Le Mayeur was a painter comes from the family or Belgium Royals. He was travelled around the world to paint and finally sailed to Singaraja, Bali in 1932. He met Ni Nyoman Pollok, a legong dancer for the King in Bali and painted her as his model. Le Mayeur fallen in love with her and married her in 1935 with Balinese Culture ceremony.
Since then, Le Mayeur mostly try to portrait Bali through his paintings and made in famous around the world. Many of famous people came to Bali just to see his art and paintings that he showed in his gallery in his house in Sanur. In 1956, Mr. Bahder Johan, Indonesian Minister for Education and Culture give and idea to make a museum for Le Mayeur’s art and paintings.
In 1957, Ni Nyoman Pollok presented their house to Indonesian Government, represented by Anak Agung Bagus Sutedja, former Governor Bali, to make it a full gallery and museum and to be managed by the government
Le Mayeur passed away back in Belgium in 1958 in the age of 78. Ni Nyoman Pollok passed away years after him, in 1985.
Inside the museum, you can also found reliefs about Sugriwa and Subali, with a sculpture written: I Saka Ning Loka 1878 or the year 1956. This incription was made as a reminder of the year it finally finished built as a museum.
The museum holds 89 paintings. After 1985, they updated the list and found there is 1 painting missing, the one with the title “Lotus” and it has never found untill today. All the paintings was made from canvass, hardboard, thinboard, papers, and bagor. In 1942, the one that made from Bagor was broken.
Leave A Comment