ADRIEN JEAN LE MAYEUR DE MERPRÈS | Village Girls

Christie’s Singapore, 4 October 1998, Lot 235
Acquired by the present owner from the above sale
Private European Collection

Jop Ubbens, Cathinka Huizing, Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès, 1880-1958: Painter-Traveller/Schilder-Reiziger, Amsterdam, 1995, p.115, color illustration

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There is evidence of light wear at the edges of the work due to abrasions with the frame. Upon close examination there is evidence of light hairline craquelure to areas of thicker impasto but this is stable and consistent with the age of the work. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals scattered spots of restoration primarily at the upper left corner background, upper edges and on the torsos of the three ladies on the left of the composition. 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.

Surfacing in the market after over two decades, Village Girls is an exceptional exemplar Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès’ rare, pre-war paintings. Widely acclaimed as the “maestro of light”, Le Mayeur produced an extensive opus that epitomized the synchronous coexistence of spirituality and social order in Balinese circadian life. In this highly detailed and concentrated composition, Le Mayeur conducts an eloquent exercise on light and colour, and encapsulates the otherworldly beauties of Bali through his splendorous brushwork, from its rich culture to its sprawling natural milieu and its graceful villagers. The artist illustrates a group of young Balinese maidens, as some gracefully carry their offerings, others remain kneeling in repose, and one elegantly stands under the shade of her wide parasol.Throughout his life, Le Mayeur was a great lover of the immeasurable intricacies of light, and was enraptured by its ability to imbue and transform the atmosphere of a landscape with its warmth and luminosity. Combining Le Mayeur’s passion for the visual delineations of light, along with his infatuation with the dignity and poise of Balinese women on one single canvas, Village Girls is an expansive love letter to the verdures of Bali and all the exotic captivations that hide from within.

Village Girls is emblematic of Le Mayeur’s pre-war, Bali-period art style – painted in muted hues, it is a lyrical work that carries a whimsical, dream-like flair. Since the 1920s, Bali has stood as a mystical paradise for European expatriates, and Le Mayeur was no exception to its seduction, as he quickly became enraptured by the island’s ornamental landscapes and rich cultural life. Le Mayeur’s abundant and warm-toned hues seamlessly connect with Bali’s natural envrionment, as he douses the picturesque scene with a duvet of light, and instils its milieu with his recognizable, balmy glow.

Surrounded by the flourishing vegetation, the shadowed maidens pose in warm contrast to the lush greenery behind them, which is applied with blurred strokes of plum reds, mossy greens and pastel oranges. Le Mayeur reduces the minutiae of the backdrop into deft streaks of soft-hued impasto, which set the stage for the classically rendered Balinese women. In what has become one of his defining archetypal re-interpretations of the female anatomy, Le Mayeur sculpts their sun-kissed torsos with darker lustrous shades of yellow and tan, and elongates their slender limbs as to accentuate their feminine curvature and enthralling gentility.

Vaguely reminiscent of the idealised figures of classical Greek sculpture, Le Mayeur arranges and assembles each of the refined maidens across the landscape, and reaches the impression of a vertical composition by skilfully permeating dimension through a diverse repetition of vertical forms. In Southeast Asia, the female figure has always stood as an unparalleled bearer of significance, not only within the perimeters of Indonesian modern art, but also amongst the cultural and historical notions of its society. In depicting a group of young village girls, Le Mayeur creates a paean of admiration for those who serve as the quiet backbone of community, and sheds light on the prominent role of women in indigenous rituals and domestic and agricultural labours.

Even under the scorching gaze of the sunlight, Le Mayeur still takes care to delineate the intricacies of their individual dress and movements - from the blooming flowers that are placed atop their tied up hair, to the glimmering folds and patterns of their emerald green and candied pink sarongs, to the baskets of offerings that they balance with ease. With an unwavering eye for detail and accuracy, Le Mayeur crafts an impeccably observed piece that becomes animated with buoyancy and harmony, as the village girls put a brief pause to their day to day tasks and indulge in a precious moment of carefree chatter and relaxation.

As the swaying leaves of the palm trees fall in pendulous sways, their curling branches and vines part in order to give way to the women who are sequestered in the comfort of its adumbral shade. In this remarkable vignette of sunlight and tranquillity, the village girls gleam with warm impastos, as if they themselves are emanating with light. With shifting tones of light and shade, Le Mayeur’s vision of paradise and its inhabitants is brought to life in Village Girls, as he composes a hymn to the breath taking diversity of Bali’s natural environs and its humble locale.