Hans Snel was born in Scheveningen, a beach town near the Hague, in the Netherlands. While educated as a graphic artist, his artistic practice only took off after he was conscripted to Indonesia in 1946. By 1949, Dutch troops had withdrawn and Indonesia had declared independence; Snel however, enraptured with the country, never left. He applied for political asylum and settled on the island of Bali to paint.

Snel’s work is a romantic expression of his affinity with Indonesian culture. In this 1965 pastel on paper, he draws a portrait of a Balinese woman in a mottled palette of blues and greens, reminiscent of the region’s tropical landscape. Snel would apply European painting techniques to his subjects, employing Fauvist, Cubist and Expressionist techniques, to depict the people and activities of Indonesia.

Eventually becoming a citizen, Snel converted to Hinduism. His work is highly collectable and recognised world-wide. For collectors of Snel and modernist portraits, ‘Untitled (Portrait of a Girl)’ is beautifully framed and ready to hang.

Hans (Johannes) SNEL (1925 - 1998)
'Untitled (Portrait of a Girl)' 1965
pastel on paper
Image Size: 51 x 41 cm
Dimensions: 70 x 58 x 4 cm
Signed: Signed and dated lower right: Hans Snel - Bali 65
Comes with Letter of Provenance
 
Condition: Excellent
 
(c) Hans (Johannes) Snel / Copyright Agency