The Meaning of the Painting of Bull Hunting by Raden Saleh in 1855 in the Perspective of Postcolonial Theory
Mochamad Fauzie (a*), Dharsono (b), Rustopo (b), Budi Setiyono (b)

Doctoral Program of Arts, Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Surakarta, Indonesia

*mochamadfauzie[at]gmail.com

Abstract

Raden Saleh (1811-1880) was the first Indonesian during the Dutch colonial period to study painting in Europe for 23 years (1829-1852). He managed to become a famous painter in Europe in the 19th century. The cultural products of colonized societies in the perspective of Postcolonial Theory tend to show ambivalence. Contains resistance and at the same time surrender to the invaders. This paper intends to find signs of ambivalence in Bull Hunting painting by Raden Saleh in 1855. The data collection technique uses semiotic analysis of denotative and connotative meanings. The results of the study found that painting contained ambivalence: on the one hand it showed the success of imitating the techniques and styles of Western painting, on the other hand it contained satire to his own group (Javanese aristocrats) who were an extension of the colonizers in exploiting the indigenous population. Not the real strength depicted in the painting, but the dilemma, and the dangerous position.

Keywords: Raden Saleh, Painting, Semiotic, Postcolonial Theory

Topic: Social Science and Humanities