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Tracing the Indonesian Virgin Mary in Basoeki Abdullah’s ‘Maria Assumpta’
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Maria Assumpta by Basoeki Abdullah, 1935. (JP/Agus Dermawan T.)
C
lad in a kebaya (traditional Javanese blouse) and batik wraparound, the Virgin Mary ascends to the heavens in Basoeki Abdullah’s Maria Assumpta, a painting recently discovered in a warehouse in the Netherlands and a significant piece of artwork that helped shaped the local imagery of this revered Catholic figure in Indonesia.
A few weeks ago, Indonesia’s fine art community learned about a surprising discovery in collection to the country’s master of realism, Basoeki Abdullah (1915-1993). One of his paintings, the Maria Assumpta (Virgin Mary’s Ascension), had recently been found in the basement warehouse of the Jesuit Society nursery home in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Figures within the Indonesian art scene lamented the poor handling of the 200 centimeter by 100-cm painting, which is considered one of Basoeki’s masterpieces. The Dutch curator in charge of the painting toned down the concerns, saying that it was only temporarily being stored in the warehouse.
He added that the Netherlands has long recognized the painting’s value. As evidence, Maria Assumpta was exhibited at the Valkhof Museum in Nijmegen from September 2004 to February 2005, after being decently displayed for decades in The Hague and Nijmegen.
Though the painting had been stored in a dark warehouse, art observers believe that such excellent paintings like the Maria Assumpta is able to retain its quality. What happened to Perburuan Banteng (Banteng Hunt) by Raden Saleh (1807-1880) serves as an example.
The large painting was long kept in the cellar of a Breton home in France. The family discovered the painting when they were about to sell the house in 2017.
