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Lot Essay
Affandi is the most renowned of modern Indonesian artists and he was the founder of the organisation "Community Artists" (1946) and "People's Artists" (1947). His remarkable combination of a Western, almost Post-Impressionist style of handling paint with his very noticeably indigenous Indonesian subject matter, allowed him to bridge the span between tradition and modernity.
Indonesian Beauties is a vivid exemplification of this exuberant display of Affandi's talent. The two figures of Indonesian women are seen in the act of beautification; with the woman on the right arranging the hair of the woman on the right who is watching the act through her small mirror. It is this skillful placement of the mirror in the woman's hand and held high up that prevents the viewer's eye from leaving the boundaries of the frame and thus the mirror acts as a source of reflection for both maiden and viewer. Affandi's quick and thick use of paint generates a volume of flesh and form. Furthermore, Affandi skillfully traps the viewer's attention by eclipsing the background in a vortex of darkness that propels the figures forward. His purposeful brushstrokes create a fluidity of elegant movement while not at the expense of the boldness of the figures.
Indonesian Beauties is a vivid exemplification of this exuberant display of Affandi's talent. The two figures of Indonesian women are seen in the act of beautification; with the woman on the right arranging the hair of the woman on the right who is watching the act through her small mirror. It is this skillful placement of the mirror in the woman's hand and held high up that prevents the viewer's eye from leaving the boundaries of the frame and thus the mirror acts as a source of reflection for both maiden and viewer. Affandi's quick and thick use of paint generates a volume of flesh and form. Furthermore, Affandi skillfully traps the viewer's attention by eclipsing the background in a vortex of darkness that propels the figures forward. His purposeful brushstrokes create a fluidity of elegant movement while not at the expense of the boldness of the figures.