Fishmongers

One of the most prominent modern artists that emerged from Indonesia is Hendra Gunawan. Imprisoned in Bandung's Kebon Waru prison from 1965 onwards due to the involvement of an Indonesian communist coup, Hendra's style revolves around people at work, play, celebrations, rituals and on rare occasions grief or suffering. Fishermen are one of Hendra's favourite topics, illustrated through the abundance of the subject that followed post 1978. Fishmongers demonstrates the beginning of a distinct period in Hendra's oeuvre through the use of colourful and vivid paint. Both works by Hendra have been in the collection of Jacob Vredenbregt, a Dutchman who was introduced to the Dutch Indies when he was stationed there to fulfil his military duty. After he had been in Surabaya, he was sent to East-Java, where he got injured after he fell into a trap. As a prisoner, he was treated in a hospital in Malang, where he learned about the Indonesian side of the war and became sympathetic towards it. After the independence in 1948, he remained loyal to the country and from the 1960s onwards, he has been living there. Vredenbregt is known as a writer, cultural anthropologist and art collector.