SATURDAY August 26, 2017 | 21

Kusama Aff andi (1907-1990) ‘Boar’, oil on canvas, 98x151 cm € 40.000 – 60.000

THE ’ VENDUEHUIS TO AUCTION ARTWORKS CREATED Gerard Pieter Adolfs (1897-1968) The Madurese Murder, oil on canvas, 78x113 cm – AND INSPIRED – BY INDONESIAN €10.000 – 15.000 PAINTERS IN THE HAGUE

WORDS SEBASTIAN PARTOGI INDONESIAN BEAUTY

Theo Meier (1908-1982) Three Balinese beauties, oil on board, 84x120 cm Indonesian Art Sale € 15.000 – 20.000 Wednesday 20th of September 2017 utch auction house Ven- he became the palace painter in 1965 of duehuis, which has been a then president Soekarno, who commis- trend-setter in the Neth- sioned him to write a fi ve-volume book erlands art scene for more series called Lukisan-Lukisan dan Patung than 200 years, is ready to dari Koleksi Presiden Soekarno dari Re- showcase and auction In- publik (Paintings and sculptures Ddonesian paintings in The Hague on the from the collection of President Soekarno western coast of the Netherlands in late of the Republic of Indonesia). September. The exhibition and auction, His works to be featured in the auction the fi rst of its kind, is called the Indonesian are: Ikan Mas Koki (Goldfi sh, 1966), which Art Sale. depicts two gold fi sh, and Two Doves Sit- Established in 1811, Venduehuis is, and ting under a Blossoming Branch, showcas- has always been, owned by the Association ing his distinctive expertise in drawing of Notaries Public in The Hague. Among animals in an ethereal, beautiful and har- the most legendary paintings that the monious blend of colors. house has sold is Johannes Vermeer’s Girl “Although the auction’s main focus is with a Pearl Earring (around 1665). The on Indonesia, we will also have artworks Venduehuis has a long history of selling and paintings from the far eastern coun- works by Indonesian painters and Indone- tries like Thailand,” Leidelmeijer said. sian art in general. “When I started working as an art deal- The auction house will organize a pre- er [in the 1970s], I visited auction houses view for these artworks from Sept. 15 to 18 in the Netherlands and I noticed that a lot while the auction itself will take place on of Indonesian paintings were sold for so Sept. 20. The auction will off er about 120 little money. With the booming of the In- paintings on the subject of Indonesia, by donesian economy right now, however, I Rudolf Bonnet (1895-1978) Indonesian, Indonesian-Dutch and Dutch am sure that there are a lot of local collec- Portrait of a Balinese man painters. In addition, the auction will pres- tors who want to collect these paintings,” Estimate € 7,000 - 10,000 ent other artworks, including tribal arts he said. from the Toraja ethnic group in South Su- He added that the auction primarily tar- lawesi and the Asmat from Papua. geted Indonesian collectors because based With over two hundred years of experience The exhibition and auction specifi cal- on the auction house’s past experience, in art auctions, the Venduehuis proudly ly highlight artworks with the subject of most buyers of Indonesian painters came th presents its fi rst special sale on Indonesian art. Lee Man Fong (1913-1988) Indonesia from the 19 century up to the from the country itself, thereby making 1980s. Featured paintings include Indone- them an appropriate market segment. This sale is realised in collaboration with the Ikan Mas Koki/Twee goudvissen Estimate € 20,000 - 30,000 sian maestro Raden Saleh’s 1857 Portrait “I also have an interest in these paint- well-known Indonesian born art connoisseur of Elisabeth Sophia Catharina Ament, a ings because they are part of my [Indone- Frans Leidelmeijer. commissioned portrait of the daughter of sian] heritage,” he continued. a Dutch offi cial in Cirebon, West Java, and The choice of The Hague as the city to Besides works by famous Indonesian-Dutch painter Gerard Pieter host the auction also has a special signifi - artists such as Abdullah, Adolfs’ 1932 The Madurese Murder. cance pertaining to Indonesian-Dutch Adolfs, Aff andi, Bonnet, “Adolfs is an Indonesian of Indone- ties. sian-Dutch descent who went to Amster- “A lot of Dutch-Indonesians live in The Hofker, Lee Man Fong, dam and visited the Rembrandt Museum Hague. It’s the most Indonesian city of the Theo Meier and Raden Sarief and became immensely inspired by the Netherlands,” he added. Bustaman Saleh we also dark and light shadows used by the latter,” The Hague was an administrative cen- off er you a range of lesser Venduehuis Indonesian art ambassador ter that maintained extensive relations known masters Furthermore, and advisor Frans Leidelmeijer said. The with its former colony, the Dutch East In- Balinese sculptures, Djocja grandson of an Indonesian woman from dies. Many civil servants from Indonesia silverware and tribal art from Bandung, West Java, and a Dutch grand- moved to The Hague after retirement, and the Indonesian archipelago father, the 75-year-old Leidelmeijer has following the independence of Indone- will be off ered. been working as an art dealer and art deco sia in 1945, more than 100,000 people re- specialist since 1971. turned to the Netherlands. A large number The auction will also off er works by leg- of them moved to The Hague. endary Indonesian painters like Aff andi, That special bond persists to this day, al- Abdullah Suriosubroto and, of course, Ba- beit in a very diff erent form than in 1945. suki Abdullah. The Hague, more than any other city in the Raden Sjarief Bustaman Saleh (1811-1880) Portrait of Mrs Elisabeth S. C. Boutmy-Ament Another prominent name, albeit prob- Netherlands, still has extensive contacts Estimate € 10,000 - 15,000 ably not as popular among Indonesians with present-day Indonesia. as his aforementioned contemporaries, is On Sept.14, the Indonesian Ambassador Lee Man Fong. Fong, an Indonesian paint- to the Netherlands, I. Gusto Agung Wesaka er who was born in and studied in Puja, will offi cially open the viewing days , has gained an internation- for this auction. A select group of art lovers Online catalogue: www.venduehuis.com al reputation as one of Southeast Asia’s will be invited to this event. If you are in- greatest painters. terested in this event you can contact the Viewing: 15th to 18th of September 2017 After Indonesia’s independence in 1945, Venduehuis via [email protected]. Nobelstraat 5, 2513 BC The Hague, The Netherlands, Phone + 31 (0)70 365 88 57, [email protected]