Artistic talent runs in Basoeki Abdullah's family, as he is one of Indonesia's most celebrated painters. Known for his realistic and naturalistic painting style, Basoeki Abdullah was appointed as the Presidential Painter at Istana Merdeka in Jakarta by President Soekarno. As a realist painter, Basoeki frequently undertakes commissioned portraits and models for nobles. 

Spanning 180 by 300 centimeters, this “Landscape” painting by Basoeki is a remarkable work by Basoeki, featuring his exquisite realist style details, and displaying his remarkable intricacy. During that period, many Western artists were drawn to Indonesia by its beautiful natural landscapes. The movement of the Mooi Indie period has influenced Basoeki, an outstanding Indonesian realist painter known for depicting Indonesian scenery and folklore, to create his own distinct art style, combining naturalist, realist and impressionist style of art. 

In this monumental painting, Basoeki painted farmers and oxes in the foreground. On the bottom left, two farmers and two oxes are seen in the lake, with the two oxes depicted to be interacting with each other. Towards the middle, an ox is swimming towards the bay on the right, approaching the two interacting oxes with a farmer riding on its back. 

Towards the background, Basoeki depicted three houses surrounded by lush tree lines of varying specimens and heights. As a master naturalist painter, Basoeki is also an expert in creating a sense of depth and dimension.

Further behind the tree lines, the greenery and landscape are painted with less details to be consistent with the human’s natural perception, the further away, the less detail perceived. To top this painting, Basoeki painted the glorious mountain and mountain range of Indonesia, with touches of cloud that adds a realistic touch to the beautiful natural landscape. Basoeki portrays mountains, trees, houses, farmers, and ox in intricate detail, with a focus on capturing the play of light and shadows. This painting is considered rare as Basoeki seldom portrays scenes featuring oxes bathing.

One of his most in-demand artwork, which is nude painting. His stroke of genius emerged when he focused on women, resulting in a series of realistic nude paintings that showcase his brilliant skills in depicting the beauty and anatomy of the human body. We're thrilled to present the collection of nude paintings by Basoeki Abdullah, which will be featured in our December auction.

Join us for the preview of our auction, where you can enjoy more of Basoeki Abdullah and other great artists' artworks. Take part in our online auction on 8 December 2023, at 7 PM (JKT). Feel free to register and place your bids now. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of our marketing specialists.