LOT 71
LUCIEN FRITS OHL
(B. Netherlands, 1904-1976)
Ships, Undated
Signed “L. F. OHL” on lower right
Oil on canvas
81.5 x 61 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
AVAILABLE FOR SALE
Lucien Frits Ohl was considered an important pioneer artist in the Dutch East Indies. He captured articulately here the scenes that was always present in the traditional villages of Southeast Asian countries, the ships that often come by for trading purposes. His hallmark brushwork is distinct here, as warm washes of colours create the atmosphere of dusk, just as the sun is about to set in the horizon. It also reminds one of the sceneries in the countryside. The focal points are definitely the outlines and colours of the ships and the background in an expressionistic style, the sails running free as the ship comes to a slow in the evening.
Lucien Frits Ohl was a self-taught artist who lived and worked in Palembang, Jakarta and Yogyakarta. He settled in
Hague afterwards and painted in the style of Gerard Pieter Adolfs. He produced illustrations of Indonesia for JC Hamel’s Soldatendominee (Hague 1948) and held many exhibitions in Hague and Netherlands. He died in 1976.