Rudolf G. Usman, Arie Smit: A Living Legend, 2011, Rudolf Studio, colorplate 71

Acquired directly from the artist

This work is in good overall condition as viewed, and the paint layers are healthy overall. Examination under ultraviolet light shows no sign of restoration. Framed.
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After struggling through many years of war and hardships, Arie Smit found his sanctuary in the villages, hills and pains of Bali. The Dutch-Indonesian artist traveled extensively within the island for nearly forty years, relentlessly exploring, sketching and painting these landscapes. To him, it was the greatest source of liberation and happiness. Although Smit’s paintings of rice fields, broad valleys and villages were often sketched from existing sceneries, they do not attempt to mimic reality. Rather, the artist was more interested in portraying sense of vagueness and elusiveness through his vision and the playfulness of his technique. When viewing a landscape, he thoughtfully picked out and only recorded elements that he found fascinating. Putting together selections of scenery, he then composed his paintings by using the shades of Fauvists and controlled dashes reminiscent of the Pointillist technique, creating dreamy renditions of the natural environment. These painterly qualities are not only poetic but also convey his moods in response to the atmosphere of the scenery.

As seen in Hills and Valleys, Smit created this idyllic Balinese landscape using soft dabs and rich colors, suggesting a scene of rolling green terrain under the golden hour. The artist filled the entire sky with facets of light and dust; the dots, lines, shapes and colours in his painting seem to shimmer under the luminescent sun rays. Aglow with the last orange rays before dusk, the surfaces of the fertile vegetation on the hills radiate an atmosphere of delight and ampleness. By blending colors of crimson red, lush green and deep blue, the use of palette here seems to be a testament to the tender and sentimental nature of his paintings, as well as a reflection of the artist’s optimistic spirit. A typical approach and composition for his paintings, Hills and Valleys fully demonstrates Smit’s sensitivity and fervor for Indonesian life and la🌳ndscapes.