Prince Raden Saleh - Aristocrat, Artist, Scientist and Patriot

Prince Raden Saleh Syarif Bustaman was born in 1811 into the noble Indonesian Regent family of the famous Kijai Ngabehi Kertoboso Bustaman (1681-1759), directly related to the Mataram Kingdom and Sultanate, just as his great-grandnephew Dr. Dr. George H. Hundeshagen (gelar Raden Adipati Ario), founder and chairman of the Prince Raden Saleh Foundation.

The Bustaman family encompassed 20 Regents and at least 7 Regent families throughout Indonesia, and is remembered for their heroic support of Prince Diponegoro's struggle for independence.

Our family suffered tremendously because of their devoted support of Pangeran Diponegoro, as Prince Raden Saleh's cousins Raden Sukur and his brother (also by the name) Raden Saleh, sons of the celebrated and beloved Regent of Semarang Kyai Raden Adipati Suryamangalla, also fought on the side of Prince Diponegoro.

Because of this, Raden Sukur's father and his brother both were arrested by the Dutch in 1825 and sent into exile. (For additional information please see the page "Raden Saleh and Diponegoro").

Following the treacherous arrest of Prince Diponegoro by General de Kock, Prince Raden Saleh moved to Europe, where he studied art under Cornelius Kruseman and Andreas Schelfhout.

Although he was the first Indonesian artist to paint in the Western style, the fact that he expressed individuality and creativity in his work (as opposed to the traditional approach which stressed the reproduction of established forms and styles) showed the way for future Indonesian artists to express their own ideas more freely.

It was from Kruseman that Prince Raden Saleh learned his skills as a portraitist, and he was received at various European courts where he was commissioned mainly to do portraits. From 1839, he spent five years at the court of Ernst I, Grand Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who became an important patron. From Schelfhout, Prince Raden Saleh learned the skills of a landscape artist.

Prince Raden Saleh visited many European cities, as well as Algiers. While in The Hague (Netherlands), a lion tamer allowed him to study his lions, and subsequently wild animal scenes brought Prince Raden Saleh great fame.

During his stay in Europe, Raden Saleh met with many important painters and artists, such as Eugene Delacroix.  

Original "Lion Hunt on Java" sold for Euro 805.00,00 (approx. USD 966,000.00 on November 18, 2005 in Germany.

In 1839 Prince Raden Saleh painted one of his masterpieces named “Lions and Snake”, which symbolizes the eternal fight of good against evil, and Delacroix painted a very similar theme called “Tiger and Snake” in 1862, again twenty-three years after the Prince Raden Saleh original.  

Prince Raden Saleh returned to Indonesia in 1851, having lived in Europe for over 20 years and subsequently married into the family of the powerful Sultan of Yokyakarta. He continued to paint, producing portraits of Javanese aristocrats, and many landscapes. Prince Raden Saleh died on April 23, 1880, after returning from a second extended stay in Europe which he undertook to visit his family one last time.

Ever since then Prince Raden Saleh has been the celebrated and cherished Superstar of Indonesian arts, and already three years after his passing away his timeless masterpieces were displayed at the 1883 World Exhibition in Amsterdam in a special Raden-Saleh-Pavillon.

One of Prince Raden Saleh's most touching creations is his oil painting 'The Capture of Prince Diponegoro' which was returned to Indonesia from the Royal Palace of the Netherlands in 1978. It is now on display at the Museum Istana  Jakarta. In the painting, Prince Raden Saleh deliberately made the heads of the Dutch big, a reference to their pomposity and arrogance, and also to make them 'laughable' figures in comparison with the well-balanced figures of the Indonesians.

Please follow this link to our complete interpretation as to what Prince Raden Saleh really was expressing and stating with this important painting. You will see and realize a totally new and exciting side of Indonesias greatest painter.

It is believed that the Javanese man covering his face with his hands, standing behind Prince Diponegoro, and the Javanese man standing with his head bowed in the crowd at the bottom of the stairs, are both self-portraits.

Please follow this link to our Prince Raden Saleh Online Gallery & Museum the world-wide only and comprehensive exhibition of Raden Saleh original paintings, watercolours and drawings. We are home to the largest collection of his  works of art and media world-wide, and at the same time the most comprehensive source on Raden Saleh related topics and research information.

"Flood on Java" oil on canvas, 74 x 115 cm

Dr. Dr. George H. Hundeshagen, as well a descendent of the legendary Kijai Ngabehi Kertoboso Bustaman (1681-1759) and the Mataram Kingdom and Sultanate,  has issued a selection of Raden Saleh’s finest masterpieces in new, modern interpretations.

In his homage to his great-granduncle, Dr. Dr. Hundeshagen also expresses his deep passion and love for Indonesia, the country of his ancestors, and brings to life once more the genius and brilliance of Prince Raden Saleh. Dr. Dr. Hundeshagen has already made himself a name and gained recognition in the art world of Europe and America, not only as curator of his great-granduncle's fame and works of art, but also for his bold modern adaptations of his various masterpieces as displayed in the Gallery Raden Saleh.

Dr. Dr. Hundeshagen's works of art - just as his great-granduncle's timeless masterpieces - are already part of the private collections of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, as well as the government of the Republic of Indonesia.

Please follow this link to the Raden Saleh Gallery for Dr. Dr. Hundeshagens modern adaptations.

Or enjoy browsing the world's largest selection of Prince Raden Saleh's timeless and original masterpierces by following this link to our Prince Raden Saleh Online Gallery & Museum.