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Lot Essay
"The portrait of an extraordinary man at an extraordinary time in an extraordinary place" (Hans Rhodius and John Darling, Walter Spies and Balinese artist, Zutphen, 1980, p1). These words are an apt summary of the talented Walter Spies who lived and worked in Bali from 1927 to 1940.
Spies had first settled in Java when he first arrived in the Dutch East Indies in 1923. He only moved to Bali in 1927 and one generally considers the move to be pivotal for his development as an artist when he began his 'Balinese period' and painted works of captivating images with a realistic style that paradoxically projects an effect of fantasy at the same time with his superb play of the effect of light and shadow and his juxtaposition of the multiple focal points in his compositions.
However, Spies' contribution to Bali is beyond his role as an artist. He encouraged the Balinese painters to choose their subject from daily life, in addition to the traditional subjects of the holy Hindu tales such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana. He also advised them to work as independently and to be as original as they could be. Traditionally, Balinese Art was regarded as common property, and plagiarism was an unknown concept to the Balinese. It was a common practice in accordance with Balinese culture to copy what was regarded as beautiful. Hence, it was nothing short of revolutionary of what Spies was introducing to the Balinese artists.
On the other hand, Spies is just as indebted to Bali. The present work documents a common, daily routine of Balinese living that in spite of its mundane nature was in essence a celebration of the exotic life as experienced by Spies which eventually has inspired some of his greatest works.
Spies had first settled in Java when he first arrived in the Dutch East Indies in 1923. He only moved to Bali in 1927 and one generally considers the move to be pivotal for his development as an artist when he began his 'Balinese period' and painted works of captivating images with a realistic style that paradoxically projects an effect of fantasy at the same time with his superb play of the effect of light and shadow and his juxtaposition of the multiple focal points in his compositions.
However, Spies' contribution to Bali is beyond his role as an artist. He encouraged the Balinese painters to choose their subject from daily life, in addition to the traditional subjects of the holy Hindu tales such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana. He also advised them to work as independently and to be as original as they could be. Traditionally, Balinese Art was regarded as common property, and plagiarism was an unknown concept to the Balinese. It was a common practice in accordance with Balinese culture to copy what was regarded as beautiful. Hence, it was nothing short of revolutionary of what Spies was introducing to the Balinese artists.
On the other hand, Spies is just as indebted to Bali. The present work documents a common, daily routine of Balinese living that in spite of its mundane nature was in essence a celebration of the exotic life as experienced by Spies which eventually has inspired some of his greatest works.