master of first-generation Indonesian modernists, and this season, Sotheby’s is proud to announce By the Beach as another gift of history from this prolific artist.