Sotheby's HK is still in the mist of its Fall auction, which has achieved some very strong results, so it's probably the right time for Christie's to announce some of the details of its fall sale of Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, which will take place on 29 November. It will feature over 120 lots with a pre-sale estimate of $3.5 million. Leading the sales are two extremely rare works by prominent masters of the late 19th and early 20th century who both profoundly influenced the hallmarks of Southeast Asian art as we know it today: Wounded Lion by Raden Sjarief Bustaman Saleh, (circa 1810 – 1880) known as the Delacroix of the East and hailed as the father of modern Indonesian painting, and Balinese Legend by Russian-born German artist Walter Spies (1895 - 1942). Spies arrived in Indonesia in 1923 on the cusp of European modernism, bringing with him an aesthetic style influenced by modernist philosophy, early film, and tribal folk art from a period of internment in the Russian Urals region during the World War I. During his early years in Indonesia he became the conductor for the Sultan of Jogjakarta’s orchestra. In 1927, Spies moved to Bali and became both mentor and student, as he staged art exhibitions, re-arranged native music and re-choreographed the traditional Balinese dancing, while simultaneously absorbing the visual impact of native artwork and temple carvings based on Sanskrit mythology. Balinese Legend (estimates on request, which means if you ask you can't afford it!) was painted in 1929 and is very theatrical in composition with lots od details.
In the Contemporary section, there will be the usual suspects of Indonesian painters including: I Nyoman Masriadi, Handiwirman Saputra, Christine Ay Tjoe, Agus Suwage and Rudi Mantofani.
Sotheby's HK is still in the mist of its Fall auction, which has achieved some very strong results, so it's probably the right time for Christie's to announce some of the details of its fall sale of Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, which will take place on 29 November. It will feature over 120 lots with a pre-sale estimate of $3.5 million. Leading the sales are two extremely rare works by prominent masters of the late 19th and early 20th century who both profoundly influenced the hallmarks of Southeast Asian art as we know it today: Wounded Lion by Raden Sjarief Bustaman Saleh, (circa 1810 – 1880) known as the Delacroix of the East and hailed as the father of modern Indonesian painting, and Balinese Legend by Russian-born German artist Walter Spies (1895 - 1942). Spies arrived in Indonesia in 1923 on the cusp of European modernism, bringing with him an aesthetic style influenced by modernist philosophy, early film, and tribal folk art from a period of internment in the Russian Urals region during the World War I. During his early years in Indonesia he became the conductor for the Sultan of Jogjakarta’s orchestra. In 1927, Spies moved to Bali and became both mentor and student, as he staged art exhibitions, re-arranged native music and re-choreographed the traditional Balinese dancing, while simultaneously absorbing the visual impact of native artwork and temple carvings based on Sanskrit mythology. Balinese Legend (estimates on request, which means if you ask you can't afford it!) was painted in 1929 and is very theatrical in composition with lots od details.