Harijadi Soemodidjojo (b.1919 – d.1997)
Perkapalan, 1946

Oil on canvas on hardboard

Painted during the final years of Indonesia's struggle for independence, Perkapalan offers a rare and intimate glimpse of Harijadi S. through what is believed to be a self-portrait. Seated casually in a sarong and smoking a pipe beside an easel, the artist presents himself not as a heroic figure, but as an ordinary individual immersed in quiet reflection. The secondary figure in the background and the scattered bottles create the atmosphere of a personal studio, capturing a moment of pause amid creative work and national upheaval.

 

A leading realist painter of his generation, Harijadi combined careful observation with expressive brushwork to portray everyday life with honesty and sensitivity. Painted decades before his celebrated public murals and reliefs, this work reveals the humanistic vision that would remain central to his artistic career.