Lot 51 | 5 March 2023

 

 

LOT 51

HAN SNEL

B. Netherlands, 1925 – 1998

Portrait of Balinese Girl, 1972

Signed and dated “Han Snel, Bali 72” on lower left

Charcoal on paper

68 x 51 cm

Provenance Private Collection, Canada

RM 1,800 – 3,500

Han Snel had an undying love for Bali. Born in 1925 in Scheveningen, Netherlands, he trained as a graphic artist before being dispatched to Bali along with the Dutch military forces that were tasked with fighting the Japanese troops and the Republic of Indonesia’s army. Snel instantaneously fell in love with the island, so much so that he married a local girl, became an Indonesian citizen and converted to Balinese Hinduism. Nevertheless, it is in his paintings that saw most of his love being manifested – the gentle colours, the delicate and refined lines captured the very essence of Ubud, the tranquil island, and most of all, the stunning portraits of Balinese women. A recurring role was his wife, who began modelling for him before they wed.