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Affandi is revered as the undisputed "Father of Indonesian Modern Painting" and a towering figure in global Expressionism, having achieved international acclaim through his participation in prestigious events like the Venice Biennale and the São Paulo Biennale.
His artistic legacy is defined by his revolutionary plototan technique, where he bypassed the traditional brush to squeeze oil paint directly from the tube onto the canvas, molding the pigments with his bare fingers and palms to create thick, swirling impasto lines that vibrate with intense kinetic energy and raw, untamed emotion. This gestural approach was more than a stylistic choice; it was a deeply personal philosophy of immediate expression, ensuring that his internal spirit was transferred to the surface without the interference of intellectual constraint. His subject matter was resolutely grounded in the human condition, shifting away from the idealized tropical landscapes of his contemporaries to focus on the grit and soul of reality.
He dedicated his life to documenting the lives of common people—street vendors, laborers, and the marginalized—with profound empathy, while his relentless series of self-portraits serve as a haunting, unflinching mirror of his own aging process and inner turmoil. By capturing the beauty in the unpolished and the dignity in suffering, Affandi transformed the mundane into the monumental, establishing a visual language that remains a cornerstone of Indonesian identity and a universal testament to the power of the soul in art.
This artwork will feature in our Fine Asian Art auction taking place on Wednesday 24th June - 11:00.
Viewing times:
Friday 19th June 10am-5pm
Saturday 20th June 1pm - 5pm
Sunday 21st June 1pm - 5pm
Monday 22nd June 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 23rd June 10am - 5pm
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"I should declare my hand. I have a weakness for pictures that punch above their physical weight, and for artists who have been quietly underrated for too long. This pair is both. They are intimate enough to live with at close quarters and serious enough to repay any amount of looking. If the market has lately shown signs of catching up with eighteenth-century Irish painting and I think it has, these two small panels feel, to me, like exactly the sort of thing that will look obvious in twenty years’ time."
Adam’s is honoured to present works from the collection of Lord Rossmore in the upcoming Country House Collections auction at Howth Castle on 28th April. It is seldom that an influential Irish family collection that has survived through the generations comes to the open market.
Works Sold at Adam’s Now in the Irish National Collection
A great opportunity to purchase both established and lesser-known artist’s work at an accessible price point, the Online Picture Auction is the first of many sales to be hosted at Adam’s in 2026. It is perfect for those looking to start a collection and the discerning collector alike.
Through this article, let our expert Adam Pearson guiding you to the (re)discovery of the once established Irish painter Richard O’Neill.
Buying at Auction and the Role of Antiques in a Modern Home
Important Irish Art Auction Highlights
Oliver Dowling Collection by Aidan Dunne
2024 is a year in which Adam’s wants to recognise the key role buying antique furniture and furnishings at auction contributes greatly to the sustainable initiative. In 2019 the Environmental Protection Agency reported stark figures that each year in Ireland 1.2 million reusable bulky items, primarily furniture goes into landfill. Similar to the problem of ‘fast fashion’, the constant production and consumption of new items is leading to rapidly growing waste problem. We want to acknowledge those who are already buying second hand or antique furniture at auction and to encourage new buyers by highlighting the benefits of acquiring affordable, well-made quality items that are built to last.
Irish author, recipe creator and lifestyle influencer, Indy Parsons, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
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Cork-born Irish actress, Sarah Greene, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Yvonne Aupicq had met Orpen, we understand, while working as a nurse during the war. He had been admitted to hospital with a suspected case of scabies which ended up being a far more serious case of blood poisoning as he recounts in his wartime memoir ‘An Onlooker in France’. Their relationship continued after 1918 when Orpen was appointed as the official artist to The Paris Peace Conference. They relocated to capital and over the following decade he painted her numerous times, often nude as in Amiens 1914, or The Rape and Nude Girl Reading (1921). Working with her as his model during these early years after the war allowed Orpen an opportunity to re-fuel his creativity.
Editor-in-Chief of IMAGE Publications, Lizzie Gore-Grimes, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction on September 13th features a prime example of Van Cleef & Arpel's renowned 'Mystery Setting'
Our June auction offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the great masterpieces of Irish art and icons of Dublin’s history.
Georgia Chiesa selects some of her favourite lots in the upcoming Vintage Wine & Spirits Auction
"Beating the bounds is a tradition that can be traced back to the medieval period. At this time, land was divided into parishes and the clergy and church wardens held the responsibility for its upkeep and management. It was up to the Church to ensure that its parishioners knew the local boundary lines and, before maps became commonplace, this had to be kept as a mental record."
James Adam & Sons Ltd, Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers, 26 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
D02 X665, Ireland
