Visitors to the island of Bali are often overwhelmed by the abundance and variety of paintings they encounter: traditional, typically Balinese paintings, non-traditional paintings that are nevertheless also typically Balinese, and paintings in which modern graphic elements from the West are added to or superimposed upon the characteristic Balinese style. But what is a typical Balinese painting? This concise account examines the religious and social values and the painting techniques that constitute the Balinese style, a style emphasizing skill, perfection, and elegance at the expense of individual expression.
