Lot 86: RADEN SARIEF BUSTAMAN SALEH (Indonesia 1807-1880)

The eruption of Mt. Merapi at night, Java
signed and dated 'R. Saleh/1866' (lower right)
oil on canvas
24 1/2 x 41 in. (61.8 x 104.4 cm.)

Anon. sale, Christie's, Singapore, 27 March 1994, lot 17.
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner.

Much has been discussed of Raden Saleh as the indigenous genius who artistic expression equaled if not surpassed some of his first European teachers such as the Dutch painters Cornelius Kruseman and Andreas Scheifhout. In 1829, Raden Saleh left for Holland where he studied under his Dutch teachers and in 1839 was sent to Paris for further study by the Dutch colonial authorities. These trips which had laid foundation for his mastery of painting technique also exposed him to European literature and thinking.

It was noted that on 18 May 1839, Raden Saleh went to Germany and he settled down in Dresden and became close friend with some of the German nobilities. His stay in Germany was important not just to his painting development but more significantly it was a period of his life when one began to read of his reflection on his identity as a Javanese, a heritage which he was very proud of. In this reflection, the issue of colonialism inevitably surfaced.

In 1847, he wrote of his stay in Germany "They (German people) made me realize about the difference between the high social culture of Europe and the simple manners of my own people." (Jim Supangkat, Indonesian Modern Art and Beyond, The Indonesian Fine Arts Foundation, 1997, Jakarta, p. 19.) It was also recorded that when one of his close friend in Germany, the Duchess of Kent brought him to a church and tried to convert him to Christianity, he had said "Why should I become a Christian ? Many horrible things were done in the name of this religion." (Ibid). Another telling tale of the artist's political tendency would be his reading of the book La Revolution de 1848 which was noted by the Dutch colonial authority during an inspection of his luggage on his return to Java in 1851.

In 1857 Raden Saleh painted the work The capture of Prince Diponegoro depicting a well known scene when Prince Diponegoro, a religious leader of noble descent who rose against the Dutch between 1825 and 1830 was captured by the colonial authority. A costly affair for the colonial administration but such a victorious and symbolic end would need to be documented and hence a Dutch artist J. W. Pieneman was commissioned to do. Raden Saleh's version of the scene was drastically different from the former. He expressed his sympathy to the rebel leader who remained dignified and composed albeit his rage. Crowds of natives were placed in foreground, mostly sitting, as they watched their leader being led away by the Dutch officials, showing an intense but respectful moment of grief and mourning.

It is in this context that one sees beyond a beautiful rendition of a landscape with the present lot. The Dutch colonial troops patrolling Mt. Merapi and Mt. Merbabu, Central Java. Artistically one appreciates the crisp contours and finished accent of his romantic-naturalistic conviction by his Dutch teachers which is reminiscent of John Constable and William Turner. The composition adopts the inviting panorama view of 19th century naturalist landscape that guides the eyes of an onlooker into the landscape. The grandiose of the landscape, on the other hand, cannot be overemphasized. Mt. Merapi is depicted in its full grandeur, with an evident volcanic activity, a sign of divinity for the Javanese people and hence suggesting the omnipotence of the land.

The 'mountain' has always been a powerful and significant symbol in many cultures and ancient mythologies. It is particularly so for Indonesia, a country where one finds the largest number of active volcanoes. Hence it is observed that "Mountains have an acute objective reality in Indonesia, which is a chain of volcanic islands, both extinct and active. To many Indonesians, the sight of a smoking volcano is a familiar part of life; to some, the threat of an eruption still nourishes ancient beliefs in the need to pacify the destructive power of the spirit residing in the mountain." (Astri Wright, Soul, Spirit, and Mountain: Preoccupations of Contemporary Indonesian Painters, Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur, 1994, p.35-38).

It is therefore important to read the present composition against the backdrop of Raden Saleh's political tendency, the colonial era in which he painted in, the spiritual and symbolic significance of Mt. Merapi in the Javanese culture, these are important elements to understand the subtext of the present work. Essentially, the artist presented the potent beauty of a sacred mountain, held in awe and fear for centuries by the Javanese.