She was born on March 3rd 1917 at Banjar Kelandis. Her parents were farmers, but she did not follow her parents’ footsteps. God blessed a great talent to her, She danced Balinese dance beautifully and become one of famous dancers. She danced Legong Keraton beatifully. Indeed, it was her specialization. She was beautiful and talented girl. Well, she is Ni Nyoman Pollok.

Ni Pollok (her nick name) hypnotized everybody who watched her performance. Without any exception, Adrian Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres, a well-known Belgian painter who visited Bali, found it was hard to control him self in admiring Ni Pollok for her elegance when she was dancing and of course her beauty.

Later, Le Mayeur asked permission to her parents and Sekaa Legong (Balinese Youth’s Organization which is focused on practicing dance), where Ni Pollok had been registered as a member, to permit her to become his model. His wish was granted.

She had been successful as Le Mayeur’s model and succeeded in making Le Mayeur’s paintings to be famous more than before. Le Mayeur’s paintings were usually sold out in several countries like Malaysia and Singapore. Le Mayeur was successful in developing his carrier and also his relationship with Pollok. In 1935, three years after being his model, she married with Le Mayeur with 40-years difference in age.

After the wedding ceremony, they moved out from their home at Banjar Kelandis and both of them lived in Sanur. Her husband also used it as his studio.

There was a good reciprocal relation between Ni Pollok and Le Mayeur. Because of making Pollok as his model Le Mayeur could create many masterpieces whereas Pollok was a fortune wife since she got an educated husband. Le Mayeur taught his illiterate wife how to write and to do arithmetic. Perfect? If there was something lack it was absence of child in their marriage.

In 1958, because of cancer, Le Mayeur had to go back to his country in order to get better medical treatment. Unfortunately he died at the same year. Pollok was very sad. However she continued to run and took care of her husband’s studio that had been converted a museum in 1957. She also asked I Made Panti to create her husband’s chest statue and placed it in the yard of the museum due to remember her lovely husband.

After the passing away of her husband, Pollok had to survive with her own power. She was allowed to earn money from the museum by the government. So, in order to fulfill her daily needs she opened an art shop in the yard of the museum.

July 1985 was the end of Ni Pollok’s life. Ni Pollok was immortalized in her husband’s paintings at Le Mayeur Museum. There was nobody took care the museum anymore. Consequently the museum was taken and run by the government until now. Do you want to see how beautiful Ni Pollok is? Just go to the Le Mayeur Museum at Sanur, Bali.

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