Lot 26
M T Hla(1874-1946)At the Shwedagon Pagoda II
22 April 2021, 10:00 HKT
Hong Kong, Six Pacific PlaceHK$30,000 - HK$40,000
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M T Hla (1874-1946)
At the Shwedagon Pagoda II
circa 1925
signed
watercolour on paper
20 by 15 cm.
7 7/8 by 5 7/8 in.
circa 1925
signed
watercolour on paper
20 by 15 cm.
7 7/8 by 5 7/8 in.
Footnotes
Provenance
Michael Backman, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Private Collection, Bangkok
*Please note that this lot is located in Singapore. Buyer is responsible to arrange shipping from present location of lot to buyer's desired destination. To enquire shipping quote, please contact [email protected].
M T Hla was one of the first and most important Burmese artists who painted in Western watercolour style. This influence was introduced to Myanmar in the first decade of the 20th century and since watercolour painting has earned a prominent place within the country.
While travelling through Burma, the Irishman Gerald Kelly (1879-1972) was known to have taught M T Hla watercolour painting techniques. Much of M T Hla's works also display influence from Robert Talbot Kelly (1861-1934), whose paintings were reproduced in two books [Burma Painted and Described (1905) and Burma (1909)] that were widely available in Burma at the time.
Breaking the established traditions of painting Buddhist imagery or portraits of royalty and aristocrats, M T Hla was also a pioneer in painting ordinary people, particularly ethnic minorities living in isolation. His works are executed through close and personal observation of the diverse socio-cultural characteristics of his countrymen.