In collaboration with the S. Sudjojono Center, the exhibition displays a reproduction of Sudjojono's 30-square-meter masterpiece, “Pertempuran Antara Sultan Agung dan JP Coen” (The Battle of Sultan Agung and JP Coen) (1973). The exhibition also provides a closer insight into Sudjojono's thinking and creative process through 38 sketches scattered in his books.

Sudjojono held his sketches as dearly as he did his artwork. "A sketch for me is a diary—the notes of my feelings, depiction of my thoughts, visualization of my events. Sketches are pieces of an autobiography," he said in 1981, explained Santy Saptari, Mukti Negeriku!'s curator.

Scribble of thoughts: A sketch of Kyai Rangga meeting J.P. Coen in Batavia, Apr. 13, 1628. Sudjojono had always incorporated background data into his process before the actual painting process began. (Tumurun/Courtesy of Tumurun Private Museum)

Strokes of history

Sudjojono, who was born in 1913 and died in 1986, is often considered Indonesia's “father of modern painting” by artistic and historical communities. Ali Sadikin, Jakarta’s former governor, in 1974 commissioned “Pertempuran Antara Sultan Agung dan JP Coen” for the inauguration of the Jakarta History Museum. It is today considered a historical masterpiece.

The painting comprises three sequences, spread across three connecting panels.

The first panel from the left depicts the glory of Sultan Agung as the great ruler of Mataram, wearing batik parang (a traditional batik motif), which was a sign of honor at the time. Portrayed as sitting on a throne, Sultan Agung’s character is shown through the details of his facial expression and hand gestures as seen through the eyes of his people.

A battle scene takes center stage. The largest panel of the three, this battle shows Sudjojono's thorough research and eye for detail. He spent one year in total researching in Jakarta, Surakarta, and the Netherlands in an attempt to seek accurate data regarding the battle and the events that followed.

Deep research: The exhibition showcases a reproduction of The Battle of Sultan Agung and Jan Pieterszoon Coen (1973). Due to the large size of the painting, Sudjojono had to build a dedicated studio to accommodate the 3-by-10 meter masterpiece. (Tumurun/Courtesy of Tumurun Private Museum)

While a battle scene is often depicted by bloodshed and savagery, Sudjojono focuses on its cultural context instead. From the weapons, to the costumes worn, the types of horses and the studies of fight scenes in various poses - everything is historically accurate. The painting transports its viewers back to the battleground as passive spectators.

            

The battle concludes with the negotiation between Kyai Rangga and JP Coen - although the incident may not have taken place, according to many sources. Sudjojono himself was doubtful as to whether this event happened and he expressed his doubts in his notes. A read through Sudjojono's notes is akin to hearing him recite his thoughts.

An open book

Although the exhibition's theme revolves around Sultan Agung, Mukti Negeriku! allows newer generations to also understand Sudjojono as an important figure to the country. Both figures have marked their place in history, though through different means; Sultan Agung was the country's first authoritative figure who dared to reject Dutch colonial sovereignty, while Sudjojono spearheaded the socialist realism aesthetic in the country and helped shape the direction of Indonesia's modern art.

Throughout Sudjojono's three decades of artistic pursuit, he revealed himself in plentiful self-portraits, laying bare even the most intimate parts of his personal life and romantic relationship.

Life witness: As a supplement to the masterpiece and 38 sketches showcased in the exhibition, Sudjojono's memorabilia and personal belongings are also displayed in this hybrid event. (Tumurun/Courtesy of Tumurun Private Museum)

The work “Self-Portrait with Roses” in particular, is an ode to his admiration for his wife Rose Pandanwangi Sudjojono, the 92-year-old legend of the seriosa genre in the Indonesian classical music scene.

In the picture, Sudjojono paints himself standing in the middle of the room gazing sharply ahead, showing determination in his choice of marriage. Also depicted is a bouquet of seven roses in his hand, a symbol of a sacred and perfect number, according to his Christian faith.

Cultural heritage

The original painting belongs to the Jakarta History Museum and has been restored once, after 26 years of being on display at the museum. Today, the people behind the Jakarta History Museum are attempting to register Sudjojono's masterpiece as an item of national cultural heritage.

Through this work, the messages Sudjojono wanted to convey, according to Santy, were "the importance of negotiation rather than war, a sense of equality between Indonesia and the Netherlands, along with the power of collaboration for the good of both nations."

"This exhibition aims to remind us of the major contributions Sultan Agung and Sudjojono made to Indonesia," said Tumurun's owner Iwan K. Lukminto in a virtual press conference on 27 Aug.

As Surakarta was also a part of the Mataram kingdom under Sultan Agung's reign, this could also be seen as the return of Sultan Agung to Surakarta.

As noted by the curator, Sultan Agung and Sudjojono, two prominent figures in this exhibition shared the same traits. They both were visionary and courageous, with an undivided love for their homeland: Sultan Agung was a warrior in his fight to improve the people's welfare, as was Sudjojono through his brushstrokes and artwork. This overarching theme of Mukti Negeriku! is a reminder to us to profess our love for our land through our own ways of “fighting”, whatever that might be.                         

    

Mukti Negeriku! The Battle of Sultan Agung Through S. Sudjojono's Strokes runs from Aug. 28 - Feb. 28, 2022 in Tumurun Private Museum and online viewing room.