Gianyar is a district in Bali which is famous for producing the best local artists. In some era, almost every man in their house produced a variety of stunning paintings or sculptures. Many of these artworks are bought for the decoration of star hotels or painting collectors. You can easily find great painters and sculptors there.

Puri Lukisan Museum

It turns out that the creativity of the Gianyar community is also supported by its king. Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati is one of the contributors of the the Gianyar’s paintings development. He opened the Puri (castle) door in Gianyar to be visited by people from the outside. At that time, the castle in Bali seemed closed and exclusive. Only the king, nobility, and those related to them who can enter it. Ordinary people and foreign tourists are certainly not allowed to enter if they do not have access or permission.

Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati feels that the public must know how the Balinese tradition is. So he invited some of his friends abroad to come visit. He also invited several world leaders to see Bali more closely. He’s introducing the traditions, traditional food, and Balinese culture to the world. In fact there are two friends of Tjokorda Gde Agung who are settled in Bali and one of them resides in the castle. This became the beginning of the exchange of information about painting. Tjokorda asked his two friends, Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet, to provide input on the techniques of painting in Bali.

Gradually the results of Balinese artists' paintings began to be influenced by the techniques and styles of European paintings. Most of the paintings made by Tjokorda Gde Agung and many Balinese artists are talking about the daily life of the Balinese people. The situation of the village, traditional ceremonies, the atmosphere of the market, the daily life of the Balinese people, also the scenery that is commonly found in the village. Painting is the media to introduce Bali to the international world. Until today, many foreign tourists are interested in coming and having a long vacation in Bali.

Because of the large collection of Tjokorda Gde Agung paintings, both his own paintings and those from friends and Balinese artists, the castle was opened into a painting gallery. So you can now see a variety of old to modern paintings at the Puri Lukisan Museum. There are several rooms that accommodate and share paintings and other works of art. You can read the biography and journey of Tjokorda Gde Agung in the first building. There are also many photos of him and the history of his two friends. You can even see some exhibitions from students at Bali universities. The second building is used to store paintings by Tjokorda Gde Agung's friends and selected artists. The paintings there have adopted styles and techniques from Europe. Although the contents and themes about Bali and its folklore.

The third building holds several carvings of the Great Tjokorda Gde collection and of several world figures. You can even find museum officials playing Balinese gamelan. While the last building is a collection of Tjokorda Gde Agung paintings from the past. You can find long paintings containing Ramayana and Mahabaratha. After enjoying a lot of paintings and information about Tjokorda Gde AGung and Puri Lukisan, you can rest at a restaurant near the entrance. Since the entrance ticket to the Puri Lukisan Museum includes lunch coupons, you should visit the museum at around 10:00 WITA. So you can taste the delicious food from a reliable chef at the Puri Lukisan Museum restaurant.