The artwork, which originate from various collectors, will be featured in groupings based on artistic schools and developments or based on subject matter or themes.

The various groupings at the auction, scheduled to be held on Aug. 3 at The Tribrata in Jakarta, tell the stories of Indonesian art history and show how artists approach the same subject matter from various different points of view.

The pieces vary in category and style, ranging from a series of linoleum cut on paper prints by artist collective Group 11 ITB 1987 (Liberte Kemerdekaan  Sebelas Tera-Lino); a bronze statue portraying Jesus carrying a cross by Noor Ibrahim (Via Dolorosa); to Lee Man Fong’s oil painting Goldfish, which is estimated to go as high as Rp 450 million (US$32,252.40).

Sidharta Auctioneers chairman Amir Sidharta told The Jakarta Post that in every auction, two-thirds of the lots offered were sold.

Of the sold lots, he said some 45 percent were usually sold at hammer prices below the estimate, 36.5 percent were sold within the estimate and 18.5 percent were sold above the estimated price.

He said special lots attracting a lot of attention and bids by more than two bidders may get sold two to five times the low estimate. 

Amir said they could never predict which lot would achieve the highest price, although some artwork by notable artists would attract attention from bidders.

'Potret Ibu Mayar Sari'​ (lPortrait of Mayar Sari) by Basoeki Abdullah. (Courtesy of Sidharta Auctioneers/-)

“The Basoeki Abdullah [lot 77] is very unique and we hope that it will attract quite a lot of attention,” he says.

The referred piece is Potret Ibu Mayar Sari, an oil painting depicting a regal woman in traditional Indonesian attire. Clad in a kebaya top over a batik cloth, the woman gazes at the painter and viewer, as if asserting her place as an equal and not the subject.

Potret Ibu Mayar Sari is expected to fetch Rp 48 million on the lower end and up to Rp 72 million on the upper end.

Other highlighted works include two “old master” oil paintings by Dutch painter Gerard Pieter Adolfs dated 1952 and 1961, portraying Indonesian village women working in the fields.

“There are also works by Ahmad Sadali, Sudarso and Popo Iskandar. In the contemporary section, there are great pieces by Putu Sutawijaya, Dede Eri Supria and others,” Amir said.

Of particular note is the high number of Balinese artists in the auction.

Ida Bagus Made Pugug’s Village Life in Bali uses a distinct realist technique different from other Balinese artists; while Nyoman Gunarsa, who has three paintings in the auction, portrays his vision of energetic and dynamic Balinese dancers in a style that breaks from the traditional Kamasan style of his hometown. 

Meanwhile, Ida Bagus Made Togog’s Life in Bali utilizes two-dimensional imagery to create three-dimensional spaces, setting him apart from fellow younger Batuan artists like Wayan Rajin and Made Tubuh. 

Balinese culture has also inspired artists of different origins and backgrounds. Krijono, a Javanese artist of Arab descent, portrays the Balinese with a vivid and vibrant tone in Arja Sandiwara Bali and Ade Made.

'Balinese Dance' by Kay It (Courtesy of Sidharta Auctioneers/-) 

Kay It, a Balinese of Chinese descent, expressively depicted a ceremony in the 1967 painting Balinese Dance, while the Dutch-born Arie Smit used acrylic to capture light and colors surrounding a temple in Candi Bentar.

Amir said the auction’s plethora of Balinese artists was a coincidence, noting that what got featured in an auction depended on the pieces that vendors wanted auctioned. 

“In this auction, it just so happens that some 15 percent of the lots are Balinese paintings,” he says.

“For the most part, we get the pieces that we auction from collectors and collectors' families. We also get entries from galleries and dealers. Sometimes you also get works from artists, but usually those who are not so active in the art scene, and from the families of artists who have passed away.” (ste)