Two decades of Sotheby's in Singapore

Two decades of Sotheby's in Singapore

Carla Bianpoen, Contributor/Jakarta

When Samuel Baker started selling old books from the libraries
of such persons like the Ret. Hon. Sir John Stanley Bart in
London in 1744 he could not have imagined he had planted the seed
of an auction house that would stand the test of time throughout
the centuries.

But that is exactly what happened, though the business is now
known by his nephew's name, John Sotheby, who together with
Samuel Baker's partner George Leigh, took over Samuel Baker
Auctions when Baker passed away in 1776. It took the Sotheby
family 80 years though, before they managed to control the entire
shares of the company, which was the beginning of Sotheby's
auction house.

Throughout the years, the trust and popularity once given to
Samuel Baker's Auctions, increased, with Sotheby's expanding
around the globe. To date they have 105 offices in various
corners of the world, one of which is in Singapore where it
opened a representative office in 1985. As interest in works by
artists in the region increased, so did Sotheby's which held its
first sale of Southeast Asian Paintings in 1996.

"Our vision has been vindicated by excellent sales totals,
which have doubled in the last nine years, despite complex
economic conditions in the region," states William F. Ruprecht,
president and chief executive officer of Sotheby's Holding Inc.

Meanwhile Henry Howard-Sneyd, managing director for Asia and
Australasia, notes Sotheby's early attention to Indonesian
modernists. "The prominence given to a painting by Hendra Gunawan
in an early sale, won kudos from the collecting community and the
Indonesian press." The Singapore team which has been led by Mok
Kim Chuan since 1999, is supported by Sotheby's specialist Miety
Heiden in Amsterdam, Vivi Yip from Indonesia, and Jean-Francois
Hubert, a Paris-based senior consultant for Vietnamese art. The
year 1999 is also remembered for Sotheby's first auction
including contemporary art.

The anniversary celebratory auction which will be held on Oct.
9 at the Singapore Fullerton hotel, will be preceded by a preview
on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8. It includes works by Indo-European,
Indonesian, Filipino, Singaporean, Malaysian and Vietnamese
artists.

The collection confirms one of Sotheby's goals, as revealed by
its Singapore managing director Esther Seet, namely to promote
the contemporary painting section.

While it is true that works by painters of European origin who
either lived in or visited Indonesia retain a high level of
interest, and the usual names like Isaac Israels, Le Mayeur de
Merpres, Willem Gerard Hofker, Auke Sonnega, Rudolf Bonnet, Arie
Smit, as well as Miguel Covarrubias will continue to fetch high
prices, one cannot deny the large participation of Indonesian
painters, modern and contemporary, that make up the largest part
of the selection. Among these are of course those by Hendra
Gunawan and Affandi, Lee Man Fong, Popo Iskandar, and some
unusually strong paintings of Srihadi Soedarsono from the early
1960s.

But it is Sunaryo's eye-catching painting titled Stagen Merah
that makes a mark on the Indonesian selection. Measuring 90 x 350
centimeters, it features a red stagen -- a long and narrow fabric
belt that is wrapped around the waist to hold a piece of kain in
place while streamlining excessive bulging -- over the breadth
of the canvas, linking the various postures of the dancer in the
process of getting ready for the stage.

Highlighted in Sotheby's press release, as "the forefront of
the New Contemporary category", and as "a majestic painting", it
is estimated it will sell for between S$220,000 and $280,000.

Other highlights include Hendra Gunawan's Rambutan Vendor, a
two-meter high canvas offered at a price of .... , Affandi's
Tiga Wajah, a self portrait which is being offered at between
$200,000 and $300,000 and Lee Man Fong's Balinese Life; estimate
on request. There are also Isaac Israel's The Performance,
estimated to sell between $175,000-$225,000, and Miquel
Covarrias' Princess and Attendant -- A Scene from the Ardja,
Balinese Opera, estimated to sell between $300,000 and $380,000,
as well as Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres' Contemplation, which
is estimated to sell at between $160,000 and $220,000.

Also mentioned are Filipino National Artist Ang Kiukok with
his painting Fish, estimated to sell at between $28,000 and
$38,0000, the Singaporean Chen Wen His's Balinese Boatman,
estimated to sell at between $280,000 and $380,000, and the
Vietnamese works La Conversation by Vu Cao Dam, estimated to sell
at between $120,000 and $180,000 and La Petite Cuisiniere by
Nguyen Phan Chanh estimated to sell at between $120,000 and
$150,000.

As this writeup goes to press, however, the celebratory mood
is clouded by disappointment over a fake that escaped the
scrutinizing eye of Sotheby's expert team. Lot 180 of the
anniversary catalog which the public and the artist -- the
renowned Indonesian painter Srihadi Sudarsono -- have assessed as
a fake, has now been withdrawn.

It is of course not the first time that such an unfortunate
incident has occurred for such established auction houses like
Sotheby's and Christies. Just recently, Christies had to
withdraw a Raden Saleh work from its auction, following
collectors' objections. Certainly, the fact that good quality
works by senior artists are scarce amid the booming auction
business in the region does not make it easier.

But Indonesian collectors who pursue a healthy development of
art creation and art trading practice have expressed strong hopes
that every single work will be scrutinized as a precondition to
qualify for an auction. This includes the ethical background of
the vendor, they say. In this sense they expect Sotheby's to
investigate and make public the vendor of the fake work offered
as Srihadi's in the anniversary auction.

It is hoped that Sotheby's 20th anniversary will be a point of
fresh and firm resolve in this direction.