HENDRA GUNAWAN | Landscape with Buffaloes

Sotheby's Singapore, 18 May 2003, Lot 144 
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner
Private Collection, Indonesia 
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1 October 2018, Lot 427

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There is some hairline craquelure on some areas of the canvas, consistent with the age of the work, but this is only visible upon very close inspection and under bright light. There is a small area of craquelure noticeable along the bottom edge (under the buffalo in the middle). There is a small accretion at the mountain on the upper left quadrant. There are some pinhole sized losses to the paint, in accordance with the weave of the canvas, but these are only noticeable upon very close inspection and do not affect the overall image. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals a few very small spots of inpainting at the sky and on the area of craquelure below the bull (at ground). 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Throughout his career, Hendra Gunawan was recognized above all as the ‘People’s Artist’, dedicating himself to capturing the spirit of Indonesia, its landscapes and the lives of its native people. His iconic style – featuring saturated, expressive swirls of color and stylized figures – integrated the best of both naturalistic and expressionistic elements, creating a striking new visual identity for Indonesia in art. This work is rare because of his focus on the rural Indonesian landscape, set apart from his signature canvases of local folk amid their everyday lives. Gunawan had learnt the art of landscape painting from Wahdi Sumanta, a prominent disciple of the landscape master Abdullah Suriosubroto. The piece renders the countryside in sweeping, panoramic form, reminiscent of depictions from the early Mooi Indie movement (‘Beautiful Indies’ in Dutch), yet this introduces a new imaginative reconstruction of his homeland. The artist blends meticulous observation of the country’s grand landscapes and natural history with an even more personal love for it in his painting.

In this scene, young boys ride on buffaloes along a dirt path in the foreground, as hills, fields and mountains unfold beyond them. Unlike many of Gunawan’s other studies where landscapes merely provided the backdrop to human action, man is presented here as a peripheral element rather than as the thematic focus – the boys and buffaloes are quietly set in the lower corner of the canvas - in favor of a broader, inclusive view of nature. The harmony between man and nature was an enduring motif in his work, where his human figures were perfectly and comfortably placed within their environments. On a structural level, the work showcases the artist’s mastery of perspective and distance, where the foreground naturally extends into the distant background in smooth gradations. The trees and flora are drawn as indistinct dots, reflecting scale and space, while the outlines of the mountains are much less defined, shrouded in clouds and fog. The richness of three-dimensional space had been fully impressed onto a two-dimensional canvas, appearing to be representational but still retaining all the lyrical expressiveness of a paintbrush.

This piece features a diverse, softer palette of light blues to earthier greens and browns, all applied with a fluid, continuous brush that seems to mimic the gentle flow of the land and hills. In contrast to his other work, this piece is notable for its moderation of color, given his liberal embrace of deep blue, pink and purple elsewhere in his career. As a result, the entire canvas is tinged with sunlight, reflecting off the ground and leaves and creating a spectrum of shades – for example, the light illuminating upon the treetop on the right renders the leaves in an even more vibrant light green and red. Here, organic blends of colors provide harmony across the work, but because of this the scene also takes on an almost ethereal, misty quality, as if it exists in a different fantastical reality.

Rather than a concern with strict realism, this depiction of nature is infused with Gunawan’s personality and emotion for the country he loved and sacrificed for. Amidst his involvement in Indonesia’s turbulent politics as a member of the People’s Cultural Association, he frequently returned to the theme of Indonesia’s pastoral life in response, memorializing this sense of untouched beauty free from the conflicts of politics and violence.

Landscape with Buffaloes is a treasured, unique masterwork, bearing the trademark brushstrokes and blending so prominent in his other pieces but introducing a refreshing lightness of color and open space, letting the backdrop now become the focus. Gunawan ultimately elevated the everyday to a new visual richness, bringing a vibrant nation and its people to life in his art.