S. SUDJOJONO (Indonesian, 1914-1986)

Pagi di Sirnagalih Megamendung (Morning at Sirnagalih Megamendung) is a splendidly detailed and lively plein air painting of Sudjojono. Painting in plein air presented Sudjojono with a different and perhaps even more engaging kind of challenge than studio painting. Each observation and each application of the brush took on greater urgency compared to painting in the studio. In a second, an observed detail could change.

Painting in plein air presented Sudjojono with a different and perhaps even more engaging kind of challenge. Each observation and each application of the brush took on greater urgency compared to painting in the studio. In a second, an observed detail could change: the pedestrians walking along the road; the trees and flowers swaying in the wind; and the cloud cover which provides shade on the ground.

Pagi di Sirnagalih Megamendung harks back to simpler days; a visual record of a time and a day in a semi-urban environment, and a record of the change in the urban evolution of a city. The painting could also stand for a personal record of Sudjojono's own life, as the span of his artistic career - beginning with his involvement in one of the earliest and most significant Indonesian modern art associations, Persatuan Ahli Gambar Indonesia (Persagi) in 1937 until his death in 1986 - has been distinguished by an unwavering commitment to the notion of the real. The reality of the scene in Sirnagalih Megamendung is one of peace and tranquillity, away from the maddening crowd. Here, the painter is in his element in a semi-secluded place, close to nature but near enough to observe the essence of human relations which is what Sudjojono excelled at doing.