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ARIE SMIT | The Holy Tree (A Sky of Sunset Red)《圣树（滿天夕陽紅霞）》
Estimate
650,000 - 980,000 HKD
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Description
- Arie Smit
- The Holy Tree (A Sky of Sunset Red)《圣树（滿天夕陽紅霞）》
- Signed and dated 02; signed, titled, inscribed and dated 2002 on the reverse
- Acrylic on canvas
- 105 by 71 cm; 41 1/4 by 28 in.
Provenance
Private Asian Collection
Condition
This work is in good overall condition as viewed. One of the tissues (mixed media) on the left side of the work is slightly loose. 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 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.
Catalogue Note
When expounding upon theories of art, Russian writer Leo Tolstoy suggested that “art is a feeling evoked in oneself which is then roused in others by means of movements, colors, sounds or words…”[1]. In many ways, The Holy Tree is a true embodiment of this very statement – an outstandingly rare and expressive work in Arie Smit’s prolific career. The poetic rhythm of Arie Smit’s oeuvre envisions a dreamy tranquility, stirring an introspective serenity unique to his work. Inspired by his natural surroundings, Smit conceives a mystical reality grounded in picturesque Balinese landscapes, often painting timeless motifs of temples, rice paddies and trees. A vision of splendid color and tranquil solitude, The Holy Tree is a mesmerizing feature from Smit’s canon that attests to his intuitive talent for expressing light and color with emotive vibrancy. After a lengthy period of travelling and moving, in 1956 the Dutch painter found a permanent home in Ubud, Bali. Entranced by the island’s mountainous terrain and spectacular temples, Smit’s two-month sojourn to the island was extended indefinitely for him to paint its natural vistas with rousing light. He indulged himself in hushed pockets of nature hidden from Bali’s burgeoning tourism, rendering the spiritual with his evocative brushwork and striking palette of saturated colors.
Situated in the midst of a tropical jungle, The Holy Tree invites a contemplative atmosphere with its moonlit setting and forested grove. The titular tree stretches overhead into the endless expanse of night sky, its enormity conjuring a magnitude that amplifies the enclave’s sacred nature. Primarily composed in midnight blue and sunset orange, the vivid hues are a contrasting harmony of bucolic meditations and spirited passion merged in rapturous unity. Smit’s iconic ‘broken colors’ dominate the landscape in short, horizontal brushstrokes of white, capturing the undulating movement of moonlight filtering through the dense thicket of leaves. The cadence of his evocative brushwork instills the scene with lively dynamism, enlivening the sedate scene with captivating texture. Splashes of bright orange emblazon the forest’s thick foliage and undergrowth, paying a natural homage to the vivacious Balinese culture. The tree is lined with even, black lines that evinces its aged nature, ingraining the work with a quiet air of sacred solemnity. The maestro’s acute sensitivity towards staging compositions reveals itself in the smaller, thinner trees that surround the center, establishing a hierarchy deferential to the main subject. In the adumbral clearing, Smit deftly impresses nature’s prestigious authority within Balinese culture, a role that has remained just as potent throughout modernization and Bali’s changing social landscape. An artist that maneuvers between reality and fantasy, Arie Smit’s seminal body of work is a soothing repose from Bali’s commercialism. Executed in his sensational vernacular The Holy Tree stands as a singular masterpiece that brings into harmonious union night and setting day, mother nature and spirituality and rousing artistry.
[1] Suteja Neka and Drs. Sudarmaji, Arie Smit, Bali 1995, p. 17.
Situated in the midst of a tropical jungle, The Holy Tree invites a contemplative atmosphere with its moonlit setting and forested grove. The titular tree stretches overhead into the endless expanse of night sky, its enormity conjuring a magnitude that amplifies the enclave’s sacred nature. Primarily composed in midnight blue and sunset orange, the vivid hues are a contrasting harmony of bucolic meditations and spirited passion merged in rapturous unity. Smit’s iconic ‘broken colors’ dominate the landscape in short, horizontal brushstrokes of white, capturing the undulating movement of moonlight filtering through the dense thicket of leaves. The cadence of his evocative brushwork instills the scene with lively dynamism, enlivening the sedate scene with captivating texture. Splashes of bright orange emblazon the forest’s thick foliage and undergrowth, paying a natural homage to the vivacious Balinese culture. The tree is lined with even, black lines that evinces its aged nature, ingraining the work with a quiet air of sacred solemnity. The maestro’s acute sensitivity towards staging compositions reveals itself in the smaller, thinner trees that surround the center, establishing a hierarchy deferential to the main subject. In the adumbral clearing, Smit deftly impresses nature’s prestigious authority within Balinese culture, a role that has remained just as potent throughout modernization and Bali’s changing social landscape. An artist that maneuvers between reality and fantasy, Arie Smit’s seminal body of work is a soothing repose from Bali’s commercialism. Executed in his sensational vernacular The Holy Tree stands as a singular masterpiece that brings into harmonious union night and setting day, mother nature and spirituality and rousing artistry.
[1] Suteja Neka and Drs. Sudarmaji, Arie Smit, Bali 1995, p. 17.