Two Balinese girls with offerings

The present lot is a fine example of the artist's expressionistic style, applied to a traditionally 'beautiful' subject. The Mooie Indie school of artist would predictably painted the same sitters as visually beautiful, focusing on the decorative elements of flowers, fabric and certainly on the faces.

For a master of works with emotional resonance and expressiveness, Affandi glorified the sitters with their own personalities. Hence, we know the girl on the front is probably has a strong and perhaps stubborn character, with her distinct facial expression and sturdy look. A hardy characteristic stands out that profuse the posture, the look, the grip to the offering and even the balancing of the offering pig on her head, suggests a strength of both physical and spiritual in nature.

Her company on the right is definitely meeker and gentler by demeanor. As she stands at the side, she could almost blend in with the swirling details added by the artist if not for her red-batik skirt. Unlike the former, of whom the artist throws spot light on her face with the streaks of yellow on her, the latter is correspondingly hidden with a sober skin tone blending with the background.