Abdullah Suriosubroto was born in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia in 1878. One of three central painters who emerged at the beginning of the 20th century – the other two being Wakidi and Mas Pirngadi – Abdullah was the son of an Indonesian freedom fighter. At around 1900 he was sent to the Netherlands to study medicine but devoted his time to painting instead. And upon returning to Java he moved to Bandung to immerse himself in art. This second foray into art prompted him to return to the Netherlands for three years of formal art education. Thereafter he stayed briefly in France before returning to Java in 1935.‘An Indonesian Village at Sunset’ epitomizes the Mooi Indie tradition, a painting genre that captures romantic impressions of the land and people of Indonesia, and for which Abdullah is well known. Here, as the sun sinks behind the hills, a magnificent glow lights up the evening sky, creating a hauntingly beautiful scene. Mooi Indie means beautiful Indies in Dutch.
