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Lot Essay
"This young woman is my wife, and her body appears as it would appear in the evening, indoors perhaps. The red and brown are the colours of the teak with which our house is built. I mixed a little carmine with the burnt sienna for the red and her body was painted with the same colour as the background the maximum has been stated with a minimum of colours."
- Theo Meier
Enthralled by the beauty and brilliance of Bali, and inspired by the works of Paul Gauguin, a significant period of Swiss born artist Theo Meier's oeuvre was spent in the tropical island of Bali. Meier's use of brilliant, pure and bright colours and flat two-dimensional forms act as a subjective response to reality and is emotionally impactful. The orange, red and yellow hues, which are present in most of his paintings, evoke a sense of warmth and almost replicate the environment and atmosphere of the tropical island of Bali. Though mostly painted in rich hues of red, the artist often contrasts this with the inclusion of dark blue or purple in his colour palette. The use of contrasting colours creates a sense of balance within the image and a feeling of tranquillity. It also points to Meier's search for his own style at this period. As art critic Sara Larkin noted "(i)n (Meier's) intense pursuit to have the flesh tones of his subjects live and reveal the environment which fostered them, he has become a master in the use of vermilion, as exemplified in many of his portraits of women."
At the young age of 20, Meier had attended the Art Academy of Basle, and it was through visiting an exhibition of the works of Paul Gauguin that his passion was revealed. Meier then travelled to France, where he had the privilege of meeting and learning from artists such as Cuno Amiet and Emil Nolde. In The Girls (Lot 21), there is an adaption of the styles of the aforementioned artists. Emil Nolde's use of orange, yellow, and green hues, Cuna Amiet's brush strokes and blend of colours and evidently, Paul Gauguin's strong and stark colours contrasts are evident in Meier's work. In addition, Gauguin's iconic outline of the figures in a contrasting colour as well as the use of red and blue hues is also evident in The Girls. The incorporation of these masterful techniques that Meier derived from the masters enhanced his ability to manage colours brilliantly and portray reality in a fantastical manner. Through this, Meier was able to find a new form of expression. What will forever remain a secret of the artist is his manipulation of colours to create a desired effect, as there is a certain luminosity of the colours in the painting despite the strength and the vibrancy of the colours that Meier used.
Through The Girls, we come to understand Theo Meier's essential character as a painter of the tropics, his vivacity and lust for life, and the enduring influence of Bali on his works.
A HARD-WON ACQUISITION
Acquired from the artist by Prince Sanidh Rangsit and his wife, Princess Christine Rangsit in Thailand in 1968, The Girls have never left the Princess' private collection until now. Princess Christine Rangsit recounts the thrilling circumstances around the acquisition of The Girls:
'One of the most difficult transactions for my husband, Prince Sanidh Rangsit, had been to acquire the two paintings we called The Girls.
Theo Meier had never learned to drive. An early riser, he had a ritual. Every morning a tuk-tuk (an auto rickshaw) was waiting to take him to the Chiangmai Farmer's Market. Cooking was a passion and he was a great cook.
For months, my husband had unsuccessfully tried to purchase two beautiful paintings. The nude of a girl wearing a Balinese headdress and a nude of Theo's wife Yetli holding a bouquet of orchids. Theo did not want to part with them for sentimental reasons. Pleading met with a dead end. Sanidh was thinking and thinking about a way to change Theo's mind.
One day, as we were driving our Jeep in Phuket, he had an idea. He was going to send the Jeep to Chiangmai.
When Theo saw it in our driveway, he recognized it and said, "Your old Jeep, the one I like so much! I thought it had been sold.
I said, "I am driving it. Perfect to visit the hill tribes."
Theo, with puppy eyes, said "Christine, sell it to me. Yetli wants a car."
I said, "No, Theo. I like it too much."
Theo changed the subject and reminded us that he and Yetli were expecting us for dinner. As we were saying goodbye after dinner, Theo, with a big smile, said, "Sanidh, do you still want the paintings? Because if you sell me the Jeep you can have them." A miracle had happened! We all went back into the house to celebrate! We bought the paintings and the Jeep was a present to Yetli. Theo had his very first car!'
The Girls stand as a testimony of the closeness of friendship between Theo Meier and HSH Prince Sanidh Prayurasakdi Rangsit. When the Prince passed away in Bangkok in 1996, the paintings were left to the trust of his widow, Princess Christine Rangsit.
- Theo Meier
Enthralled by the beauty and brilliance of Bali, and inspired by the works of Paul Gauguin, a significant period of Swiss born artist Theo Meier's oeuvre was spent in the tropical island of Bali. Meier's use of brilliant, pure and bright colours and flat two-dimensional forms act as a subjective response to reality and is emotionally impactful. The orange, red and yellow hues, which are present in most of his paintings, evoke a sense of warmth and almost replicate the environment and atmosphere of the tropical island of Bali. Though mostly painted in rich hues of red, the artist often contrasts this with the inclusion of dark blue or purple in his colour palette. The use of contrasting colours creates a sense of balance within the image and a feeling of tranquillity. It also points to Meier's search for his own style at this period. As art critic Sara Larkin noted "(i)n (Meier's) intense pursuit to have the flesh tones of his subjects live and reveal the environment which fostered them, he has become a master in the use of vermilion, as exemplified in many of his portraits of women."
At the young age of 20, Meier had attended the Art Academy of Basle, and it was through visiting an exhibition of the works of Paul Gauguin that his passion was revealed. Meier then travelled to France, where he had the privilege of meeting and learning from artists such as Cuno Amiet and Emil Nolde. In The Girls (Lot 21), there is an adaption of the styles of the aforementioned artists. Emil Nolde's use of orange, yellow, and green hues, Cuna Amiet's brush strokes and blend of colours and evidently, Paul Gauguin's strong and stark colours contrasts are evident in Meier's work. In addition, Gauguin's iconic outline of the figures in a contrasting colour as well as the use of red and blue hues is also evident in The Girls. The incorporation of these masterful techniques that Meier derived from the masters enhanced his ability to manage colours brilliantly and portray reality in a fantastical manner. Through this, Meier was able to find a new form of expression. What will forever remain a secret of the artist is his manipulation of colours to create a desired effect, as there is a certain luminosity of the colours in the painting despite the strength and the vibrancy of the colours that Meier used.
Through The Girls, we come to understand Theo Meier's essential character as a painter of the tropics, his vivacity and lust for life, and the enduring influence of Bali on his works.
A HARD-WON ACQUISITION
Acquired from the artist by Prince Sanidh Rangsit and his wife, Princess Christine Rangsit in Thailand in 1968, The Girls have never left the Princess' private collection until now. Princess Christine Rangsit recounts the thrilling circumstances around the acquisition of The Girls:
'One of the most difficult transactions for my husband, Prince Sanidh Rangsit, had been to acquire the two paintings we called The Girls.
Theo Meier had never learned to drive. An early riser, he had a ritual. Every morning a tuk-tuk (an auto rickshaw) was waiting to take him to the Chiangmai Farmer's Market. Cooking was a passion and he was a great cook.
For months, my husband had unsuccessfully tried to purchase two beautiful paintings. The nude of a girl wearing a Balinese headdress and a nude of Theo's wife Yetli holding a bouquet of orchids. Theo did not want to part with them for sentimental reasons. Pleading met with a dead end. Sanidh was thinking and thinking about a way to change Theo's mind.
One day, as we were driving our Jeep in Phuket, he had an idea. He was going to send the Jeep to Chiangmai.
When Theo saw it in our driveway, he recognized it and said, "Your old Jeep, the one I like so much! I thought it had been sold.
I said, "I am driving it. Perfect to visit the hill tribes."
Theo, with puppy eyes, said "Christine, sell it to me. Yetli wants a car."
I said, "No, Theo. I like it too much."
Theo changed the subject and reminded us that he and Yetli were expecting us for dinner. As we were saying goodbye after dinner, Theo, with a big smile, said, "Sanidh, do you still want the paintings? Because if you sell me the Jeep you can have them." A miracle had happened! We all went back into the house to celebrate! We bought the paintings and the Jeep was a present to Yetli. Theo had his very first car!'
The Girls stand as a testimony of the closeness of friendship between Theo Meier and HSH Prince Sanidh Prayurasakdi Rangsit. When the Prince passed away in Bangkok in 1996, the paintings were left to the trust of his widow, Princess Christine Rangsit.