AFFANDI | Nude

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2015, Lot 456
Acquired by the present owner from the above sale 
Private Asian Collection

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There is evidence of light wear to the edges of the canvas due to abrasions with the frame, but this does not affect the overall image as they are covered by the frame. Upon close inspection, there is evidence of hairline craquelure at areas of thicker impasto and minor pigment loss at the hair of the figure. At areas of darker pigment, there are signs of minor paint shrinkage, consistent with the nature of the medium. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals small scattered spots of restoration at the upper left quadrant, the figure's hair and above her arm. Framed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In the present lot, Affandi portrays an undressed woman from a live model to study the female form. The artist’s commitment to honest expression is a hallmark of his work. Rather than forcing his paintings to bear the burden of an explicit ideological agenda, Affandi sought above all to portray life as he saw it: candid, unguarded, and raw. This desire to represent things as he found them led to a lifelong fascination with nudes, which he painted in defiance of traditional Indonesian mores. The subject’s voluptuous body faces the scorching sun above her, and her sun kissed skin reflects its golden tones. The sun, radiating with rays of scorching light, is an archetypal motif employed by the artist in order to permeate the composition with a sense of life and vitality. This is further accentuated with an animated backdrop, which creates a wavy flow that compliments the sinuous curves of her body and highlights the dynamism of the scene. Ensconced within this enveloping, dark green form in the backdrop, her lounging body is the focus of the composition.

The empathy evident in Affandi’s nudes allows them to transcend mere studies of the female form and capture the intimacy of human experience through the intimacy of painting. Affandi’s nudes expand the relationship of the painter’s hand and eye to sensation, emotion, and the ultimate abjectness of desire. He liked to paint women in whose nudity the viewer feels some trace of the essential tragedy of human life.

Despite objections in the name of propriety, Affandi painted nudes from the 1940s until the end of his life, and once said in defense of the form, “We were born naked, weren’t we? What could be more natural and pure than a nude human being, completely uncovered?” Painted with a sense of spontaneity and zeal, the woman in the present lot is a conduit to conjure sensuality and celebrate the magnificence of the female form.