Soetopo (Yogyakarta, 1931) Bakul Ayam (A Chicken Vendor)

The painter Soetopo was born in Yogyakarta in April, 1931. After completing his education at ASRI Yogyakarta in the 1950s, Soetopo joined Sanggar Pelukis Rakyat, which was founded by Hendra Gunawan, and studied under the guidance of Hendra Gunawan, Trubus, and Soedarso. Using a style akin to realism, he presents the themes of daily activities and social realities that exist around Javanese society. His paintings reflect his personal life, which is simple and unpretentious. In this painting a chicken vendor is seated in the foreground of the painting. The chickens she sells are scattered on the ground in front of her. She holds up two chickens by their legs, offering them to the standing man in front of her. Meanwhile, another woman behind her tries to sell the man another chicken. The standing man, dressed in a red and white striped t-shirt with dark jacket, with a belt and big buckle holding up his sarung and black pants, seems ready to bargain, while holding a chicken in his left hand. Behind them is another scene. On the upper left corner of the canvas, another standing man holds a chicken while talking to a woman next to him. Another man who is seated below them, appears to be refusing money from the woman next to him. The painting shows the dynamism of the market transactions among the chicken vendors. This painting comes from the collection of the late a famous Indonesian lawyer. Her eclectic collection consist of artworks by various Indonesian artists, ranging from the more laid back, humorous artists, like Faizal and Ade Artie Tjakra, to the more serious, senior artists, like Dolorosa Sinaga, Maria Tjui, Amrus Natalsya, Soetopo, Jeihan Sukmantoro, and Sudarso.
Medium: oil on canvas
Size: 140 x 110 cm
Signature: signed and dated (lower right):”Soetopo 2002”