LEE MAN FONG | Telanjang Duduk (Seated Nude)

Art Retreat, Lee Man Fong: Oil Paintings Volume II, Art Retreat Ltd., Singapore, 2005, P. 174, Colorplate 

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There is evidence of wear, losses and accretions along the edges due to abrasions with the frame. There is a pinhole sized loss at the nude's stomach. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals no sign of restoration as viewed. Framed.
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Lee Man Fong can be viewed as a realist painter, whose pieces celebrated human existence. Finding its voice as part of the classical nude art genre, Telanjang Duduk (Seated Nude) is one of the very few such works from the artist’s career, therefore a remarkably special piece that may be seen as Lee’s study of the female form, rather than a subjective analysis of womanhood. With an emphasis on depth and mood, the vertically oriented panel emanates a feeling of space, which is attributed to Lee’s strong influence of Western art. His selected color palette of rustic browns, ethereal blue drapery and a veil of warm light appears to wash over the woman, enhancing the nocturnal mood of the scene. The woman’s alluring and graceful presence fuels the narrative of the painting as her elegant pose covers her modesty while she is seemingly oblivious to the gaze of the audience, establishing a special ambience to the narrative.

Terlanjang Duduk (Seated Nude) is an intimate scene in which Lee has invited his audience to indulge in the quietude of the moment. The artist had a keen understanding of his external surroundings and relationships, and the rapport that appears to exist between the artist and the woman emphasizes the life force of the subjects, animating and immortalizing them as emblems of the country’s burgeoning modern art movement.