Balinese painting is
classified into certain groups and styles, not without some overlaps and a few
that do not fit into any of the main styles.
First is the Kamasan or classical painting, which is also named
the wayang style.
First is the Kamasan or classical painting, which is also named
the wayang style.
This style can be traced back
to ninth century Javanese sculpture that features wayang figures, rich floral
designs, and flame-and-mountain motifs characteristic of classical Balinese
painting. There is also the Pita Maha, which literally means 'great vitality'.
This group was formed when painting was dying out as an art form and in a
serious decline due to styles becoming stagnant. Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet
were western artists who, along with their patron Cokorda Gede Agung Sukawati,
formed the Pita Maha to encourage painting as an art form and seek a market for
the best paintings. Other styles include theYoung Artists and variants of the
main Kamasan and Young Artists'styles.
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