3416400748

Schatz until 1932, foilowed by Mr. M. Narkiss, who has sińce died—and thc gcncrosity of benefactors all over the world, the Bczalel Museum, which began with a few items of no great value, has built up its collcctions to a point at which it fully dcservcs its titlc of National Museum.

Yct an uninformcd visitor would hardly sus-pect how extcnsivc thosc collcctions have now becomc. The Museum has bccn compared to an icebcrg of which only the pcak is visiblc, while its enormous basc remains hidden in the dcpths. For lack of space, a considerablc nuraber of paintings, statues and archacological items are telegated to thc storeroom, cellars and attics of thc Museum, and exhibitions bring only a very smali proportion of them bcforc thc public. The lack of a suitablc room also makes it im-possible to study thc magnificent collcction of drawings and prints (over 35,000) and thc 20,000 odd items in the numismatic scction.

The educational aspect of the Museum is much to thc fore in thc country. Its library, con-taining about 26,000 volumes devoted solcly to art history, is the most important of its kind in the Middlc East. Scholars, students, artists and craftsmcn consult it assiduously.

The Bezalcl Museum also undertakes many cxtra-mural activities.

Cultural institutions situated at a distance from Jcrusalem are enabled to borrow original works. A collcction of contemporary American art, including paintings, by Childe Hassam, Maurer, Max Weber, Kuniyoshi and others, and a group of works by Jcwish painters of International reputation (Max Liebermann, Isaac Levithan, Joseph Isracls), are now circulat-ing. Other travclling cxhibitions indudcd in the programmc are Dutcb lytb-ccntnry Painting and Modern Frcncb Painting. A sclcction of Ycmcnite costumes, jcwellery and utensils has just bccn sent to thc United States of America. Considcr-ablc interest was arouscd by an exhibition of ancicnt coins illustrating thc history of Palestine, organized a few months ago. Sponsored by the Foreign Ministry of Isracl, cnlargcd photo-graphs of each item exhibited, accompanied by cxpIanatory notes in English, Frcnch and Spanish, havc bcen prepared with a view to arranging a travdling cxhibition which will visit scveral European countrics. A book is also to be published (fig. 7/, 72).

The Museum draws on its own abundant storę of photographs and colour reproductions to make up other travclling cxhibitions, cach of which is devoted to one particular artistic movcmcnt, period or artist, and consists of somc thirty reproductions together with a scholarly tcxt. Thcsc are framed and sent off in spccial packing-cascs. For many ycars a number of them have becn in circulation among primary schools, high schools, hospitals, almshouscs, military camps and agricultural colonies. Some have even bcen sent to foreign countries (fig.7^).

The futurę looks vcry promising for the Bczalel Museum, and the chief difficultics it has so far encountered are likcly to be ovcrcomc before long. The allocation of large sums from the sale of American books in Israel Under the “Informational Media Guaranty Program” (IMG) will make it possible to construct a modern building spccially designed for the Museum’s needs; the art treasures hidden in thc rcscrvcs will at !ast be cxhibitcd in large, bright rooms, and an adcquate Staff of spccialists will be able to give fresh impetus to the work already so well begun.

Karl Katz.

* Museum, vol. XI (1958) p. 10, 33, 72.

Puri-Lukisan

LE MUSĆE D’ART MODERNE BALINAIS D’UBUD, BALI¹

•/

I. Voir aussi “Les musees en Indonesie”, Museum, vol. X (1957), p. 273.

v

Le Puri-Lukisan est le premier musće indonć-sicn d’art modernę; pour le moment, il abritc seulement des ceuvrcs d'artistcs balinais.

Bali possćdc une culturc originalc, qui a donnć naissance a un art vivant ct universellc-ment renommć. Scs ballcts et ses gamćlans sont connus et apprćcićs dans le monde enticr. En matiere d’arts plastiques, Bali s’est acquis une cćlćbritć nouvclle depuis quc scs artistes, tc-nonęant a la rigiditć du style traditionncl et sans rien perdre de leur originalitć, s’efforcent de donner une interprćtation librę et modernę de la vie et des coutumcs populaires dc Pile. Les cxpositions dc peintures, dessins et sculptures modernes de Bali, organisćes en Indonesie et k 1’ćtranger, ont reęu un accueil enthousiaste, et ccrtaines des plus bclles productions de son art se trouvent maintenant A Petranger.

Tout cn sc rćjouissant dc ccttc consćcration mondialc, on nc pouvait se dissimuler que les peintres ct les sculpteurs locaux risqucnt d’ćtrc ainsi privćs de la possibilitć dc sc perfectionncr cn ćtudiant les ccuvrcs les plus rcmarquables dc leurs contcmporains ct dc Icurs ainćs, 1’une des conditions de leurs progres. II existait bicn a Denpasar un musće d’art balinais ancien, mais le public balinais et les amateurs etrangers regret-taient Pabscncc d’un musće permanent d’art modernę.

Avant la guerre, la socićtć d’art balinais Pita Maha (dissoute depuis) cn avait bicn cnvi-

sagć la creation, mais son projet n’avait pas abouti. Ccst seulement cn 1953 quc Tjokorda Gde Agung Khanaka, Tjokorda Gdc Anom Bawa et Pauteur du prćsent article purent cons-tituer la fondation Ratna Wartha, cn vuc de prć-parer la crćation d'un musće d’art moderne a Ubud, dans la partie mćridionalc de Pile. Cette villc, vćritable foyer d’art modernę, etait parti-culićrcment designće pour abriter unc telle institution.. Des le dćbut, les autorites ct lc public nc mćnagćrcnt pas leur sympathic ct leur appui k la nouvclle fondation. La Sticusa (Stichting voor Culturclc Samcnwerking) et diverscs entreprises privćcs ainsi quc des amis dc Part balinais lui fournirent les moyens d’acquć-rir a Ubud un terrain magnifiqucment situć. Lc 31 janvier 1954, lc ministre dc Peducation posait la premićrc pierre de Pćdificc et lc premier ministre inaugurait une plaque commćmorative.

7*

140