E xecuted in 1954, Skiing is an exceptionally rare work by the self-taught Indonesian modern master, Affandi. In a charming scene reminiscent of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, Affandi portrays European skiers on a snowy slope between swirling skies and wooded lands.

As an early example of Affandi's important and sought-after travel series, Skiing was painted during a landmark year in his career. The artist embarked on his first European tour from 1951 till 1954, travelling throughout France, Belgium, Italy, Holland and Great Britain and exhibiting his works in various key cities. In 1954, the year Skiing was painted, Affandi was selected to participate in the Venice Biennale to international acclaim. Not only was Affandi the first Indonesian painter to have this honor, he also won an award at the Biennale for his work.

The 1950s was a t.mes of renewal in Europe, following WWII, many artists experimented with abstraction and other avant garde ideas, yet Affandi stayed true to his personal expressionistic style. The present lot is a compelling example of the artist's 'squeeze technique' developed during this early period. Applying paint directly from the tube before using his fingers to spread it on canvas, Affandi painted with short, staccato-like strokes and captured details with a great linear quality. This unique style earned him a distinct and singular position as an artist and the cultural ambassador for the new Republic of Indonesia in Europe.

Among Affandi's documented winter landscape paintings, Skiing stands as the most detailed and complete composition. The artist captures the blistering winds of the snowy mountains as skiers descend from the mountain peak on powder-filled slopes. We can almost imagine the fascination of the Indonesian artist with the activity and lifestyle of this sport, as he paints the small cabin, snow mobiles and gondolas along the ski resort. Affandi's curvy and twisting strokes echo the 'S' shape movements of the skiers carving through the snow.

印 尼的自學成才藝術大師阿凡迪在1954年創作的《滑雪》是他極為罕見的作品。在《滑雪》中，阿凡迪描繪了在大雪覆蓋斜坡上的歐洲滑雪者，與迴旋的天空和樹林間相映成趣，令人不僅聯想起文森特 · 梵高的著名作品《星夜》。

《滑雪》創作於1954年，是阿凡迪重要且備受追捧的旅行系列中的早期作品。藝術家1951年至1954年首次前往歐洲遊歷，在法國、比利時、意大利、荷蘭和英國各地旅行，並在多個主要城市展出他的作品。1954年，阿凡迪被選中參加威尼斯雙年展，獲得國際讚譽。阿芳迪不僅是第一位獲得這一榮譽的印尼畫家，他的作品在雙年展中還獲得了獎項。

1950年代對歐洲而言，是創新的時期，在第二次世界大戰之後，許多藝術家開始嘗試抽象及其他前衛的藝術理念，然而阿凡迪始終忠於他個人表現主義的風格。《滑雪》是阿凡迪在1950年代早期研發創立的「擠壓技法」典範之一。在創作時，阿凡迪會直接從顏料管中擠出顏料，然後用手指將顏料直接塗抹在畫布上。在此時期，藝術家以短促且斷續的筆觸進行繪畫，並以極具線條質感的方式捕捉畫面的細節。這讓他在藝術界獨樹一幟，並因此擔任新成立的印尼共和國在歐洲的文化大使一重要角色，獲得了獨特而顯著的地位。

在阿凡迪描繪冬季及雪景的作品中，《滑雪》是構圖最為詳細且完整的作品。藝術家捕捉到滑雪者從斜坡上滑下時感受到的雪山上刺骨的寒風。從畫中滑雪場的小木屋、雪地摩托和纜車中，觀眾幾乎可以想像這位印尼藝術家對滑雪運動及其生活方式的著迷。阿凡迪的曲線和扭轉的筆觸正呼應了滑雪者在雪地中雕刻時的「S」形運動。