Also called the Ni Polok Museum, Box 7, Sanur, tel. 62361-286164, formerly the home of Adrien Jean Le Mayeur Merpres (1908-1982), the Belgian impressionist painter who moved to Sanur in 1932 at the age of 52 and stayed for 26 years.

Just 100 meters north of the Grand Bali Beach Hotel (take the lane to the right), smothered by buildings on all sides, the house is wedged between the Diwangkara Beach Hotel and the parking lot of the Grand Bali Beach Hotel.

You can also reach the museum from the beach by taking the path off Jalan Hang Tuah in north Sanur. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 0800 to 1600, Friday 0800-1330, Sunday 0800-1600. Ni Polok's daughter guides you.

Set in a lush tropical garden of hibiscus and bougainvillea and adorned with statues, the gallery contains 92 paintings captioned in English and Indonesian, local artifacts, and some superb specimens of traditional Balinese carvings. Later works dramatically capture the people and scenes of Bali.

Earlier paintings, which depict Le Mayeur's extensive travels around Europe, tend to be in poor condition. Some paintings were executed on rough canvas made of woven palm leaves which Le Mayeur was forced to use during the Japanese occupation. The dark interior makes it difficult to view the works, but the stunning portraits and photographs of Ni Polok are the highlights of the museum.

Le Mayeur first settled in the village of Klandis, east of Denpasar, where he met Ni Polok, a star Legong dancer and famed beauty. She agreed to model for Le Mayeur and became the subject of a number of his paintings, bringing him great success in exhibitions in Singapore.

To the astonishment of the Balinese villagers who so feared the sea, the painter bought an isolated plot of land right on the beach at Sanur, where he built an elegant Balinese-style home. The artist painted during the day and at night entertained other gregarious travelers, providing them with huge Balinese feasts, dance performances, and the opportunity to purchase his paintings as a memento of their visit.

In 1935, Ni Polok and Le Mayeur were married. The couple lived in their lovely beach home until 1958, when they returned to Belgium so that he could be treated for cancer. Le Mayeur died the same year, without heirs, leaving his paintings to his wife. For many years Ni Polok managed the museum herself. She died in 1985 at the age of 85. The Indonesian government now looks after the house and collection.