“Boschbrand” (Forest Fire) by Raden Saleh

“Boschbrand” (Forest Fire) by Raden Saleh depicts a dramatic scene where numerous wild animals have been chased by a forest fire to edge of a precipice. This monumental work and elaborate composition is set in a Javanese setting and was painted after Saleh had been in Europe for 20 years.

In Europe Raden Saleh had earned critical success and patronage. This painting was presented as a gift to his patron King William III of the Netherlands. The following year he was awarded the title of “King’s Painter”.

Raden Saleh Sjarif Boestaman (1811 – 1880) was an Indonesian painter of Arab-Javanese ethnicity. He was considered to be the first “modern” artist from Indonesia, then the Dutch East Indies. His paintings incorporated the nineteenth-century romanticism which was popular at the time while reflecting his cultural roots in his work.

“Boschbrand” (Forest Fire) by Raden Saleh

Title: Boschbrand (Forest Fire)
Artist: Raden Saleh
Date: 1849
Material: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 300 x 396 cm
Museum: National Gallery Singapore

Saleh Sjarif Boestaman

Name: Saleh Sjarif Boestaman
Born: 1811 -Semarang, Dutch East Indies
Died: 1880 – Buitenzorg, Dutch East Indies
Movement: Romanticism

Highlights of the National Gallery Singapore

Historical Documents in the former Supreme Court building:
- Treaty of Friendship and Alliance
- Raffles’ Regulations
- 1824 Treaty of Friendship and Alliance
- Third Charter of Justice
- Proclamation of the Japanese Military Administration in Malaya
Historical Art and Culture in the Galleries include:
- “Boschbrand” (Forest Fire) by Raden Saleh

~~~

“A given excuse that was not asked for, implies guilt.”
– Singaporean / Malay Proverb

~~~

Photo Credit: JOM

Popular this Week Museums, Art Galleries & Historical Sites - Virtual Tours