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Lot Essay
After his death in 1983, Hendra Gunawan (1918-1983) was described as an 'artist whose Indonesian-ness was indisputable,' and a man whose 'infatuation with the people as well as the republic was life-long.' (Astri Wright, Soul, Spirit and Mountain- Preoccupations of Contemporary Indonesian Painters, Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur, 1994, p. 166) These comments which were viewed alongside the knowledge that he was involved with politically oriented cultural organisations, showed that he was strongly attracted to socialist ideologies and deeply concerned with the realities of life for the Indonesian people. However, one should not over-emphasize the political tendencies in the work of Hendra, as his choice to depict the ordinary Indonesian folk pre-dated his involvement with any organisation. It was ultimately the people and the land that mattered to the artist as Astri Wright has keenly observed 'a Gauguin who did not need to leave his country to find his paradise.' (Ibid., p. 181).
In the aftermath of the 1965 anti-Communist purge, Hendra was imprisoned for 13 years for his involvement with LEKRA (a cultural organisation affiliated with the Indonesian Communist Party). This long imprisonment left him with an intense longing for his family and the outside world, and the expressive paintings from this period are charged with profound emotions rarely seen in earlier works. It was also a period when colour took on a pivotal role in Hendra's work as Astri Wright commented'(his paintings) radiate with colour - clashing, surprisingly sweet - but somehow almost always brillantly resolved in the composition as a whole.' (Ibid., p. 177).
Whilst colours are essential in the construction of the composition, it is ultimately the women that take the centre stage for the artist as evidenced by the present lot, Reclining nude. The pose of the sitter is classic, which has her lying on the bed with one of her legs placed above a bolster case and the other largely covered by a striking red blanket that contrasted with the soft pink hue of the sitter's skin. This is a pose that may hint at the nude but still demure Renaissance maiden painted by Botticelli or the 19th century Orientalist convention of the odalisque, the reclining harem girl, with its titillating evocation of voluptuousness and eroticism. Perhaps the sitter is demure, with both her arms stretched over her head and her eyes gazing down so that it allowed her to avert direct contact with the onlooker, suggesting shyness. On the other hand, the pose could also be perceived as sensuous, particularly as the curvaceous body is highlighted and framed by the decorative, adorning elements of the flowers and the decorative bed sheets suggesting a reading of, perhaps not flagrantly, but certainly coyly erotic message.
Reclining nude certainly testifies to a highly emotional individual who expressed himself unabashedly through his canvas work.
In the aftermath of the 1965 anti-Communist purge, Hendra was imprisoned for 13 years for his involvement with LEKRA (a cultural organisation affiliated with the Indonesian Communist Party). This long imprisonment left him with an intense longing for his family and the outside world, and the expressive paintings from this period are charged with profound emotions rarely seen in earlier works. It was also a period when colour took on a pivotal role in Hendra's work as Astri Wright commented'(his paintings) radiate with colour - clashing, surprisingly sweet - but somehow almost always brillantly resolved in the composition as a whole.' (Ibid., p. 177).
Whilst colours are essential in the construction of the composition, it is ultimately the women that take the centre stage for the artist as evidenced by the present lot, Reclining nude. The pose of the sitter is classic, which has her lying on the bed with one of her legs placed above a bolster case and the other largely covered by a striking red blanket that contrasted with the soft pink hue of the sitter's skin. This is a pose that may hint at the nude but still demure Renaissance maiden painted by Botticelli or the 19th century Orientalist convention of the odalisque, the reclining harem girl, with its titillating evocation of voluptuousness and eroticism. Perhaps the sitter is demure, with both her arms stretched over her head and her eyes gazing down so that it allowed her to avert direct contact with the onlooker, suggesting shyness. On the other hand, the pose could also be perceived as sensuous, particularly as the curvaceous body is highlighted and framed by the decorative, adorning elements of the flowers and the decorative bed sheets suggesting a reading of, perhaps not flagrantly, but certainly coyly erotic message.
Reclining nude certainly testifies to a highly emotional individual who expressed himself unabashedly through his canvas work.