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Lot Essay
Known as Java’s first modern painter, Raden Saleh is an early forerunner of the artistic exchange between the East and West, and one of the most significant artists to have come out of Southeast Asia, driving the art of the region into the consciousness of the world during the 19th Century. The first Indonesian artist to receive his training in Europe, Raden Saleh shaped and influenced many modern Indonesian masters who came after him, including Affandi and Hendra Gunawan. Nineteen of Raden Saleh’s works were included in the Colonial Exhibition in Amsterdam in 1883, and many of his works are now part of prestigious collection of important museums in Europe, such as the Tropenmuseum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, as well as in the Istana Presidential Collection, Indonesia, and other institutional and private collections worldwide.
RADEN SALEH’S LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS
Raden Saleh’s fascination with the Javanese landscape can be seen throughout his artistic journey. There are at least 51 landscape paintings by Raden Saleh that we are aware of at present, with the vast majority dedicated to the tropical landscapes of Java. Among those are forest and mountain scenes, pastoral presentations of Javanese village life embedded in nature, and volcanic eruptions. Most of Raden Saleh’s landscape paintings depict the native landscapes with a dramatic yet realistic approach, narrating the extraordinary tableaus in celebration of nature’s beauty.
Philosophically, Raden Saleh’s landscape paintings were in line with European romanticism emphasizing the mystery and greatness of nature, seeing nature as the sublime reality, capable of generating the strongest sensations in its beholders. Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment was a well-read book by romantic artists, including Raden Saleh who used to study under Kant while he was working in Europe. One of the most notable characteristics of Raden Saleh’s landscapes is the sparing portrayal of human figures in his composition. Rendition of human figures were often miniaturized and almost merging with the grandiosity of nature. For Raden Saleh, human existence is ephemeral to the ever-present nature. Mail Station at the Bottom of Mount Megamendung , is notably an excellent example of Raden Saleh’s philosophy of nature. What springs to our eyes immediately is the sunray behind an enormous tree in the middle of the grand panorama. The huge tree, maybe hundreds of years old, introduces a sense of timelessness while the portrayal of people on and near the road is just an accretion to the composition.
THE MEGAMENDUNG PASS
Megamendung, which means ‘the one covered by clouds’, is a mountain saddle situated between the two volcanic mountains: Mount Salak and Gede Pangrango . It was the highest pass in the Dutch East Indies accessible by coach and is mentioned in many travel accounts from the 19th century. For more than a century the Megamendung pass was the most important and highly frequented road between the highlands and the coast. The Megamendung pass was part of the Great Post Road project initiated by the notorious Governor-General Herman Willem Daendels, connecting the western tip of Java with the easternmost coasts. Looking into Raden Saleh’s oeuvre of Javanese landscape paintings, it seems that the artist was especially fascinated by the view that opened up along the Megamendung pass. It was a scene which he knew very well, so well that he produced seven paintings of the scene with different points of view.
MAIL STATION AT THE BOTTOM OF MOUNT MEGAMENDUNG
Mail Station at the Bottom of Mount Megamendung is the first rendition of the scenery painted in 1871. With this painting, Raden Saleh depicted a scene of the mail station and the coffee house on the bottom end of Megamendung. At the mail station buffalos had to be harnessed to the up-going coaches, since horses were not strong enough to overcome the steepness of the pass. At the coffeehouse, which was known under the name Ma Mina, travelers were served refreshments and maybe additional service as well – As a Dutch traveler remarked: ‘At the bottom of the Megamendung you find the notorious coffee house of Ma Mina’s; why it carries that name is clear to everybody who travels along this road’ . In front of the roadside huts we see two native porters and a woman who was possibly one of the coffeehouse employees. Other activities were also captured on the pass: Sundanese men were seen walking up the Megamendung pass while the Dutchmen were seen carried or sitting on a beautiful horse.
Almost casually, Raden Saleh illustrates colonial reality and transforms an innocent landscape painting into a political statement: the difference between those who walk and those who ride. In the present painting, Raden Saleh also showcased his remarkable artistry in portraying the most challenging section of the road that ascends and bends to the right as we lose sight of it. However, these are not the focal points to Raden Saleh’s painting other than the two towering trees presented in the composition: one at the left edge of the painting and another anchoring itself behind the huts. The left tree is wounded and almost dying. It stands next to a ladang, and the wounds he had received from human hands are clearly visible. The other tree in the middle is the complete opposite to his wounded brother. It is strong and alive, surrounded by untouched forest. The setting sun endows him with a shining gloriole. This tree is not a ‘transcript of nature’, nor a mimetic representation of a tree Raden Saleh might have seen, but a representation of an idea, of the sublime. As Immanuel Kant has pointed out, the sublime is a reflection of nature on the screen of our soul. We see what we feel. Mail Station at the Bottom of Mount Megamendung is a symbol of peace and tranquility, with almost religious qualities; Raden Saleh not only celebrates nature, but endows nature with metaphysical meaning and strength. Stylistically, Raden Saleh follows the tradition of German romanticism and maybe some fundamentals of Javanese philosophy as well. It was also, by the time that the painting was produced, that Raden Saleh was still shaken by his unjustified and wrongful arrest in 1869. It is safe to say that the painting is a personal reflection of Raden Saleh’s longing of peace and tranquility in his life.
Without a doubt, The Mail Station at the Bottom of Megamendung is one of Raden Saleh’s major landscape paintings, having been produced in three iterations for important reasons. The second version, painted in 1876, was a present to his aristocratic friend Ernst II of Saxe, Coburg and Gotha, cousin and brother-in-law of Queen Victoria. While the third version, painted in 1979, was most likely given to Governor General J.W. van Lansberge. Both works are now collected by Ehren Castle Museum in Coburg as well as Indonesia’s leading private museum MACAN, respectively. This is a testament to his regard of this subject as a very successful example of Raden Saleh’s unmatched artistry.
Christie's is grateful to Dr. Werner Kraus, author of Raden Saleh: The Beginning of Indonesian Painting , for this catalogue entry.
RADEN SALEH’S LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS
Raden Saleh’s fascination with the Javanese landscape can be seen throughout his artistic journey. There are at least 51 landscape paintings by Raden Saleh that we are aware of at present, with the vast majority dedicated to the tropical landscapes of Java. Among those are forest and mountain scenes, pastoral presentations of Javanese village life embedded in nature, and volcanic eruptions. Most of Raden Saleh’s landscape paintings depict the native landscapes with a dramatic yet realistic approach, narrating the extraordinary tableaus in celebration of nature’s beauty.
Philosophically, Raden Saleh’s landscape paintings were in line with European romanticism emphasizing the mystery and greatness of nature, seeing nature as the sublime reality, capable of generating the strongest sensations in its beholders. Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment was a well-read book by romantic artists, including Raden Saleh who used to study under Kant while he was working in Europe. One of the most notable characteristics of Raden Saleh’s landscapes is the sparing portrayal of human figures in his composition. Rendition of human figures were often miniaturized and almost merging with the grandiosity of nature. For Raden Saleh, human existence is ephemeral to the ever-present nature. Mail Station at the Bottom of Mount Megamendung , is notably an excellent example of Raden Saleh’s philosophy of nature. What springs to our eyes immediately is the sunray behind an enormous tree in the middle of the grand panorama. The huge tree, maybe hundreds of years old, introduces a sense of timelessness while the portrayal of people on and near the road is just an accretion to the composition.
THE MEGAMENDUNG PASS
Megamendung, which means ‘the one covered by clouds’, is a mountain saddle situated between the two volcanic mountains: Mount Salak and Gede Pangrango . It was the highest pass in the Dutch East Indies accessible by coach and is mentioned in many travel accounts from the 19th century. For more than a century the Megamendung pass was the most important and highly frequented road between the highlands and the coast. The Megamendung pass was part of the Great Post Road project initiated by the notorious Governor-General Herman Willem Daendels, connecting the western tip of Java with the easternmost coasts. Looking into Raden Saleh’s oeuvre of Javanese landscape paintings, it seems that the artist was especially fascinated by the view that opened up along the Megamendung pass. It was a scene which he knew very well, so well that he produced seven paintings of the scene with different points of view.
MAIL STATION AT THE BOTTOM OF MOUNT MEGAMENDUNG
Mail Station at the Bottom of Mount Megamendung is the first rendition of the scenery painted in 1871. With this painting, Raden Saleh depicted a scene of the mail station and the coffee house on the bottom end of Megamendung. At the mail station buffalos had to be harnessed to the up-going coaches, since horses were not strong enough to overcome the steepness of the pass. At the coffeehouse, which was known under the name Ma Mina, travelers were served refreshments and maybe additional service as well – As a Dutch traveler remarked: ‘At the bottom of the Megamendung you find the notorious coffee house of Ma Mina’s; why it carries that name is clear to everybody who travels along this road’ . In front of the roadside huts we see two native porters and a woman who was possibly one of the coffeehouse employees. Other activities were also captured on the pass: Sundanese men were seen walking up the Megamendung pass while the Dutchmen were seen carried or sitting on a beautiful horse.
Almost casually, Raden Saleh illustrates colonial reality and transforms an innocent landscape painting into a political statement: the difference between those who walk and those who ride. In the present painting, Raden Saleh also showcased his remarkable artistry in portraying the most challenging section of the road that ascends and bends to the right as we lose sight of it. However, these are not the focal points to Raden Saleh’s painting other than the two towering trees presented in the composition: one at the left edge of the painting and another anchoring itself behind the huts. The left tree is wounded and almost dying. It stands next to a ladang, and the wounds he had received from human hands are clearly visible. The other tree in the middle is the complete opposite to his wounded brother. It is strong and alive, surrounded by untouched forest. The setting sun endows him with a shining gloriole. This tree is not a ‘transcript of nature’, nor a mimetic representation of a tree Raden Saleh might have seen, but a representation of an idea, of the sublime. As Immanuel Kant has pointed out, the sublime is a reflection of nature on the screen of our soul. We see what we feel. Mail Station at the Bottom of Mount Megamendung is a symbol of peace and tranquility, with almost religious qualities; Raden Saleh not only celebrates nature, but endows nature with metaphysical meaning and strength. Stylistically, Raden Saleh follows the tradition of German romanticism and maybe some fundamentals of Javanese philosophy as well. It was also, by the time that the painting was produced, that Raden Saleh was still shaken by his unjustified and wrongful arrest in 1869. It is safe to say that the painting is a personal reflection of Raden Saleh’s longing of peace and tranquility in his life.
Without a doubt, The Mail Station at the Bottom of Megamendung is one of Raden Saleh’s major landscape paintings, having been produced in three iterations for important reasons. The second version, painted in 1876, was a present to his aristocratic friend Ernst II of Saxe, Coburg and Gotha, cousin and brother-in-law of Queen Victoria. While the third version, painted in 1979, was most likely given to Governor General J.W. van Lansberge. Both works are now collected by Ehren Castle Museum in Coburg as well as Indonesia’s leading private museum MACAN, respectively. This is a testament to his regard of this subject as a very successful example of Raden Saleh’s unmatched artistry.
Christie's is grateful to Dr. Werner Kraus, author of Raden Saleh: The Beginning of Indonesian Painting , for this catalogue entry.