Lot 13
U Ba Thet (Burmese, 1903-1972) Buffaloes at Work
Amended
29 March 2018, 16:00 HKT
Hong Kong, Six Pacific PlaceSold for HK$143,750 inc. premium
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U Ba Thet (Burmese, 1903-1972)
Buffaloes at Work
Oil on board, framed
Signed and dated 'Ba Thet 65' at lower right
Painted in 1965
50 x 81 cm (19⅝ x 31⅞ in).
Oil on board, framed
Signed and dated 'Ba Thet 65' at lower right
Painted in 1965
50 x 81 cm (19⅝ x 31⅞ in).
Footnotes
Provenance:
Private Collection, Minnesota, USA
烏巴鐵 水牛勞動 油彩木板 木框 一九六五年作
簽名：Ba Thet 65
來源：
美國明尼蘇達州私人收藏
U Ba Thet was one of Burma's leading artists in the post-World War II period and a major figure of the Mandalay School, painting in the Western style. Although he did not receive formal artistic training, he succeeded first in the watercolour medium through observing Maung Maung Gyi (1890-1942), Ba Zaw (1891-1942) and Saya Saung (1898-1952). His early watercolour subjects included iconic Burmese scenes such as Mandalay Palace and Irrawaddy River; in his later years, he ventured into oil painting in search of adventure and breakthrough.
Buffaloes at Work is a signature example completed during his sophisticated, mature period, at age 62. Men are seen directing water buffaloes across the earthy field, accompanied by a log-laden red truck in the midst of dusty haze and the hot sun shimmering in the horizon. Tabs of oil in the upper left background suggest an onlooker gazing at this laborious act. U Ba Thet's deft brushwork and skilful treatment of light and shadow lend this scene a cinematic quality. The addition of a truck also brings a touch of modernity into the rural scene suggesting both opportunities and contradictions of a nascent Burma in the 1960s.
Saleroom notices
Medium: Oil on canvas laid down on board.