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Théo MEIER (1908-1982) "The Balinese", 1962
Oil on canvas
Si…
See original version (French)
272
-
Théo MEIER (1908-1982) "The Balinese", 1962
Oil on canvas
Si…
See original version (French)
Estimate €8,000 - €12,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Théo MEIER (1908-1982)
"The Balinese", 1962
Oil on canvas
Signed lower left and dated 1962.
87 x 71 cm
Provenance: French private collection (Lyon).
Theo Meier was a Swiss painter who trained at the Basel Academy of Fine Arts and was deeply influenced by his discovery of Paul Gauguin and the currents of primitivism. After spending time in Europe, he turned to Asia in search of a preserved artistic and cultural ideal. Disappointed by Tahiti, which had changed too much for him, he found in Indonesia, and particularly Bali, an environment that matched his aspirations. Settling on the island in the 1930s, Meier joined a community of Western artists fascinated by what they perceived as an intact culture, alongside figures such as Walter Spies and Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès. Bali became the focus of his work for over a decade.
His style, influenced by Gauguin, is characterised by simplified forms, structured compositions and intense chromatic contrasts, mixing reds, yellows and deep blues. He was particularly interested in ritual scenes, such as the sacred Indonesian dance, whose spiritual dimension and grace he rendered through a rich palette of colours. For Meier, Bali is not simply an exotic setting but a veritable "living museum", where nature, ritual and society coexist harmoniously. His work bears witness to a deep immersion in Balinese culture, nourished by precise ethnographic observations and a singular pictorial sensibility.
See original version (French)
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Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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