Bonnet and the Prince of Ubud, Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati, developed plans to establish a museum of fine art, Balinese art. A ‘Palace of the Arts’ on the island would boost local awareness of Balinese art. They established a new foundation in 1953, the Yayasan Ratna Warta. The primary aim of this foundation was to establish a museum in Ubud, which had always been the centre of new developments in Balinese art. Bonnet designed the building in Balinese style, which was constructed from local materials. The foundation stone was laid at the end of January 1954. Bonnet also designed the surrounding gardens with their profusion of flowering shrubs and a lotus pond to complement the works of art.

The museum was accessed from the main road by crossing a bamboo bridge spanning a small ravine and ascending the stone stairway to the beautiful gardens, with the Puri Lukisan Museum (Palace of Paintings) at the back of the grounds. The plans included the construction of three pavilions. The first pavilion, the main building, was completed in 1956 and was officially opened by the then Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture. The other two pavilions flanked the main building: the pavilion on the left was used for dance performances and housed a small warong, a food stall, the pavilion on the right served as an amphitheatre, used for grander performances.

The collection consisted of drawings and woodcarvings made by Balinese artists after 1928. Many of the works came from Bonnet’s own collection that he had brought together since his arrival in Bali in 1929. He donated this collection to the new museum. Inspired by his generosity, many other private individuals also donated works to the museum. The collection was also expanded with targeted acquisitions by the museum. 

The Puri Lukisan Museum still resonates with the spirit of Rudolf Bonnet. The works on display, especially in the main building, were chosen by Bonnet and testify to his appreciation of high-quality Balinese art. They also show Bonnet’s continuing influence on Balinese painting. Famous Balinese artists started producing works inspired by Bonnet; association with him conferred status. 

Bonnet brought together the collection that was exhibited at the opening of the museum.

He wrote the following in his report to the CRM: ‘For now, I have been able to expand the museum’s collection with another sixteen paintings. Six are pre-war, high-quality coloured drawings loaned by the Bali Museum in Denpasar, which is more focused on old Balinese art. Eight paintings were donated by Balinese and Dutch individuals and the museum was loaned one painting and a statue.’

Rudolf Bonnet returned to Bali in 1973, again on behalf of the CRM. Before his departure from the Netherlands, he organised – in cooperation with the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) in Amsterdam – an exhibition of Balinese paintings and woodcarvings from seven private collections owned by some of his old friends from Bali. The exhibition, held in the halls of the Aviorama restaurant at Schiphol airport, opened to the public on 12 May 1973. 

Bonnet travelled to Bali for a third time in 1976 at the request of the CRM. He would stay for four months. His most important assignment was inventorising the 203 art works in the museum and compiling a catalogue. Bonnet’s introduction to the catalogue included a brief overview of the development of modern Balinese art and the establishment of the Puri Lukisan Museum. The introduction was followed by short biographies of the artists represented in the museum. Unfortunately this manuscript has been lost. 

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