Young Balinese Girl with Hibiscus 1939

Romualdo Locatelli painted this portrait of a young Balinese girl with oil on canvas. The loose brushwork and warm palette give the painting an intimate, immediate feel. The materiality of oil paint itself contributes to the work’s impact. Notice how Locatelli has built up layers of pigment to capture the textures of skin, cloth, and foliage. The oil medium allows for subtle gradations of tone, seen particularly in the girl's luminous complexion. But let’s also consider the context: Locatelli was part of a wave of European artists drawn to Bali in the early 20th century. They sought an escape from industrial modernity. Yet, his paintings were inevitably tied to the colonial gaze, romanticizing the island and its people for a Western audience. The labor involved was not just Locatelli’s, but also the labor and the life of the girl herself, who stands as a symbol of a place undergoing profound change. Ultimately, to fully appreciate this artwork, we must recognize how the artist's techniques are intertwined with complex social and cultural dynamics.