In November 2018, however, scientists reported the discovery of the then-oldest known figurative art painting, over 40,000 (perhaps as old as 52,000) years old, of an unknown animal, in the cave of Lubang Jeriji Saléh on the Indonesian island of Borneo (Kalimantan).

[1][2] In December 2019, figurative cave paintings depicting pig hunting in the Maros-Pangkep karst in Sulawesi were estimated to be even older, at at least 43,900 years old.

The finding was noted to be “the oldest pictorial record of storytelling and the earliest figurative artwork in the world”.

[3][4] And more recently, in 2021, cave art of a pig found in an Indonesian island, and dated to over 45,500 years, has been reported.

In addition, there are also paintings on cave walls on the south coast of West Papua on the island of New Guinea.

[8] After the end of prehistoric times, the Indonesian people had various kinds of expertise, such as making large stones in the form of stepped pyramids, metal casting, agriculture and tools, sculpture, and batik making, which were developed with the addition of new elements at the time of the influx of Hindu influence.

Common themes used in works of art at this time include religion, mythology, legends, and historical stories.

Along with temple wall carvings and lontar pictures, classical Balinese painting is an educational medium following religious teachings or the philosophy of life in the Hindu era.

In this case, Islamic tolerance supports the continuity of the previous fine art tradition, but with a new breath, such as decoration with stylized animal and human motifs combined with Arabic letters, both in the application of aesthetic elements to mosques, the cultivation of craft art, painting or calligraphy.

The trend of Western European art at that time towards romanticism made many Indonesian painters participate in developing this genre.

Raden Saleh Syarif Bustaman is one of the assistants who was lucky enough to learn European-style painting which was practiced by Dutch painters.

The era of revolution in Indonesia made many Indonesian painters shift from romantic themes to tend toward "populist".

The Cultural Manifesto Movement which aims to fight the coercion of communist ideology made painters in the 1950s prefer to free their works of art from certain political interests, so that the era of expressionism began.

The journey of Indonesian painting from the pioneering work of R. Saleh to the beginning of the twentieth century, is still being swayed by various clashes of conceptions.

Along with that, conventional painting with various styles adorns the galleries, which is no longer a form of appreciation for the community, but an alternative investment business.

The individualistic attitude is getting stronger with the rampant experiments of the artists, both in terms of materials, techniques, and the expression of their art.

[11] In the mid-19th century, the world of painting or drawing art of Indonesian artists still referred to the traditional styles that developed in the regions.

This expression is not an exaggeration considering that Raden Saleh was the first Indonesian to receive special painting guidance from naturalist and realist-style painters of Belgian descent who had lived in Indonesia, namely A.A.J.

To strengthen the movement and equalize perceptions, this group then formed the Association of Indonesian Drawing Experts (PERSAGI) in 1938 in Jakarta.

The painters who participated in exhibiting their paintings were Basuki Abdullah, Affandi, Kartono Yudhokusumo, Nyoman Ngedon, Hendra Gunawan, Henk Nantung, and Otto Jaya.

This heroic spirit is evidenced in the form of posters of struggles and sketch paintings in the midst of battles.

A year later, namely in 1947 they joined the association of Young Indonesian Artists (SIM) which was formed in 1946 in Madiun with the pioneer Sudjojono.

In 1949, R. J. Katamsi with several SIM member artists, People's Painters, POETRA, and Budayan Taman Siswa started the Indonesian Fine Arts Academy (ASRI) which has now changed to ISI.

Some of the alumni of the IKIP Bandung Fine Arts Department who are pursuing painting are artists Oho Garha, Nana Banna, Hidayat, Dadang MA, and Hardiman.