Checking paintings at an auction pays off

SINGAPORE (JP): "Make sure you check the goods before you buy!" is the standard advice of auction houses worldwide. It is strongly recommended to take that advice, because it does pay off to do so, especially in an art market which is relatively young, like Southeast Asia's. One of the most important aspect in the world of art, particular in paintings, is the issue of authenticity, and checking for authenticity is very important before buying art.

A close inspection of the works at the recent Glerum sale proved to be fruitful for one experienced collector. Through close inspection, the collector managed to confirm that one painting had a questionable authenticity vis-a-vis the information provided in the auction's catalog.

However, his findings did not lead him to cancel the intended purchase, but rather made him even more enthusiastic about the painting. Why? Remember that checking for authenticity does not only mean that we are checking for fakes.

In the Glerum sale, there was a collection of a former member of a foreign diplomatic corps stationed in Indonesia in the 1960s. It consisted of just under 60 pieces attributed to famous painters such as Affandi, Hendra Gunawan, Srihadi Soedarsono, But Mochtar, Mochtar Apin, Popo Iskandar, A.D. Pirous, Abas Alibasjah and Lim Wa Sim.

There were some works which were incorrectly attributed, for example, a But Mochtar was attributed as a Mochtar Apin, and vice-versa. The mistakes happened because the incorrect data of the works was provided by the vendor, and the works themselves did not come until a little later. So, there was no way for the auctioneers to check for mistakes until the catalog was printed. However, during the viewing days, Glerum did provide a notice correcting some of the attribution mistakes.

Yet, they failed to spot all the mistakes. There was one mistake that they missed. This particular mistake would only be found through meticulous inspection of the painting.

Among the Affandis in the collection, there was one work entitled Guerillas in Central Java, dated from the 1940s. Done at such an early date, the work was not done in the distinctive expressive style and the thick impasto applied directly from the paint tubes, for which Affandi is best known today.

The work used a palette of mainly earthen tones covering the entire surface. The painting was initially thought to be an oil on canvas, but close inspection revealed that it was a work on paper, laid on board.

Actually, nothing at all in the work points to Affandi, or even to works dating from the 1940s. During that time, as Affandi's famous painting evidences, the Indonesian master painted figures realistically.

A closer inspection of Guerillas in Central Java shows that the figures in the painting are formed using swift cursive brushstrokes, which appear like sketches. The sketch-like figures are reminiscent of figures typical of another Indonesian master, Hendra Gunawan, who consistently used these types of figures since the 1940s until the end of his life. During the Revolutionary War, it was difficult to obtain good canvases, and therefore, oil on paper, laid down on board, was known as one of Hendra's favorite mediums at that time.

Some sketch marks that can be seen on the upper right part of the painting were inscribed with a sharp object while the paint was still wet, causing a subtractive sketch effect which is also typical of Hendra's work.

If that is still not enough, an even closer investigation of the work can be done. Although the information in the auction's catalog says that the painting includes a monogram of Affandi, it does not show the mark's location. By placing a light at an obtuse angle from the surface of the painting, and viewing the painting at another angle, viewers can see that there is an inscription across the top of the painting, which reads, "Batang ba? ?an, Djokja." At the upper left corner of the work, is the painter's signature, confirming that Hendra is indeed the artist, not Affandi.

The judgment that the work is by Hendra could perhaps have been accomplished through a visual analysis on the reproduction of the work in the catalog. Upon seeing a visual image of Guerillas in Central Java, the collector mentioned at the beginning of this article immediately thought the so-called Affandi looked more like a Hendra.

His closer inspection of the authentic work proved to be fruitful. It revealed that first, the painting is by Hendra, not Affandi, and confirms this through the signature on the upper right corner of the work.

Second, the inscription across the top of the work reveals that the scene is in the vicinity of Yogyakarta, and not in Central Java, as the given title suggests.

Third, inspection of the original also shows that the painting is oil on paper laid down on board, and not oil on canvas, as the catalog indicates.

In such a young market as Southeast Asian art, and in particular Indonesian paintings, it is not only potential buyers who "make sure they check the goods before they buy", but the auction houses should speak for themselves, and make sure they check the goods before they sell.

Otherwise, experienced collectors who always make sure that they inspect paintings before they buy at auctions will benefit. In this case, as the market price for Affandis are relatively lower than those of authentic Hendras, an experienced collector benefited by acquiring a rare Hendra dating from the 1940s at the price of an Affandi of the same period.

In addition to checking for authenticity, inspecting the painting provides a chance for a potential buyer to check for the painting's aesthetic value and condition, which are two other aspects one should definitely consider before purchasing a painting. So, when it comes to painting, do "make sure and check before you buy." (Amir Sidharta)