Frame size: 69.0 x 58.0 cm,
Frame size: 69.4 x 58.5 x 5.0 cm,
Image size: 40.2 x 30.0 cm
Lee Man Fong is regarded as one of Indonesia’s foremost modern artists, and known for his preferred artistic style that incorporated formal characteristics of Chinese ink painting applied with oil paint onto smooth and hard Masonite boards. Lee received a Malino Scholarship (1946-1952) with the support of Dutch Governor General Van Mook to study art in the Netherlands, and upon his return to Indonesia established himself as the founder of the Yin Hua Artists’ Association in 1956 as well as the Presidential Palace Painter under President Sukarno in 1961. He lived for an extended period in Singapore between 1965 and 1986 where he similarly established himself within the local artistic community with great success. This self portrait captures the artist aged 35 in 1948, during an important time in his artistic career while he was in Europe (between 1946-1952). Lee spent the majority of his time in the Netherlands, and also travelled to France where in 1950 he participated in the Salon des indépendants and the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts exhibitions in Paris. In this work, Lee portrays himself in formal attire and wearing a beret. Of particular note is the way that Lee creates texture and depth in his facial features through a careful building of paint directly on the canvas, in an approach that draws reference to Impressionist styles of painting. The use of dark tones in the painting are reminiscent of other self portraits completed by Lee and allowing for an appreciation of the artist’s handling of light and shadow to dramatic effect.
