Antonio Blanco's heritage secure in unique museum

Tri Vivi Suryani, Contributor, Ubud, Bali

The story of Spaniard Don Antonio Blanco, one of a number of celebrated foreign painters who lived in Bali, is intriguingly romantic and amazing -- a young, adventurous and well-bred artist met a simple, yet heavenly beautiful Balinese dancer, Ni Ronji, almost half a century ago in the small artistic village of Ubud, some 30 kilometers north of Denpasar, and the story ended happily ever after.

The name Antonio Blanco is almost inseparable from the development of fine arts in Bali. Along with other foreign-born artists living in Bali, such as Arie Smit, Rudolf Bonnet and many others, Blanco stamped his significant influence on Balinese painting styles.

His legacy now rests at his own private museum, the Blanco Renaissance Museum, which displays around 300 works, including paintings, lithographs, movies and videos.

First constructed in Dec. 2, l998, a year before the death of Blanco, the museum was built on a 1,100-square-meter plot of land on the hilltop of Campuan village, Ubud, Gianyar. The museum is a blend of Balinese and European architectural styles.

It comprises three stories, symbolizing the three parts of the earth -- mountains, land and the ocean.

Born in Manila, the Philippines, on Sept. 15, 1911, Antonio Blanco's parents were Spanish. His father settled in Manila during the Spanish-American war where he attained prominence as a physician.

The young Blanco was educated at the American Central School in Manila. During his high-school years, he loved the arts, literature and language classes but struggled in scientific subjects. Blanco eloquently spoke six languages, including English, Spanish, French, Tagalog, Indonesian and a little bit of Balinese.

After completing high school in Manila, Blanco studied at the National Academy of Arts in New York under Sidney Dickinson. Even during those early formative years, Blanco concentrated on the human form, fascinated by the female body more than any other subject. To further his studies and ignite his traveling spirit, he traveled extensively throughout the world before he finally landed in Bali in l952.

The King of Ubud gave Blanco a piece of land to set up his home and studio in Campuan, Ubud, at the confluence of two sacred rivers. Blanco and his Balinese wife, celebrated dancer Ni Ronji, lived in their mountain retreat, rarely leaving it for the world outside. After a brief trip to the United States, where he secured many commissions, the couple stayed at their retreat in Ubud.

Living in serene surrounding with his four children, Tjempaka, Mario, Orchid and Maha Devi, Bali became Blanco's center. He was fascinated by the island and completely captivated by its charms.

He lived and worked at his beautiful home until he died in l999.

By the end of his life, Blanco had started to build his museum at his studio in Campuan. Tragically, he died a year before the museum's inauguration. He was cremated in Ubud. His second son, Mario, fulfilled this dream by following in his footsteps to become a painter.

Mario, who also became an accomplished artist, explained that physically, the museum building has a similar shape and form to that of European churches. However, Balinese traditional architectural elements were added to every detail of the building, turning it into an impressive combination of Eastern and Western architectural styles.

A huge, green Italian marble archway 15 meters high fronts the entrance steps that are also guarded by two massive mythical stone dragons. The fountain in front of the entrance is an emissary of the waves of the seas, also connected to the entire cosmos. The number of stairs, 15, represents the painter's birth date.

The museum has a pair of stairs symbolizing the duality of the material world. The second level represents the middle world. It is here that Antonio Blanco's poetry and literary works are conserved.

"The blend of Eastern and Western elements manifests the concept of equilibrium," Mario explained.

After l995, Blanco stopped selling his original works. The museum now houses around 300 works. For those who wish to collect Blanco's work, reproductions of his work, with original autograph by the painter, are still available at the museum.

Meanwhile, museum manager Ira Leonora also explained that the museum, which is an invaluable legacy of the painter, also serves as a reminder about his happy-ending love story with his beloved wife, dancer Ni Ronji.

After graduating from the National Academy of Art in New York, Blanco was captivated by an Italian book, which intensely described the beauty of the paradise island of Bali, thousands of miles away from New York.

Blanco did not want to miss the opportunity. The young, energetic artist made a long journey to Bali and arrived in Buleleng harbor, north Bali, only to find that all of his belongings had been stolen.

With no money in his pockets and no belongings, Blanco insisted on staying on the island. Thanks to his artistic talents, the king of Ubud became very impressed with him. The king later gave him a plot of land in Campuan village where he later met his heartthrob lover, young dancer Ni Ronji.

It was Ni Ronji who gave him great inspiration and who became the primary reason for the artist to settle permanently in Bali.

"Antonio Blanco never intended to leave Bali. He loved the island very much until he died," Ira said.

Despite his secluded life in Campuan village, Blanco was well known around the world. His works were very well respected on the international art stage. Blanco received a number of prestigious awards and recognition, such as the Tiffany Fellowship (USA) and the Suydam Bronze Medal (from the National Academy of Art and Design, New York City).