The following description has been prepared entirely by the current owner, Roberts S. Fastov, Esq., and, at the collector’s request, has not been edited by Sloans & Kenyon

Note 1): Dullah is a very respected and valued Indonesian artist, who has an excellent record at auction in Indonesia and Singapore. See Artprice.com photo images below with accompanying data, which readily justify the above presale estimate for this Dullah painting. This painting is a major and very important genre piece by Dullah. One has only to savor the delicate, sensitive portrayals of the boys faces and the very unique composition and subject matter of this very large and handsome painting to understand Dullah's strong interest in depicting Indonesian people in everyday activities and the care and respect Dullah has for these people and their culture. The following photo and biographical sketch was provided to Mr. Fastov by the former owner, Ms. Huwae, of the painting, when he purchased the painting from her.

 Dullah (1919 - 1996)

Dullah (1919 - 1996)

Dullah was born in Solo in 1919. This self-made artist has once admitted that Affandi and S.Soedjojono were his great teachers, but in fact his creations which obviously followed the school of realism were quite divergent to the works of the above two great masters. Since the early days of the independence, Dullah was very close to Soekarno, the first President of the Republic of Indonesia.

He was therefore appointed by Soekarno to take care of all of the Presidents art possessions and at the same time as curator of the state painting collections. He often accompanied the president on his trips here at home as well as abroad.

It was Dullah who selected 206 paintings from Soekarno's private collections with China experts photographed and then reproduced in the “deluxe” two volume oversize monograph in a very limited edition printed in the People's Republic of China in 1956. The text by Soekarno and Dullah was in four languages: Indonesian, Chinese, English and Russian. Due to the limited edition (only 6000 copies) the two volumes of 'deluxe' monographs were only distributed to selected individuals and art collectors, and the supply was soon exhausted. (The second publication of President Soekarno's art collection was in five volumes, compiled by artist painter Lee Man Fong, printed in Japan in deluxe edition, and widely sold and distributed throughout the Republic,) 

After no longer in charge of President Soekarno's art collections, Dullah removed to his hometown Solo and settled there with his family, but spent most of his creative time in Bali together with a group of his pupils. The group settled in Ubud and then moved to Pejeng. Dullah also run an art gallery in Mas where most of his good works were on display for sales. Many of his paintings were bought by the foreign tourists and the local art collectors which made his name widely famous as a prominent realistic artist painter in Indonesia. 

At the age of 70, Dullah built his museum in Solo all by his own without any financial succor from the government or other private institutions. This was done as his dedication to a love of the arts over a creative lifetime.

All Dullah's painting exhibited in this museum are breathtaking in their scope and sensitive in their drama.

In 1996 Dullah peacefully passed away in this place, bequeathing to the next art loving generation to come, his own ' one man built' museum which now proudly stands as a cultural landmark, open to any visitor with a love for the arts.”

Note 2) Dullah was a self-taught Indonesian painter, who has had enduring popularity over his career and retains such popularity in Indonesia and the Far East after his death. His portrait studies and genre topics of daily activities and rituals of Indonesian people often command high prices at auction, which are consistent with the above presale estimate of $10,000-$20,000, as per the following Dullah sales recorded by Artprice.com photographic images

Title/Subject: Bocah dan Ayam Jago Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 29 1/8 in. x 24 in. sold for $17,967 on 11/4/2012 at Masterpiece Fine Art Auction, Singapore

Title/Subject: Menggendong Anak Signed. Oil on canvas. 39 3/8 in. x 29 1/8 in. sold for $14,300 on 4/15/2012 at Masterpiece Auction House, Jakarta, Indonesia

Title/Subject: The Barong Dance. Signed. Oil on canvas. 40 ½ in. x 70 in. sold for $39,990 on 10/6/2009 at Sotheby's, Hong Kong

Title/Subject: Girl With Headdress (1979) Unsigned Oil on canvas. 13 ¾ in. x 11 5/8 in. sold for $7,095 on 11/27/2005 at Christie’s, Hong Kong

Title/Subject: Dancer Signed. Oil on canvas. 35 3/8 in. x 31 ½ in. sold for $20,570 on 4/10/2005 at Sotheby's, Singapore

Title/Subject: Old Lady (1973) Signed. Oil on artist's board. 23 5/8 in. x 19 5/8 in. sold for $10, 168 on 4/04/2004 at Sotheby's, Singapore

Title/Subject: Barong Dance Signed. Oil on canvas. 27 in. x 54 ¾ in. sold for $83,850 on 10/26/2003 at Christie's Hong Kong