A special event in celebrating our 72nd anniversary of Indonesian independence throughout August is being held in national gallery. Entitled “Senandung Ibu Pertiwi” (Tunes of the Motherland), it is a painting exhibition from our six presidential palaces collection. The event was started in August 2nd and will end in August 30th, from 10 am until 8 pm. They will open as usual in August 17th. I was deliberately picked the weekdays and after lunch time to avoid the crowd and can enjoy my quiet time admiring the paintings. It was worth it!
National gallery is just opposite Gambir train station, only 15-20 minutes from Shraya Residence. It could be reached in shorter time if you go in weekend with less traffic.
This time painting exhibition is a bit different from the prior exhibitions, Raden Saleh and Aku Diponegoro, visitor have to make a registration in separate building (next to the exhibition building, only few meters separated by parking space) and given a visitor tag and a stamp. Bags must be left in the deposit counter like usual. It is more organized.
Entering the exhibition building, a guard will quick scan your body and allow you to proceed.
Before entering the display room, a big screen picture of amazing painting from presidential palace in Bogor, entitled “Russian Wedding” is a gift from the leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at the time, Nikita Kruschev. Painted by Konstantin Egorovick Makovsky, a famous painter in 19th century. It took sometime for me just to look at the picture. I wonder what would it be like if I can see it from the original masterpiece. Amazing.
This time painting exhibition is a bit different from the prior exhibitions, Raden Saleh and Aku Diponegoro, visitor have to make a registration in separate building (next to the exhibition building, only few meters separated by parking space) and given a visitor tag and a stamp. Bags must be left in the deposit counter like usual. It is more organized.
Entering the exhibition building, a guard will quick scan your body and allow you to proceed.
Before entering the display room, a big screen picture of amazing painting from presidential palace in Bogor, entitled “Russian Wedding” is a gift from the leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at the time, Nikita Kruschev. Painted by Konstantin Egorovick Makovsky, a famous painter in 19th century. It took sometime for me just to look at the picture. I wonder what would it be like if I can see it from the original masterpiece. Amazing.
Entering the display room, with the first theme is The Nature of Indonesia. Paintings of scenery of beach, sea, and.. this one painting get me fixated on. None other then Raden Saleh’s “Drinking Tiger” (1863). Picture below.
One room displays portraits of female wearing kebaya. An Idealization of Indonesian women. Picture below.
Mythology room. Creation of Basoeki Abdullah that delivers local beliefs such as from wayang stories and myth in Javanese culture. Soekarno, our first president, asked the maestro to make a painting with a story from the world of wayang for The Istana Merdeka (Merdeka Palace). Basoeki Abdullah chose the story of Gatotkaca.
Spirituality and Religion room. The reprisentation of nature and human religious practices are addressed in the form of religious figure in the works of Walter Spies, Ida Bagus Poleng (two of others). Meanwhile, Basoeki Abdullah explore the combination of natural objects and religion.
There’s one room that shows copies of documents about the story behind some of the paintings. There was this particular post about a book that wrote about Basoeki Abdullah’s Nyai Roro Kidul and the writer is Astri Wright. A very familiar name. One of our old guest at Shraya Residence. Picture above.
Below, are some paintings that I also got attracted.
 Pendjual Sate Lee Man Fong 1958 |  Bakul Buah Hendra Gunawan 1962 |
Sungai Musi di Palembang Ernest Dezentje 1946
The displays in the gallery
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