Rad Saleh Syarif Bustaman Essay

397 words Javanese painter Raden Saleh Syarif Bustaman (1811-1880) was a noble who appeared in museum and was the social cherished of kings, as well as contemporary artists and participants in European elite culture. Raden was the first artist of Asian origin to receive professional training in Europe after being introduce to Western academic painting techniques in his homeland by his teachers, Caspar Reinwardt and Antoine Auguste Joseph Payen who was Raden Saleh first acceptance mentor. He represents certain aspects of Indonesian culture in his artworks but could not be perceived by the Indonesian locals due to the Western style that he adapted. Despite having to follow the compromises of the Dutch he still followed his sense of identity. In 1852, Raden Saleh came back to Java and became an outstanding figure but in 1869, European and Java was not in good terms because they could not coordinated and Raden was once arrested as a suspect for involving with a rebellion against the Dutch in the West Javanese city of Bekasi. In Javanese he was well known only for the social fame he gained through recognition from his European contemporaries but not for artistic fame earned as his works was not seen much in Java. This essay aim to discuss on how Raden Saleh artworks are relating to Indonesian and European ties.

Back then, Raden Saleh could not achieved the style he wanted for historical painting but finally he found something else that somehow raised his fame to be the same as European peers which is drawing animals. Raden Saleh is famous for his countless dramatic composition representing big tigers and other wild animals as Java was once most feared of striped tigers. His animals themes was inspired while going for animal circus shows and from there he start to learn from the bottom about animals even the