Vintage Large Balinese Painting on Silk from Ubud Bali

Description

Mid-20th century Balinese painting on silk fabric, framed.
Vintage large Balinese art painting, from Ubud, Bali acrylic on silk.
Beautiful … more Mid-20th century Balinese painting on silk fabric, framed.
Vintage large Balinese art painting, from Ubud, Bali acrylic on silk.
Beautiful artwork by the Indonesian artist from Ubud. Painted in Peliatan, Ubud Bali by W. Kurpelir as signed on the bottom left hand corner. Balinese Folk Festival ceremonial procession, Ink and acrylic paint on canvas. Batuan painting evolved in the 1930s after a group of local villagers tested different forms with ink-washed paintings upon black backgrounds. These paintings often reveal Batuan’s cultural life, directly through their elements of line, shape, and tone. Meticulous design, craftsmanship, and strong visual impression are characteristic of the style.
The painting comprise individual shapes which are painted in a precise and systematic manner that does not leave any empty space. The complexity of the paintings is inevitable as each of the strokes, lines, gradations, the characters or the subjects forms a delicate unity that finely balances the figure-filled canvas. Various gradations of colors separate different sections of the painting. The landscape is enticing and endless.
About Bali Art.
Balinese painting plays a very important role in Bali. Art - be it painting, singing or dancing - is often regarded as a divine form of expression and is therefore pursued seriously. The small town of Ubud in central Bali with all the small artist communities and villages in the surrounding area is regarded as the artistic centre of Bali. Large picture, acrylic on silk. Balinese art has a rich and unique history dating back over 400 years. Originally the work of artisans from the East Javanese Majapahit Empire (13-16th Century), this special narrative style of painting expanded into Bali in 1343 when the Majapahit conquered Bali, introducing the Hindu culture, and institutions.
The Kamasan paintings feature two-dimensional compositions with imagery derived from the Wayang shadow puppet theatre, one of the original story telling methods in the Balinese Hindu culture that may be traced back over 2000 years to India. Often depicting battles between the forces of good and bad, the narratives originate from the Hindu and Buddhist texts, and old Javanese-Balinese folktales.
The paintings decorate Balinese temples and adorn the houses of the aristocracy. They communicate about the philosophies of life, religion, ethics and morals, as well as flora and fauna and astrology, while serving to bring peace and harmony to society. Referred to as an ancient academic art, it differs from modern systems by placing more emphasis on contemplation, the role of the senses, meditation and direct application.
An Art Revolution
A revolutionary period of creativity began in Ubud in the 1930’s having a dramatic effect upon the traditional Balinese art, along with the lives of many Balinese. A new genre was born, Balinese modern traditional art, featuring the introduction of western techniques with more realistic iconography, and modern narratives to cater to a burgeoning market for souvenirs purchased by the initial wave of foreign tourists to visit Bali. Important patronage came from early western settlers, along with the Ubud royal family, who later in 1954 opened Ubud’s first museum, Puri Lukisan. less