The Florentine artist, Emilio Ambron spent the years of 1937 – 1940 in Bali and remained inspired all his life by his experience on the island. In the twilight of his life, he expressed his profound wish to donate a collection of his most cherished artworks to Klungkung, the ancient royal capital of the island. His confidant, Idanna Pucci, presented an official proposal to the City Council of Florence. She outlined all the shared aspects of Klungkung and Florence. On June 14, 1996, the Sister City Pact was approved – just nine days after Ambron took his final breath.
Meanwhile, the city of Klungkung – now renamed Semarapura – accepted the honor and responsibility of the valuable donation and reserved two large halls in the city museum on the grounds of the former royal palace. Garuda Indonesia generously offered transportation – seven tons of paintings, drawings, and sculptures in bronze and marble, a total of 68 artworks – from Florence to Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar. On July 27, Idanna and her husband, Terence Ward, boarded the same plane in Rome and accompanied the precious cargo to its final destination.
In those heady days, two powerful Indonesian personalities tried to appropriate the collection, but the works stayed in their promised new home, where they are guarded vigilantly. Ambron’s art remains “a missing link” in many private art collections in Indonesia. Today, his paintings and sculptures, on display at the Museum Semarajaya of Klungkung, serve as an inspiration for Balinese and foreign artists, and continue to surprise visitors who walk in and, are unexpectedly confronted with timeless portraits of beauty rendered by a Florentine hand.
