Lot 25: HENDRIK PAULIDES (The Netherlands 1892-1967)

Kneeling Balinese girl
signed with initials 'HP' on the reverse
charcoal and watercolour on paper
21 3/5 x 14 1/5 in. (54 x 35.5 cm.)

The Dutch artist Hendrik Paulides made only two trips to the Dutch Indies. Nevertheless these two trips made a lasting impression on the artist's artistic development. His first trip lasted from spring till October 1922. Upon arrival he was immediately inspired by the beauty and grace of Indonesian life, concentrating on subject matters like the elegant movements of dancers, the buoyant gait of a pikulan-carrier, or the grace of women laundering in a river. He gradually became aware that the people's physical bearing was inseparably fused with their inner beings.

Upon his return to the Netherlands his works were well received. In 1924 he was described as "a fine colourist who appears to be a robust and powerful draughtsman with a sense of composition and linear rhythm'.

Although it is hard to precisely date the present lot, this recent rediscovered work is a clear example of the style developed during his first trip combining a decorative 'Art Deco-style' with a clear interest in Indonesian culture.