Romantic sea side mansion of a great artist
- Jl. Hang Tuah
- Open daily 7.30am – 3.30pm Fri 7:30am – 1pm
- +62 361 286201
A Balinese love story
This is the house of Sanur’s most famous resident, the Belgian artist Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres. When he first arrived here in 1932, he fell in love with both the island and a beautiful Balinese legong dancer Ni Polok. They married three years later, when she was just 15. Mayeur found his muse in the island of Bali and he went on to create an incredible number of artworks featuring landscapes, traditional village life and of course his beautiful wife.
Bali ‘postcards to the world’
Mayeur settled in Bali in the days when Sanur was still a quiet fishing village. In a way his paintings were like postcards offering the world a glimpse into the life of this mysterious island of exceptional beauty. His exotic portraits became very popular, with some works fetching over $150,000.
His exotic portraits became very popular, with some works fetching over $150,000.
Visit the museum!
When Mayeur passed away in 1958, Ni Polok stayed in the beachside house. After her death it was turned into a museum. Have a wander around the compound and imagine what life must have been like. The over 80 paintings that are on display are perhaps a bit tired, but Mayeur’s residence is a wonderful example of Balinese-style architecture with sculpted stone walls, red terrazzo floor tiles and an impressive art collection.