Private Asian Collection

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There is evidence wear and losses along the edges of the work due to abrasions with the frame. There is craquelure to the paint. Framed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Elegant and sensual, this painting by Antonio Blanco is a quintessential piece from the artist’s vast oeuvre. Born in the Philippines in 1911, Blanco received his formative artistic training at the Fine Arts Academy in New York and eventually settled down in the creative centre of Bali, Ubud, and fell in love with a traditional Balinese dancer, Ni Ronji. Blanco sought to compose visual symphonies that commemorated the alluring sensuality of his subjects. Bright, spontaneous swaths of colour and impressions take centre stage in Blanco’s paintings. He boldly arranges dashes of teal, navy and white onto the canvas, mirroring the lush foliage and heated atmosphere of the tropics. In his portrayal of the two young maidens, Blanco takes care to illuminate their purity and femininity. The artist deliberately blurs out parts of the composition, further accentuating the subtle suggestive power of the piece. With quick, fluid lines and soft strokes of shading, he delineates the curves of the women with a nuanced range of tones. In this manner, Blanco employs colour as a metaphorical language rather than as a descriptive tool.

As if wrapped in a blanket of soft delicacy, the silhouettes of the women are beautifully displayed through Blanco’s masterful interplay of gestural brushstrokes and negative space. Celebrated for his effortless ability to convey the sensuality of women without being overly explicit, Antonio Blanco is an artist whose impressionistic techniques exude an exceptional state of tropical langue, one that captures exquisitely the beauty of Balinese women.