Contents
Raden Saleh
Bringing European Romantic painting into dialogue with Java.
Forest Fire · The Arrest of Pangeran Diponegoro
- Born
- 1811
- Birthplace
- Indonesia
- Died
- 23 April 1880
More people
Raden Saleh
Raden Saleh was a Javanese painter who trained and worked in Europe before returning to the Dutch East Indies. His dramatic scenes include hunts, landscapes and a major depiction of Prince Diponegoro’s arrest.
Early life
Java
Grew up near Semarang in an aristocratic family.
First teacher
Studied with Belgian painter A. J. Payen in Java.
Career
- 1829
Europe
Travelled to the Netherlands for artistic training.
- 1839
German patronage
Began a period supported by the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
- 1852
Return
Returned to Java after more than two decades abroad.
- 1857
Diponegoro
Painted his account of the prince’s arrest.
Selected work
Forest Fire
Painted animals fleeing a dramatic blaze.
The Arrest of Pangeran Diponegoro
Reimagined the colonial seizure of the Javanese leader.
Arab Horseman Attacked by a Lion
Painted a dramatic encounter between rider and animal.
Beyond work
Scientific interest
Collected fossils and took an interest in natural history.
Home
Designed a distinctive residence in Batavia influenced by his travels.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Biography and career evidence ↗Photo: Woodbury & Page (Walter B. Woodbury died in 1885). Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
