Museum Puri Lukisan
Encyclopedia
The Puri Lukisan Museum (Indonesian "Palace of Paintings") is the oldest art museum in Ubud
, Bali
specializing in modern traditional Balinese painting
s and wood carvings. The Museum is located in Ubud, Bali – Indonesia
. It is home to the finest collection of modern traditional Balinese painting and wood carving on the island, spanning from the pre-war (1930–1945) to the post-war (1945 – present) era. The collection includes important examples of all of the artistic styles in Bali including the Sanur
, Batuan, Ubud, Young Artist and Keliki schools.
Ida Bagus Nyana was a talented wood sculptor and a gifted dancer. He is known for his impressionistic, elongated woodcarvings whose fluid shapes, devoid of excessive detail, often appear as if they had been pulled from taffy. His sculpture of the Goddess Pertiwi (Mother Earth), with its spidery legs and coiled serpant, is dreamlike and surrealistic. Nyana's son, Ida Bagus Tilem, was also a talented woodcarver. Both father and son were known for their ability to impart life to inanimate wood, thereby transforming it into magnificent forms with a sense of movement and full use of all the dimensions.
Ida Bagus Gelgel (1900–1937)
Ida Bagus Gelgel grew up in Kamasan, far away from direct western influence, but his works evolved beyond the conventions of the Wayang
tradition. He was so creative, that in 1937 one of his paintings won a silver medal at the International Colonial Art Exhibition in Paris. One of his works, the Priest Dharmaswami, painted in 1935 using naturals dyes on paper, is one of the masterpieces of the Museum Puri Lukisan. It tells the story of a Priest who rescued a monkey, a snake and a tiger from a well. When the priest was arrested by a prince on false charges, the animals came to his rescue. The paintings shows these animals bringing gifts as a gratitude for saving their lives.
I Gusti Nyoman Lempad (~1862–1978)
A true master and "Renaissance Man", Lempad is a figure in the Balinese community as well as in artistic circles abroad. His fame extends not only beyond geographical borders but also beyond the ordinary borders of craftsmanship and artistic expression. Lempad’s specialty was classical scenes, rendered in a relatively formal way. To these he applied creative genius, and the passionate intensity of his personality, in creating works that inspired many artists who followed him. Although he maintained closed friendships with the foreign artists who lived in Bali, including Bonnet and Spies, Lempad never compromised his distinctive identity as a Balinese artist. Lempad had a broad range of talents in many art forms: including painting, sculpture and architecture. He designed some of the palaces and temples in and around Ubud, including parts of the Puri Lukisan Museum. He also painted the murals at the entrance of the North building of the museum. Lempad's drawing, the Dream of Dharmawangsa, is one of the masterpieces of the museum and is rendered in his unique linear style.
Anak Agung Gde Sobrat (1919–1992)
Sobrat was the son of an aristocratic family. As a child, he delighted in the spectacles of the Balinese Wayang Kulit (shadow puppet performances). His grandfather, a well-known Wayang puppeteer, taught him to carve the rawhide puppets and familiarized him with the Hindu epics: the Ramayana and Mahabharata. His artistic talent drew the attention of other artists. Under the tutelage of Walter Spies, he learned to paint Balinese landscapes with surreal perspectives, and later from Bonnet he developed the techniques for portraiture. From 1957 to 1959, Sobrat taught at the highly regarded Academy of Fine Arts in Yogyakarta, where he developed his academic style. His painting of the Balinese Market was exhibited at the opening of the Museum Puri Lukisan and remains one of its masterpieces. Although the colors have faded, the composition of human figures clearly shows the influence of Bonnet.
I Gusti Made Deblog (1910–1978)
This exceptional artist started his career as an apprentice in the studio of the Chinese photographer, Yap Sin Tin. Deblog's work portrays a passionate sense of the beauty of nature, rendered in elegantly refined detail that reveals the presence of a deeper reality underlying the world around us. His drawing, the Birth of Hanuman (1936) was presented to the Puri Lukisan Museum by the chairman of the Ford Foundation
, and depicts a lush forest with magical nymphs and other forest dwellers bringing offerings to the newborn Hanuman.
Featuring the pre-War Balinese paintings from the Leo Haks collection. Over 100 paintings and drawings were personally selected by Leo Haks to showcase the pre-War works of artists from Ubud, Sanur and Batuan. Many of the pieces came from the paintings collected by Gregory Bateson
and Margaret Mead
during their field study in Bali from 1935 to 1937.
Pioneers of Balinese Painting (July 14 - September 12, 2008)
Featuring masterpieces of Balinese art on loan from the Leiden University Museum, collected between 1929 and 1958 by Dutch artist Rudolf Bonnet, this exhibition showcases the specific characteristics, and style of Balinese artists from four geographic regions: Tampaksiring, Ubud, Batuan and Sanur. The Leiden University
collection was supplemented by similar works from the permanent collection of the Puri Lukisan Museum, which were also selected by Rudolf Bonnet
. This exhibition is accompanied by a catalog entitled “Pioneers of Balinese Painting” by Helena Spannjard.
Ida Bagus Made (July 14 - December 31, 2008)
In 2000, following the artist’s last wish, the widow of Ida Bagus Made loaned about 100 paintings from the artist’s private collection to the Puri Lukisan Museum. Fifty of these paintings will be presented to the public for the first time. This exhibition is accompanied by a catalog: “Ida Bagus Made – the Art of Devotion” co-authored by Kaja McGowan et al.
Ubud
Ubud is a town on the Indonesian island of Bali in Ubud District, located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines in the central foothills of the Gianyar regency...
, Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
specializing in modern traditional Balinese painting
Balinese art
Balinese art is art of Hindu-Javanese origin that grew from the work of artisans of the Majapahit Kingdom, with their expansion to Bali in the late 13th century. From the sixteenth until the twentieth centuries, the village of Kamasan, Klungkung , was the centre of classical Balinese art. During...
s and wood carvings. The Museum is located in Ubud, Bali – Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is home to the finest collection of modern traditional Balinese painting and wood carving on the island, spanning from the pre-war (1930–1945) to the post-war (1945 – present) era. The collection includes important examples of all of the artistic styles in Bali including the Sanur
Sanur
Sanur may refer to:* Sanur , a Palestinian town in the northern West Bank* Sa-Nur, a former Israeli settlement* Sanur , a town on the Indonesian island of Bali...
, Batuan, Ubud, Young Artist and Keliki schools.
History
| Year | Historical Events |
|---|---|
| 1936 | The Pitamaha Artist Cooperative was founded by Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati (the King of Ubud) and Tjokorda Gde Raka Sukawati (the King’s brother) along with two western artists working in Bali at the time: Walter Spies Walter Spies Walter Spies was a Russian-born German primitivist painter. In 1923 he came to Java, living first in Yogyakarta and then in Ubud, Bali starting in 1927. He is often credited with attracting the attention of Western cultural figures to Balinese culture and art.In 1937, Spies built what he described... and Rudolf Bonnet Rudolf Bonnet Johan Rudolf Bonnet was a Dutch artist who lived much of his life in the town of Ubud on Bali, Indonesia.... . Its mission was to preserve and develop traditional Balinese art. |
| 1953 | The Ratna Wartha Foundation was founded to carry on the Pitamaha ideals and mission. The concept of building the Museum Puri Lukisan was born. |
| 1954 | Indonesian Prime Minister, Mr. Ali Sastroamidjojo, laid the first stone beginning the construction of the Museum on January 31, 1954 |
| 1956 | Indonesian Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, Mr. Mohammad Yamin officiated at the opening of the Museum. |
| 1972 | Two new wings were added to the Museum, including a temporary exhibition hall |
| 1978 | Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati, I Gusti Nyoman Lempad and Rudolf Bonnet died. A magnificent royal cremation ceremony was held to honor them. |
| 2008 | Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Museum with two major exhibitions: the Pioneers of Balinese Painting from the Rudolf Bonnet collection (Leiden University Museum) and the world premier of the Ida Bagus Made Estate collection. |
Museum Buildings
- Building I (North) – the Pitamaha Gallery houses the Pre-War modern traditional Balinese paintings (1930–1945) and I Gusti Nyoman LempadI Gusti Nyoman LempadI Gusti Nyoman Lempad was known as a Balinese stone sculptor and architect who built the palaces and temples in Ubud and its neighboring villages. In his later years, he produced hundreds of linear drawings of Balinese mythology and folklore...
collection - Building II (West) – the Ida Bagus Made Gallery houses the Ida Bagus MadeIda Bagus MadeIda Bagus Made Poleng . He was a traditional Balinese painter. Known also as Ida Bagus Made Poleng or Ida Bagus Made Tebesaya or simply Gus Made.- Biography :...
Estate Collection - Building III (East) – the Wayang Gallery houses Wayang Painting Collection and used for temporary exhibitions.
Highlights of the Collection
Ida Bagus Nyana (1912–1985)Ida Bagus Nyana was a talented wood sculptor and a gifted dancer. He is known for his impressionistic, elongated woodcarvings whose fluid shapes, devoid of excessive detail, often appear as if they had been pulled from taffy. His sculpture of the Goddess Pertiwi (Mother Earth), with its spidery legs and coiled serpant, is dreamlike and surrealistic. Nyana's son, Ida Bagus Tilem, was also a talented woodcarver. Both father and son were known for their ability to impart life to inanimate wood, thereby transforming it into magnificent forms with a sense of movement and full use of all the dimensions.
Ida Bagus Gelgel (1900–1937)
Ida Bagus Gelgel grew up in Kamasan, far away from direct western influence, but his works evolved beyond the conventions of the Wayang
Wayang
Wayang is a Javanese word for theatre . When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theatre, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang...
tradition. He was so creative, that in 1937 one of his paintings won a silver medal at the International Colonial Art Exhibition in Paris. One of his works, the Priest Dharmaswami, painted in 1935 using naturals dyes on paper, is one of the masterpieces of the Museum Puri Lukisan. It tells the story of a Priest who rescued a monkey, a snake and a tiger from a well. When the priest was arrested by a prince on false charges, the animals came to his rescue. The paintings shows these animals bringing gifts as a gratitude for saving their lives.
I Gusti Nyoman Lempad (~1862–1978)
A true master and "Renaissance Man", Lempad is a figure in the Balinese community as well as in artistic circles abroad. His fame extends not only beyond geographical borders but also beyond the ordinary borders of craftsmanship and artistic expression. Lempad’s specialty was classical scenes, rendered in a relatively formal way. To these he applied creative genius, and the passionate intensity of his personality, in creating works that inspired many artists who followed him. Although he maintained closed friendships with the foreign artists who lived in Bali, including Bonnet and Spies, Lempad never compromised his distinctive identity as a Balinese artist. Lempad had a broad range of talents in many art forms: including painting, sculpture and architecture. He designed some of the palaces and temples in and around Ubud, including parts of the Puri Lukisan Museum. He also painted the murals at the entrance of the North building of the museum. Lempad's drawing, the Dream of Dharmawangsa, is one of the masterpieces of the museum and is rendered in his unique linear style.
Anak Agung Gde Sobrat (1919–1992)
Sobrat was the son of an aristocratic family. As a child, he delighted in the spectacles of the Balinese Wayang Kulit (shadow puppet performances). His grandfather, a well-known Wayang puppeteer, taught him to carve the rawhide puppets and familiarized him with the Hindu epics: the Ramayana and Mahabharata. His artistic talent drew the attention of other artists. Under the tutelage of Walter Spies, he learned to paint Balinese landscapes with surreal perspectives, and later from Bonnet he developed the techniques for portraiture. From 1957 to 1959, Sobrat taught at the highly regarded Academy of Fine Arts in Yogyakarta, where he developed his academic style. His painting of the Balinese Market was exhibited at the opening of the Museum Puri Lukisan and remains one of its masterpieces. Although the colors have faded, the composition of human figures clearly shows the influence of Bonnet.
I Gusti Made Deblog (1910–1978)
This exceptional artist started his career as an apprentice in the studio of the Chinese photographer, Yap Sin Tin. Deblog's work portrays a passionate sense of the beauty of nature, rendered in elegantly refined detail that reveals the presence of a deeper reality underlying the world around us. His drawing, the Birth of Hanuman (1936) was presented to the Puri Lukisan Museum by the chairman of the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
, and depicts a lush forest with magical nymphs and other forest dwellers bringing offerings to the newborn Hanuman.
Noted Exhibitions
Pre-War Balinese Modernist (1999)Featuring the pre-War Balinese paintings from the Leo Haks collection. Over 100 paintings and drawings were personally selected by Leo Haks to showcase the pre-War works of artists from Ubud, Sanur and Batuan. Many of the pieces came from the paintings collected by Gregory Bateson
Gregory Bateson
Gregory Bateson was an English anthropologist, social scientist, linguist, visual anthropologist, semiotician and cyberneticist whose work intersected that of many other fields. He had a natural ability to recognize order and pattern in the universe...
and Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead was an American cultural anthropologist, who was frequently a featured writer and speaker in the mass media throughout the 1960s and 1970s....
during their field study in Bali from 1935 to 1937.
Pioneers of Balinese Painting (July 14 - September 12, 2008)
Featuring masterpieces of Balinese art on loan from the Leiden University Museum, collected between 1929 and 1958 by Dutch artist Rudolf Bonnet, this exhibition showcases the specific characteristics, and style of Balinese artists from four geographic regions: Tampaksiring, Ubud, Batuan and Sanur. The Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
collection was supplemented by similar works from the permanent collection of the Puri Lukisan Museum, which were also selected by Rudolf Bonnet
Rudolf Bonnet
Johan Rudolf Bonnet was a Dutch artist who lived much of his life in the town of Ubud on Bali, Indonesia....
. This exhibition is accompanied by a catalog entitled “Pioneers of Balinese Painting” by Helena Spannjard.
Ida Bagus Made (July 14 - December 31, 2008)
In 2000, following the artist’s last wish, the widow of Ida Bagus Made loaned about 100 paintings from the artist’s private collection to the Puri Lukisan Museum. Fifty of these paintings will be presented to the public for the first time. This exhibition is accompanied by a catalog: “Ida Bagus Made – the Art of Devotion” co-authored by Kaja McGowan et al.