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Lot Essay
The diverse careers of Theo Meier, Willem Hofker and Rudolf Bonnet embody the quintessential style of Indo-European painters. All three combine western painting and drawing techniques with tropical subject matters, and richly detailed textures. As artists, they belonged to the school of European painter-travellers born in the early 1900s in Europe, who rebelled against conventional middle-class bourgeois lifetyles and instead opted for a bohemian adventure in far-flung regions. As opposed to others of their ilk who moved to Africa, the Middle East, or Australia, what ties Meier, Hofker and Bonnet together is how they sought the allure of the tropics and converged in Indonesia in the 1930s.
Theo Meier preferred not to be considered as an Expressionist despite the emotions and vibrancy which exuded from his paintings. He was inspired by Paul Gauguin to travel to the tropics to gain inspiration. In At the Warung (Lot 3464), Meier pays homage to the simple life of the Balinese village. It portrays a scene at a humble warung (coffee shop), where men usually gathers and have an afternoon conversation. The painting is completed by a figure of Balinese beauty who serves the men, and also an array of tropical fruits on the table. The composition speaks of nothing but the simple honesty and humility of the Balinese life. In his later works, Two Dancers (Lot 3465), Theo Meier paints two Thai dancers whom he chanced upon during his stay in Thailand. Always enchanted by tropical beauty, Meier successfully captures the fluidity of the dance movements through his brush strokes and blending technique. The orange, yellow and red hues which engulf the canvas deliver a sense of warmth and charm, perpetuating and accentuating the ambience of the scene
Ni Kejoeng (Lot 3466) portrays one of Hofker's favourite subjects - a young Balinese dancer of the same name. This dancer, who acted as Hofker's muse on more than one occasion, exudes sensuality and poise. Hofker studied his model intensely and more often than not, would reproduce identical compositions in different mediums. A smaller oil reproduction of Ni Kejoeng is now maintained in the Neka Art Museum in Bali as part of its collection. Within this pastel rendition of Ni Kejoeng, every single detail is lucidly captured. In the background, the Balinese pura (temple) stands strong and revered while the Balinese priest is in deep prayer, making offerings to the gods. Ni Kejoeng successfully portrays a complete rendition of the exotic Balinese life. Rudolf Bonnet, during his travel to Bali, imparted his skill to the locals, pioneering an occidental influence in the realm of Balinese art. He was also very much involved in the Pita Maha movement, which encouraged local artists to raise their artistic standards. This season's collection of Bonnet's works were composed during his extensive travel in the Indonesian islands. Portrait of Balinese Man (Lot 3469) represents Bonnet's exploration of local facial physiognamy in Bali while Samacho (Lot 3467) and Maloeasa Dance (Lot 3468) reflect Bonnet's fascination with the isle of Nias near Sumatra. Samacho in particular, is rarer in Bonnet's oeuvre by portraying a named sitter, and for the adroit handling used to reveal the visible soul of the sitter.
Theo Meier preferred not to be considered as an Expressionist despite the emotions and vibrancy which exuded from his paintings. He was inspired by Paul Gauguin to travel to the tropics to gain inspiration. In At the Warung (Lot 3464), Meier pays homage to the simple life of the Balinese village. It portrays a scene at a humble warung (coffee shop), where men usually gathers and have an afternoon conversation. The painting is completed by a figure of Balinese beauty who serves the men, and also an array of tropical fruits on the table. The composition speaks of nothing but the simple honesty and humility of the Balinese life. In his later works, Two Dancers (Lot 3465), Theo Meier paints two Thai dancers whom he chanced upon during his stay in Thailand. Always enchanted by tropical beauty, Meier successfully captures the fluidity of the dance movements through his brush strokes and blending technique. The orange, yellow and red hues which engulf the canvas deliver a sense of warmth and charm, perpetuating and accentuating the ambience of the scene
Ni Kejoeng (Lot 3466) portrays one of Hofker's favourite subjects - a young Balinese dancer of the same name. This dancer, who acted as Hofker's muse on more than one occasion, exudes sensuality and poise. Hofker studied his model intensely and more often than not, would reproduce identical compositions in different mediums. A smaller oil reproduction of Ni Kejoeng is now maintained in the Neka Art Museum in Bali as part of its collection. Within this pastel rendition of Ni Kejoeng, every single detail is lucidly captured. In the background, the Balinese pura (temple) stands strong and revered while the Balinese priest is in deep prayer, making offerings to the gods. Ni Kejoeng successfully portrays a complete rendition of the exotic Balinese life. Rudolf Bonnet, during his travel to Bali, imparted his skill to the locals, pioneering an occidental influence in the realm of Balinese art. He was also very much involved in the Pita Maha movement, which encouraged local artists to raise their artistic standards. This season's collection of Bonnet's works were composed during his extensive travel in the Indonesian islands. Portrait of Balinese Man (Lot 3469) represents Bonnet's exploration of local facial physiognamy in Bali while Samacho (Lot 3467) and Maloeasa Dance (Lot 3468) reflect Bonnet's fascination with the isle of Nias near Sumatra. Samacho in particular, is rarer in Bonnet's oeuvre by portraying a named sitter, and for the adroit handling used to reveal the visible soul of the sitter.