Adrien-Jean Le Majeur de Merpres

Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres was born in Brussels, Belgium. In 1932, he travelled to Bali. Although he initially planned on staying for just a few months, he was so fascinated by the people and nature in Bali that he decided to stay for good. Inspired by the light and colours, he painted in the post-Impressionist style. He got acquainted with the 15 year-old ‘legong’ dancer Ni Pollok, who became a model for his paintings. In 1935, they got married and she continued to be his model. In 1957, his house with his work was conveyed to the Government of Indonesia to be a museum. This was suggested by the Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture, who was deeply impressed with Le Mayeur’s work. The museum still exists; Le Mayeur and Ni Pollok’s home has been kept in its original condition ever since.