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Lot Essay
Antonio Blanco is one of many expatriate artists during Indonesia's modern era who was fascinated and charmed by the island of Bali and its beauty. Blanco is acclaimed for his sensual paintings of the female figure and many of his female figure paintings are inspired by his wife and muse, Ni Ronji. These paintings are his best known body of work and many examples are showcased at the Blanco renaissance Museum, Ubud, Bali.
Antonio Blanco was born in Manila, Philippines to Spanish parents originally from Catalonia, Spain. Blanco attended national academy of arts in New York, under Sidney Dickinson, to pursue his passion in art. During this formative period, he developed a deep interest in the study of human figure. He continued to develop this interest following his decision to live in Bali, after travelling extensively throughout the world. With the land gifted by the King of Ubud in 1952, Blanco set up his studio and home which later became the present Antonio Blanco renaissance Museum. The museum is currently housing paintings from Blanco's many facets of creative development.
Woman with Glass Jug represents a facet of Blanco's exploration on beauty and feminism with the naturalistic depiction of a nude woman relaxing on a couch while holding on to a glass jug. Besides the glass jug, Blanco also incorporated a kendi (a traditional water vessel), which symbolizes fertility in Indonesia's tradit ion, to this work. For Blanco himself, these vessels represents his very own 'erotic fantasies'. In comparison to Little Eva, Blanco used more expressive and undefined strokes in Woman with Glass Jug, juxtaposing the idea of fantasy within reality. These strokes are passionate, raw, and dramatic – capturing the movement and energy of life.
Antonio Blanco was born in Manila, Philippines to Spanish parents originally from Catalonia, Spain. Blanco attended national academy of arts in New York, under Sidney Dickinson, to pursue his passion in art. During this formative period, he developed a deep interest in the study of human figure. He continued to develop this interest following his decision to live in Bali, after travelling extensively throughout the world. With the land gifted by the King of Ubud in 1952, Blanco set up his studio and home which later became the present Antonio Blanco renaissance Museum. The museum is currently housing paintings from Blanco's many facets of creative development.
Woman with Glass Jug represents a facet of Blanco's exploration on beauty and feminism with the naturalistic depiction of a nude woman relaxing on a couch while holding on to a glass jug. Besides the glass jug, Blanco also incorporated a kendi (a traditional water vessel), which symbolizes fertility in Indonesia's tradit ion, to this work. For Blanco himself, these vessels represents his very own 'erotic fantasies'. In comparison to Little Eva, Blanco used more expressive and undefined strokes in Woman with Glass Jug, juxtaposing the idea of fantasy within reality. These strokes are passionate, raw, and dramatic – capturing the movement and energy of life.