The Barong is the protagonist of one of the most sacred dances of Balinese culture, narrating the mythological struggle between good and evil. Affandi was fond of the spiritual energy and mythology that lie behind the subject of the Barong in his long painting career. But as a painter driven by his emotions and the sensations he derived from witnessing the performance, Affandi portrayed the Barong differently each time he painted one. In the present lot, Barong, executed on an unusual square format, Affandi paid especial attention to the countenance of the Barong in its side profile, rendering it in all its details with his trademark strokes of paint directly applied from the paint tube. The visage of the Barong is etched out distinctly, with a remarkable layer of depth, bearing a near sculptural quality. The mane of the Barong is depicted in swirls of wildly applied paint, underscoring a dramatic moment in the dance.

Affandi sought to capture the energy of the dance, and was particular across his Barong pictures to ensure that the sense of dynamism and narrative development in the dance could be reflected in his painting. He worked with an expressionistic urge but managed at the same time to capture the anatomy of his Barong with breathtaking precision, reflected in the natural curvature down the length of the Barong's back, before curling up stiffly at the rear. An explosion of colours is reflected in the cacophonous paint work on top of the Barong's body, while its underside, rendered in dense swathes of black oil paint, provides the visual foil for the overlying colours to emerge even more. Seen particularly in the Balinese cultural context, the painting reflects the curiosity and productive fascination that Affandi, born and raised in an essentially Javanese culture, had with Bali and the wealth of painting subjects it offered him.