Portrait of a dancer

Just like many of his contemporaries Roland Strasser was attracted to the beautiful people of the Dutch East Indies and yet unlike Bonnet, Hofker and Le Mayeur, Strasser was not preoccupied with the ostensible beauty of his sitters. Very often, one note his fascination with the strength of his sitter such as the depiction of a man holding on to a rooster or a dancer in the midst of a changing pose. The highlight would be the movement, the physical strength and above all the inner spirit which transcends the sitter's mere physical form.

With the present lot Strasser has arranged for his sitter to be in a formal and almost regal sitting position. Even if she is in a sitting position, the dancer manages to convey a sense of strength with her upright position, one hand holding to a fan and the other placed on her waist, she looks fully ready and poised for her performance.