The Le Mayeur Museum

Explore the enchanting Le Mayeur's Museum - a captivating point of interest located in Sanur.

Visitors will discover a diverse collection of paintings by Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merpré. The exhibition provides a window into Balinese life and culture, and showcases the artist's life in Bali.

Belgian artist Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merpré (1880-1958) arrived in Bali in 1932.

Three years later, he married a beautiful Legong dancer, Ni Wayan Pollok Tjoklik, who was only 15 years old at the time of their marriage.

They made their home in Sanur, back when it was a quiet fishing village. The couple did not have any children.

After Ni Pollok’s death in 1985, the house was repurposed into a museum.

Around 90 of Le Mayeur's paintings are displayed in the museum.

His earlier work was influenced by his travels around Europe, Africa, and India.

His paintings from the Balinese period often depict scenes of everyday life and Balinese women, with many portraits of his wife.

Many of his works feature women with bare busts.

Le Mayeur's painting technique is associated with impressionism. He used thick and stiff brushes to create sharp yet fleeting strokes, a method later further developed by another Bali resident – Antonio Blanco.

Le Mayeur worked with a range of materials, including wood, plywood, canvas, and paper.

The Le Mayeur Museum serves as an intriguing example of Balinese architecture.

The interior is characterized by elements of classical Balinese design, with stone sculptures, red terrazzo tile floors, and wooden carvings. The shutters are adorned with carvings depicting scenes from the Ramayana epic, such as the legend of Rama and Sita.

The main museum building showcases an exhibition of Le Mayeur's personal belongings. Five rooms recreate the interiors where the artist lived and worked. A pavilion in the gardens, where Le Mayeur received guests and met with buyers, is also a part of the museum.