Artist Fernando Amorsolo was born in Manila in 1892, and as a teenager, he began an apprenticeship with respected artist Fabian de la Rosa. Despite the artist's loss of his father and half-brother before he was 12, early Fernando Amorsolo paintings were hopeful and full of light. Amorsolo's artwork drew particular appreciation for his technique of backlighting. Though some critics dismissed the positive outlook in his paintings as naive, Amorsolo wanted to show that good still existed in the world.
Fernando Amorsolo's paintings for sale depict the rural areas and people of the Philippines. In 1939, artist Fernando Amorsolo's oil painting Afternoon Meal of the Workers was exhibited at the New York World's Fair and won first prize. The artist was also commissioned to do oil paintings of all the sitting Philippine presidents during his career. Bring personality and light to your rooms by purchasing impressive portrait paintings online.
Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972) Seascape at Sunset signed and dated 1967 (lower right) oil on canvas 22" x 28" (56 cm x 71 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot. Provenance: Private Collection, USA Sunset at Mariveles A View from Cavite Aside from creating resplendent masterpieces and spending time with his family, Fernando Amorsolo’s favorite pastime was traveling to far-flung provinces, basking in the magnificent landscapes, observing and immersing himself in the townsfolk’s cultures and traditions. These trips allowed him to create a number of works perfectly encapsulating the glorious countryside life. “These frequent sojourns to the countryside afforded Papa the chance to depict the activities of the rural folks as well,” Sylvia Amorsolo Lazo, the maestro’s daughter, recollected in Maestro Fernando C. Amorsolo: Recollections of the Amorsolo Family published in 2009. Other than his bucolic countryside paintings of the bountiful rice fields and harvest season themes, Amorsolo also blessed the art scene with his mesmerizing seascapes. Painted with oil, the artist’s favored medium, Amorsolo’s 1967 Seascape, presented a majestic scenery and captured the diligent and hardworking qualities of provincial life. In this piece, he depicted a group of fishermen aboard their banca on full sail, on their way for a plentiful catch. On the horizon is the magnificent Mt. Mariveles and an awe-inspiring panorama of a twilight sky, the sun slowly going down the horizon. Amorsolo’s long years of artmaking, traversing various subjects and mediums, culminated in his renowned style and light and provided inspiration to the succeeding generation of artists. His landscapes and seascapes never fail to highlight the country’s timeless beauty, preserving it for the succeeding generations. Amorsolo’s illustrious career has earned him several awards and recognitions, including the first National Artist of the Philippines. Consequently, his works have been the centerpiece of numerous art spaces: exhibitions, museums, galleries, and private collections. (Jessica Magno)
Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972) Pasay signed and dated 1932 (lower right) oil on wood 11" x 18" (28 cm x 46 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by the family of Miss Frances Rodgers, daughter of Dr. James B. and Mrs. Anna Rodgers, the first Presbyterian missionaries in the Philippines, who had originally arrived in 1894 was a child. Miss Rodgers would become head of the Home Economics Department of Silliman University and would become neighbor and friend to Mrs. Mary M. Bercovitz who would receive it as a gift from Miss Rodger’s estate as she had instructed. A Gift of Love from a Friend Amorsolo Memories Reach Out across Time by Mary M. Bercovitz My husband, Nathaniel Bercovitz, our two-year old daughter Ellen, and I arrived in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines in February of 1958. My husband was to help install a radio transmitter for the United Church of Christ of the Philippines. We were housed on the campus of Silliman University and our neighbor across the street from us was Frances Rodgers. Her parents, Dr. James B and Mrs. Anna Rodgers had come to Manila in April 1894 (when Frances was 6 years old) as the first Presbyterian Missionaries to the Philippines. When we arrived, Frances was head of the Home Economics Department in the College of Liberal Arts of Silliman University. She had started Domestic Science classes there in 1917 which went on to become a full department in 1920. In 1930 it became the Home Economics Department and in 1986 a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics was included. Frances and I quickly became good friends. After all, I had taught Home Economics for one year at a Presbyterian Mission in Kentucky. I had admired the paintings of Philippine scenes which were hanging in her home. There was a large one of local scenes and with Frances’ help, as well as a canvas from a California friend, a local artist agreed to paint a picture for me, even agreeing to move the mountain I could see from my kitchen window so it would overlook the river where women did their laundering! Frances had several very nice paintings, but my favorite was one by Fernando Amorsolo, a lovely pastoral scene of everyday life. It was one which made me want to slow down, breath deeply, and enjoy — and to perhaps imagine myself joining the woman walking in the light next to the water. After Frances’ death in 1983, I received my Fernando Amorsolo painting from those who closed the estate. She had told me that she wanted me to have it because of how much I enjoyed it. I had no idea as to its value and I doubt she did either. I have thought of it as a gift of love from a dear friend. Now in my late 90s, and with poor eyesight, I am parting with it and hoping the person who comes in possession of it finds the same joy as I have had for so many years. About the Painting Amorsolo was one of the first Filipino artists to portray peasants at leisure in art, and many of his scenes crowded along the shore among a scattering of parasols. Often he organized his compositions in such a way that the emphasis was more on the sky than on the people beneath, in which he made numerous studies. His mastery of space and light — the handling especially of emptiness whether at ground level or in the sky — was matched by a delicate mastery of detail and is further enlivened by a charming quasi anecdotal delight in the presentation of groups and figures. The light of the seaside freed Amorsolo’s palette and intensified the vigor of his paint handling. Like his landscapes, the seascapes were completed on the spot during his sojourns. They could belong to a group all their own. By carefully positioning his figures on and around the beach, Amorsolo has created a peaceful and rhythmical composition. At its best, Amorsolo’s art is a paradigm of the realist’s earthy paradise — a society in which people go about their simple lives contented and in a responsive idyllic environment. Miss Frances V. Rodgers, honored in 2018: Eleven names of long-serving faculty and staff of Silliman University who have passed on were unvelied in a solemn ceremony on August 23, 2018 at Silliman Hall. Their names are etched in plates and will be added to the Heritage Builders Wall on the southern lawn. Frances Van V. Rodgers, Founder, Home Economics Department (and Head for 40 years) was one of the eleven so honored. She hasn’t been forgotten.
Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972) Mother and Child in a Rice Field signed and dated 1943 (lower right) oil on wood 8 1/2" x 12" (22 cm x 30 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot Literature: Allinson, Jane, Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo, Carlomar Arcangel Daoana, and Cid Reyes. Amorsolo: Love and Passion - Volume II: Landscapes and Other Works (2nd Edition). Quezon City: Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation, Inc., 2018. Full-color illustration and painting description on page 222. Amorsolo's Loving Oasis Peace amid the War Years Fernando Amorsolo was not spared from the horrors of the Second World War – living only a few blocks away from a Japanese garrison, Amorsolo was at the forefront of the fighting. The Battle of Manila, an occupation that happened in all of one month, was the single deadliest urban warfare of World War II in the Asia-Pacific, physically destroying not just the metropolis but also decimating its culture. At the center of it all was Amorsolo, bearing witness to this destruction. It is a deviation, then, that this 1943 piece exudes a pre-war glow to it. Amidst Amorsolo’s anguished war-period pieces, this work shines bright as it bathes under the warm, golden sunlight. The maestro depicts a young woman standing in knee-high grass, holding a child to her waist. She is dressed traditionally, with a long skirt, white shirt, and scarf wrapped around her head. As further protection from the sweltering sun, she wears a huge woven hat. The hallmarks of an Amorsolo piece are evident here. His colors are shining, with the vibrancy of the sunlight and nature, devoid of any indication that it was created during active wartime but perhaps that was the point. “The paintings of Fernando C. Amorsolo overflow with sweetness and optimism,” art historian Eric Torres once said. Indeed, even during one of the darkest periods in Philippine history, Amorsolo’s eyes are trained on the distant future, viewing the Philippines as a woman standing safe and free within a field, her child cradled in her arms. The wartime pieces of Amorsolo may be a deviation from his usual rustic pieces but Amorsolo indulges in hope even for just a second. He may portray the collective tragedy the country faces in his canvas but he too portrays the freedom that comes after it. They say it is the darkest before the dawn but the dawn comes and Amorsolo fixes his gaze upon it with a fervent faith that bleeds into in canvas. (Hannah Valiente)
Property from the collection of a distinguished amily Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972) Bathers signed and dated 1958 (lower right) oil on canvas laid on panel 26" x 20" (66 cm x 51 cm) Literature: Allinson, Jane, Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo, Carlomar Arcangel Daoana, and Cid Reyes. Amorsolo: Love and Passion - Volume II: Landscapes and Other Works (2nd Edition). Quezon City: Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation, Inc., 2018. Full-color illustration and painting description on page 280. Amorsolo's River Sprites by Hannah Valiente In 1952, Fernando Amorsolo – who had reached the zenith of his career and more – resigned from his post as the Deam of the UP School of Fine Arts. For the next 20 years, he dedicated himself to his painting full-time, creating collections of work that echo his golden period and his post-war sensibilities. His 1958 Bathers is a testament to both Amorsolo’s capabilities as a genre painter and his mastery of the human body. During his academic years when he was among the first batch of graduates of the UP School of Fine Arts, Amorsolo proved his talent and innate understanding of the human body when he received medals for the highest excellence in anatomy and drawing from life and oil in the academic year 1909 and 1910. He continued his excellence during his sojourn in Spain, where some of his earliest nudes barring his academic studies were recorded. However, the majority of the nudes created by Amorsolo existed outside isolation – that is, they are often part of a larger scenery. Bathers are among them as he depicts a favorite theme of his – the lavanderas and the washers. Throughout his career, Amorsolo hired models to photograph, paint, or sketch and this particular piece seems to echo (though it does not exactly copy) an early black-and-white photo taken by the maestro himself. In the photograph as seen from the collections of Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation, Inc., two women stand in knee-deep water, both under the shade as they gingerly look at the camera. Bathers repositions the women in question but it follows the same composition as both women seem deep in conversation while they take a bath. The mastery of Amorsolo’s lavandera paintings is that the backgrounds are based on places the artist himself visited. His daughter Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo said, “Papa took his time going to these places for his on-the-spot sketching and painting. I think his lavanderas were mostly painted in the provinces of Laguna and Bulacan and along Pasig River.” As such, the genius of Amorsolo’s sunshine and shadows are in full display, creating a vivid and near-identical replication of the countryside’s blinding beauty.
Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972) Stream signed and dated 1946 (lower right) oil on masonite board 13” x 15 3/4” (33 cm x 40 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazoconfirming the authenticity of this lot Provenance: Private collection, Manila Amorsolo's Magical River Glen Golden Serenity in the Countryside by Jessica Magno Fernando Amorsolo was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished and the most popular artists in the history of Philippine art. Since his rise to fame, up to date, one can easily spot an Amorsolo piece in government and private offices, museums and galleries, schools, books, postcards, and tourism pamphlets. For a long time, the Amorsolo genre dominated the Philippine art scene, characterized by its realistic images of the sumptuous Filipino rural life, landscapes, and everyday activities depicted in vibrant hues. Amorsolo’s versatility is evident in the thousands of paintings and drawings he produced throughout his career, using mediums such as oil, acrylic, pastel, charcoal, and graphite and making expert use of canvases, boards, and papers as his base. His use of these materials allowed him to capture the essence of his subjects in different ways. Aside from his scenic countryside paintings, he also made a number of glittering riverscapes. Like any of his works, Stream immortalizes nature’s timeless beauty and serenity. Devoid of any figure and bustling activities, this 1946 oil painting depicts a river stream in its calmest state. An abundance of trees and lush greenery surround the bank, reflected in the clear and clean waters; the clear blue sky further adds to its tranquility. The entirety of this piece gives off a late-afternoon vibe. The sun was slowly losing altitude, giving the stream a subtle and soft glow, the last bits of sunlight touching the surface that couldn’t reach the shade of the trees. Concealed at the heart of the forest and away from the public eye, Amorsolo’s rivers and streams are where his dalagas take their time bathing and resting. Light has been a significant element in Amorsolo’s oeuvre, a product of his knowledge and organization of colors. His bright and lyrical attributes faultlessly demonstrate his skill as a master colorist. The light from his concocted sun graced his paintings, creating not only an illusion of sunlight but also a sense of warmth that envelops his landscapes and figures.
Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972) Harvest Season signed and dated 1948 (lower right) oil on canvas 24" x 33" (61 cm x 84 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot Provenance: Private collection, USA Amorsolo's Harvest Cornucopia by Jessica Magno Regarded as the “master of rural landscape,” Fernando Amorsolo painted the Philippine art scene with his sunlit landscapes and archetypal Filipino folk activities-themed masterpieces. Even after his death, his influence and undying legacy in the art scene continue to inspire and instill a deep sense of national pride imbued in the large body of artworks he had left. His 1948 Harvest illustrates a bountiful harvest season, one of the maestro’s famed themes. In view, a group of people huddle around basket after basket of their harvested goods. On one side is a woman tending to the makeshift charcoal stove, cooking lunch to be shared by her and her companions. This reflects the Filipinos’ close kin connection, especially in the small barrios, regardless of whether they were blood-related or just mere neighbors. Amorsolo’s sun spreads a comforting warmth and radiance to his image, as befits an occasion worth celebrating—reflected on his figures’ smiling and happy faces. “His art reaches out; it does not intimidate, confound or alienate,” May Lyn L. Cruz, curator for the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, writes about the maestro. His artistic virtuosity is not just a skill but a force that forges a deep emotional connection with his paintings, demonstrating the power of his artistry. Indeed, Amorsolo’s works, even his wartime series, resonate deeply with the hearts and lives of the Filipinos.
Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972) Riverbank signed and dated 1954 (lower right) oil on masonite board 10" x 13 1/4" (25 cm x 35 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot Provenance Private collection, USA Gathering by the Water Rare Amorsolo Summer Outing by Hannah Valiente Fernando Amorsolo’s landscapes are the crème de la crème of his oeuvre. Regarded as one of the most prominent Filipino painters, if not the most prominent, Amorsolo’s landscapes served as a portal to a past long since evolved. The roads might have changed and its memories long erased but Amorsolo had preserved the image as he saw it at the time, creating a specific vision that one cannot return to, so fleeting was it in the face of the rushing current of time. This 1954 Riverbank was created in what the Fernando C. Amorsolo Foundation deemed as “the peak of his popularity.” He was already and widely recognized as the most influential artist of his time with an oeuvre that speaks of his talent both in portraiture and landscape. Paintings of peasants and farmers, as well as lavanderas and dalagas, dominated the Philippine art scene and cast a wide shadow, which is evident even to this day. However, his landscapes seem to be in another league of its own. A.R. Saulo, a prewar writer, praised his landscapes, saying, “Though Amorsolo is considered one of the country’s leading portrait painters, he believes his forte is landscape painting.” With around forty years of career under his belt, Riverbank bore the maturity of Amorsolo’s talent as he depicts the titular riverbank with a small boat docked on its shores. Amorsolo’s signature light and shadows are used magnificently in this piece; the sunlight ripples on the water's surface, bouncing on the green grass on the bank. Though the people are far too minute to be seen, the viewers can see there is a group of them, one on the boat and one on the shore, and the shadows cast by the overlooking trees are as captivating as the vibrant Filipino sunlight. Whether it be in portraiture or landscape painting, Fernando Amorsolo continues to be relevant to this day. His technical prowess continues to impress, but more than that, his ability to infuse emotion and nostalgia made his landscapes timeless. “Looking at an Amorsolo landscape, how can any Filipino not respond to the sight of certain specific images that instantly define his Filipino-ness: the carabao and the nipa hut, the mango tree and the bamboo grove, the haystack or mandala ng dayami, the traditional native attire of baro’t saya and balintawak,” Cid Reyes wrote in A Legacy of Landscapes. “No matter that these images are rarely or no longer seen in our contemporary life [...] they never fail to strike an emotional chord in all of us.” Perhaps that is the power of an Amorsolo landscape. It transports us in a frozen snapshot of the past, letting us for just a moment participate in a life and time we can no longer experience.
Filipino oil painting on board depicting women seated under trees attributed to Fernando Cueto Amorsolo. Signed and dated 1959 lower right. Viewable measures 18 1/2" x 14 1/2". Frame measures 24" x 20".
Fernando Cueto Amorsolo 1892 - 1972 Woman with Banga signed F Amorsolo and dated 1941 (lower right) oil on canvas mounted on board 39.5 by 29 cm. 15½ by 11⅜ in. Executed in 1941. ---------------------------------------------- 阿莫索羅 1892－1972年 女人與水罐 款識 F Amorsolo，1941（右下） 油畫畫布裱於木板 39.5 x 29 公分 15½ x 11⅜ 英寸 1941年作
Property from an American Private Collection Fernando Cueto Amorsolo 1892 - 1972 Cooking under the Mango Tree signed F Amorsolo and dated 1952 (lower right) oil on canvas 71.5 by 102 cm. 28⅛ by 40⅛ in. Executed in 1952. ---------------------------------------- 美國私人收藏 阿莫索羅 1892－1972年 在芒果樹下煮飯 款識 F Amorsolo，1952（右下） 油畫畫布 71.5 x 102 公分 28⅛ x 40⅛ 英寸 1952年作
(Paco, Philippinen 1892 –1972 Manila) Unter dem Mangobaum. 1950. Öl auf Malkarton. Unten rechts signiert und datiert, verso bezeichnet Reserve for Consul Schnyder. 35,4x45,5 cm. Gerahmt. - Kleiner Farbausbruch und Bereibungen am oberen Rand.
Sunday Morning Going To Town signed and dated 1960 (lower right) oil on canvas 24" x 34" (61 cm x 86 cm) PROVENANCE: Acquired directly from the artist A key figure in Philippine art history, Fernando Amorsolo continuously graced the country with his masterpieces for as long as he could hold a paintbrush. Even after his death, his influence and undying legacy in the art scene continue to inspire and instill a deep sense of national pride, imbued in the large body of artworks he had left, ranging from sketches and studies to portraits, and his famed sunlit bucolic landscapes. His subjects and ingenious use of colors profoundly influence viewers’ emotions, evoking a sense of warmth and nostalgia. Aside from the majestic landscape, this untitled oil painting also presents a peaceful and diligent countryside life, with a hint of a close familial bond. In view is a group of countryfolks going on about their morning chores and activities in the rice fields with several kids in tow, their proximity to one another suggesting that they’re a family or in a tightly-knit community. A nipa hut is visible from the right, shaded by large trees, with piles of hay in front and chickens littered around. At the back is a stretch of farming fields backgrounded by the outlines of nearby mountain ranges, all against a clear blue sky with billowy clouds. Perfectly capturing the rich culture and tradition of the Philippine countryside, this masterpiece was crafted by the maestro’s expert hands in his late 60s, a testament to Amorsolo’s perennial artistic prowess, deserving of the first ever National Artist of the Philippines.
Bamboo Bridge over a River signed and dated 1931 (lower left) oil on canvas 20 1/2" x 24 3/4" (52 cm x 63 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot The Amorsolo landscape is a world filled with the immaculate serenity of the artist's pastoral motherland—made much more special when painted during the height of the artist's creative powers in the 1920s and the 1930s, his own Golden Age. Bamboo Bridge Over A River, painted in 1931, is a memento from the artist's period of high success exemplified by his landmark participation at the 1931 Paris Exposition, in which he exhibited his three large panels, each representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It was only the Philippines' second participation in a Parisian exposition in a city once honored as the global art capital. The French newspaper Le Petit Journal reported that the monumental paintings of Amorsolo and his uncle Fabian de la Rosa, who also participated in the exposition, "have managed to render with as much simplicity as talent." Amorsolo and De la Rosa became heirs to the international prestige that Luna and Hidalgo had earlier reached at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, also in Paris. Riding high on this well-deserved triumph, Amorsolo went on to create paintings of peace and quiet evocative of man living in harmony with nature. This opened an endless stream of consciousness for both his benevolent disposition in life and the promising milieu of his period, marked by a nation's hopeful transition to sovereignty that would materialize with the inauguration of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1935, or four years after this work. After all, painting was both Amorsolo's source of sustenance for his family and his creative catharsis amid an ecstatic atmosphere. Amorsolo was known for his sketching and on-the-spot painting sessions in the nearby countryside environs of Manila. One can have an idea about the locale from which Amorsolo based this scene. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo recounted in the family memoirs that her father would frequent Marilao, Santa Maria, and Bocaue in Bulacan, sketching the idyllic streams and vast fields of the rural towns. She further mentioned that her father also "had his own banca then and used to go boating along the rivers in Quezon City, San Juan, and Pasig." Bamboo Bridge Over A River captures Amorsolo's confident dexterity and optimism at the height of his "Golden Period." Amorsolo's fine brushstrokes mirror the serenity exuded by the scenery. The work is a testament to Amorsolo prospering in both his profession and his profound sense of fulfillment in his personal expressions of the simple joys of countryside living amid the changing times. (Adrian Maranan)
Seascape signed and dated 1957 (lower right) oil on canvas 16" x 24" (41 cm x 61 cm) Spending much time painting and doing commissions, there were also times when the maestro Fernando Amorsolo would be in a slump and need a breath of fresh air. Hence, hunting and traveling have been his favorite pastimes. He would go boating and hunting with his friends, bringing home the birds he shot to preserve and use as models in his drawings. Amorsolo also frequented the countryside, basking in the magnificent landscapes and fresh air and enriching his knowledge and perception of the townfolks’ customs and traditions. These trips and observations allowed him to create a number of works perfectly encapsulating the glorious countryside life. “These frequent sojourns to the countryside afforded Papa the chance to depict the activities of the rural folk as well as their values and traditions,” Sylvia Amorsolo Lazo, the maestro’s daughter, recollected in Maestro Fernando C. Amorsolo: Recollections of the Amorsolo Family published in 2009. “On several trips to far-flung provinces, Papa would occasionally stop for several minutes, producing a quick sketch of one or two scenic views. Alternatively, he would take a picture of the scenery which he would immediately transfer to canvas as he reached his studio,” she added. Although most known for his idyllic rural scenes, Fernando Amorsolo did a lot of portraits, pencil sketches and studies, and astonishing landscape paintings, too. Devoid of his usual rice fields and harvest season themes, Seascapes unfolds a breathtaking view of Mount Mariveles, probably one of the views that captured his attention during his travels. Here, the maestro depicted a coastal area against the magnificent facade of Mount Mariveles, a fisherman’s boat docked at the shore, basking in the light of the setting sun. Filled with the vibrant colors of sunset and cool tones of the slightly darkening sky, this painting evokes warmth and relaxation. Painted in 1957, a decade after the Philippine liberation, Seascape is a delicate balance between reality and dream. With his skilled strokes and brilliant colorwork, he captures the essence of a peaceful Philippines, a time of grace and optimism. Yet, this scenery seems like a distant dream, a past that one longs to return to, a feeling brought by the shadows of war. Nevertheless, Amorsolo’s works never fail to highlight the rich Philippine culture and tradition, a testament to the country’s timeless beauty, preserving it for generations to come. (Jessica Magno)
Market Scene signed, dated 1945 and inscribed "Manila" (lower right) oil on canvas 15 1/2" x 20 1/2" (39 cm x 52 cm) PROVENANCE: Private collection, USA When liberation happened in the early months of 1945, the nation was in a frenzy; there was the constant question of whether to survive and push forward to living a hopeless (and godless) life or spiral down along with the whirlwind of destruction. There was an uncanny haze filled with the still resounding remnants of heavy artillery and bombs, the haunting memories of those who tragically lost their lives to the war, the ruins of irreplaceable heritage, and the fears and anxieties of a people who had lost their morals and morale amid the scramble for survival. When the war unfortunately struck, painting commissions significantly lessened for Filipino artists, including Fernando Amorsolo. Manila’s crème de la crème, including the Zobel de Ayalas, the Aranetas, the Vargases, the Madrigals, all of whom were Amorsolo’s top clients at the time, restrained in art collecting, fearing for the uncertainty of their cherished troves amid the impending destruction. Furthermore, the war made scarcity a norm, taking a toll on Amorsolo’s much-needed painting materials. In his landmark monograph on the artist, critic Alfredo Roces details of an incident, in which “art collector Don Luis Araneta recounted how Amorsolo would come to his office with a small landscape and ask, somewhat hesitantly, if he could possibly get P30.00 for the work.” However, for Amorsolo, his brush and paint became his unfailing companions to the precariousness of the war— and became instruments of cathartic healing for the scarred artist. His daughter, Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo, said in a recent interview with Leon Gallery, “Papa said, “There is no single moment that I remember that I don’t want to paint or draw. That was his passion that he kept on [painting and] drawing.” Even amid the violence, Amorsolo kept his art closer than ever, resolute in drawing and painting the horrors his countrymen were all helplessly facing. By the war’s end, Amorsolo labored to regain his life and living. “While Manileños in 1945 were picking up pieces to start life again, Amorsolo parlayed his artistic skill for needed cash and US army goods by doing quick sketches of GIs,” Roces writes in the all-important monograph on the artist. “His quick eye and sure pencil served him through those “honky tonk” days right after the war.” Once again, Amorsolo depicted the peace and idyll of his beloved countryside in his canvas. But this time, it was not anymore in the context of a renewed sense of Filipinismo amid the relentless surge of Americanization and the optimistic anticipation for the peaceful transition into becoming a fully sovereign nation. Amorsolo sought to capture an image of the not-so-distant past as mirrors reflecting that poignant yet tender hope for a new dawn. This petite market scene from 1945, painted in the immediate aftermath of the war, encapsulates a hopeful return to normalcy in the face of physical and moral destruction. The market serves as a metaphor for prosperity, its hustle and bustle evoking regaining the elusive path towards progress through the rebuilding of a reinvigorated sense of solidarity in the community. Notice in the work how Amorsolo intended to position the lighting in the upper left side of the work for it to cast its luminosity onto the face of the woman, acting as a metaphor for Inang Bayan encapsulating a nation’s shared aspirations for a renaissance, a homecoming to another promising day of life-sustaining pursuits. (Adrian Maranan)
Baguio Trail signed and dated 1937 (lower right) oil on canvas 20" x 26" (51 cm x 66 cm) PROVENANCE: Acquired directly from the artist John William Haussermann was one of the most powerful names in Philippine business during the pre-war period. Born on December 14, 1867 in Ohio Township, Clermont County in Ohio, Haussermann was a lawyer by profession, armed with a Bachelor of Laws degree he obtained from the University of Cincinnati in 1889. Haussermann arrived in the Philippines in 1898, serving as 2nd Lieutenant of the 20th Kansas Volunteers of the US Army during the Spanish-American War, which resulted in the turnover of the archipelago from the Spanish crown to the American empire. Haussermann was Judge Advocate during the PhilippineAmerican War and, eventually, City Attorney of Manila in 1900. He would be promoted to Assistant Attorney General of the Philippines in 1902. Haussermann resigned from his government post and returned to private law practice, becoming the head of Coudert Brothers from 1903 to 1906, which became Haussermann & Cohn and later, Haussermann, Cohn, & Fisher. But Haussermann struck gold when he became president of the Benguet Consolidated Mining Co. in 1913, the country's oldest and most prolific gold mining corporation. Hausermann had also previously received stocks from the company’s American founders since he drafted the company's articles of incorporation in 1903, when he was still practicing law. A March 8, 1948 article from TIME Magazine titled "Mining: Return of the King" recounts how Haussermann crossed paths with mining. The article writes: "It was a disaster that had made Haussermann a miner. In 1911, a typhoon swept northern Luzon, flooded the tiny Benguet Co.'s only mill, bankrupted the owners, and left the Bank of the Philippine Islands with a worthless batch of loans. To retrieve its stake, the bank picked Haussermann, Benguet's lawyer, who had come to the islands in 1898 as a second lieutenant and had stayed to become an assistant attorney general in the new Philippine government.” TIME continues: "Judge" Haussermann floated 200,000 shares of new stock, borrowed $75,000 from the bank, built a new mill, and started mining ore. In two years, he paid off the bank's loan to Benguet. Gradually, he increased his own stock holdings out of earnings until he owned a controlling interest of about 30%. (His original investment was eventually worth $460,000.)" In 1915, Haussermann successfully revived Benguet Consolidated from the ashes. In 1917, the company's first mining community— located at Antamok—finished construction. From its revival in the mid 1910s until 1932, the Benguet Consolidated's gross output reached PHP 36.7 million according to Haussermann’s report published in the 1933 yearbook of the Port of Manila and other Philippine ports. He would serve as president until 1915, resigning from the top post "because of a protracted absence from the Islands," writes in Men of the Philippines: A biographical record of men of substantial achievement in the Philippine Islands (1931). The record also notes that Haussermann "took the office of vice president... and is also one of the active managing directors of the corporation." By 1939, however, Haussermann had returned to the presidency and had become general manager of Benguet Consolidated according to Miguel Cornejo’s all-important Commonwealth Directory of the Philippines (1939). There is also a record in the August 1934 issue of the Philippine Magazine that Haussermann signed contracts “as President and General Manager of the Benguet Consolidated Mining Company to take over the management of three new mines— those of the Abra Mining Company, the Southern Cross, and the Consolidated Mines.” Haussermann also helmed the acquisition of the Balatoc Mining Company in the late 1920s, effectively merging what would become the two most powerful mining companies in the Philippines by the 1930s and ushering the city of Baguio towards a golden age of prosperity. Haussermann was elected president of the Balatoc Mining Co. in 1927 and would steer the company towards reaching a gross output of PHP 11.8 million in only five years, as Haussermann reported. He also had a $300,000 controlling interest in the company. In 1932, the Benguet and Balatoc companies generated “four-fifths of the gold mined in the Philippines,” as Haussermann wrote in 1933, “or more than P 8,000,000 of the total output amounting to P 10,000,000.” By 1940, TIME Magazine notes, Haussermann's mines "employed 10,000 Filipinos, produced 1,200,000 tons of ore— about one-third of the islands' gold output—and earned their stockholders $4,000,000 a year." By 1941, the same magazine wrote that the Benguet Consolidated Mining Company had become a 100-million-dollar empire. Haussermann was now the Philippines’ (and America’s) undisputed "King of Gold." Under his economic genius, the Philippines became the number one gold producer in all American states and territories, a status it would enjoy until World War II. Due to his influential status, Haussermann acquired and became president of the North Luzon Power Company. He was also director of Philippine-American Drug Co., Manila Hume Pipe & Tile Co., Peoples Bank & Trust Co., and the People's Mortgage & Investment Co. Haussermann also held the positions of vice-president of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and of the national council of the US Chamber of Commerce. Haussermann left the Philippines in 1940 and returned to Ohio, where he spent the "war years." He returned to Manila in May 1948 and immediately oversaw the reconstruction of the war-shattered mining company and its villages, which had started a year earlier. Recognized as the “master of rural landscape,” National Artist Fernando Amorsolo continuously graced the Philippine art scene with his sunlit landscapes, sometimes populated with archetypal Filipino folk activities. Moreover, his artistic virtuosity is not just a skill but a force that shapes the emotional impact of his paintings, demonstrating the power of his artistry The Cordilleras have always been one of the maestro’s favored subjects, using it as a background, a breath of fresh air, in contrast to the hardworking and diligent country folks. Other times, Amorsolo just wanted to flaunt the magnificent mountain view. Nonetheless, his skilled hands and well-thought-out plotting of strokes and utilization of Memories of the Baguio Gold Rush A Golden Memento for the Gold King by JESSICA MAGNO Road to Market for the Northern Tribe colors create masterpiece after masterpiece that profoundly resonates with the viewer’s emotions, sparking a sense of warmth and nostalgia. Baguio Scene was painted at the height of Amorsolo’s career in 1937. Here, he showcased a group of Ifugaos walking on the mountainside. Carrying big containers of their belongings, a little kid in tow, and a man holding the leash of four domesticated dogs, these people resemble a family migrating to a different part of the mountain. Bearing the ever-present “Amorsolo light,” this oil painting is a blend of his fine brush strokes and mastery of colors, resulting in a warm yet tranquil imagery, a testament to Amorsolo’s exceptional artistry.
PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A DISTINGUISHED FAMILY Under the Mango Tree signed and dated 1955 (lower right) oil on canvas 24” x 34” (61 cm x 86 cm) Belonging to Fernando Amorsolo’s Under the Mango Tree series, this 1955 version illustrates a bountiful harvest season, albeit from a different angle. With his skilled and delicate brush strokes, the master painter profoundly captures the hard work and familial affection of the countryside life: farmers working in the rice field under the heat of the blazing sun while their families cook and wait for them to eat together under the shade of the mango tree. Amorsolo’s usage of this plant is a significant cultural representation, for it is the country’s national fruit and a symbol of abundance and prosperity. Warmer tones are used in this piece, adding a sense of warmth that spreads through his audience. Amorsolo is known for his paintings of the tranquil and content rural life graced by the light from his concocted sun rays, which prompted art essayist Alfredo R. Roces to write about the maestro, “He invested rural people with dignity and country life a feeling of contentment.” Regarded as the “master of rural landscape,” Fernando Amorsolo can turn any blank canvas into a buoyant image of his beloved country and fellowmen. Amorsolo’s genre and historical paintings offer captivating landscapes and portraits and elicit a great sense of belonging to the Filipino nation, making him a cultural phenomenon in his lifetime and beyond. (Jessica Magno)
Lavanderas signed and dated 1948 (lower right) oil on canvas 20" x 26" (51 cm x 66 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Private collection, USA Fernando Amorsolo is a name that needs no introduction, inside and outside of art circles. Arguably the biggest and most famous Filipino artist, Amorsolo courts the Philippine countryside in his extensive oeuvre, turning in romantic visage of the pastoral landscapes and exceptional genre scenes that evoke the oft-forgotten past. Throughout his career, Amorsolo returns again and again to his favored subjects and among that list are the lavanderas. Often in a hidden, covered river, Amosolo’s titular lavanderas are often depicted with a batya or a tub, with children running around their mothers as they wash their laundry in the river. This particular piece, a Lavanderas work from 1948, portrays a group of four women dressed down to their simple clothes as they hand wash their clothes. Behind them are two children playing on the shore, safely nestled in their own world. Their brown skin shines supple under the Philippine sun, making the clear water sparkle under its light. As he turns the banal chore of laundry into a fundamentally social activity, Amorsolo’s Lavanderas is teeming with the artist’s impeccable sense of colors and sunlight. The famed Amorsolo light shines on the figures and into the sparkling clear water, producing a blinding glare that is beautifully realistic. His talent with refraction elevates this piece to another level – as he melds his intimate and practical knowledge of light and shadows to create an almost photographic image of the scene. “His iconic lavanderas – youthful, graceful, and modest – represent an ideal of Filipino, not European, beauty,” his daughter Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo speaks of his father’s famous bathers. Indeed, his Lavanderas shines upon the beauty of the Filipino art scene, providing a romantic view of the pastoral Philippine countryside.
Tinikling signed and dated 1955 (lower right) oil on canvas 13” x 17 1/2” (33 cm x 44 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot Amorsolo and His Eternal Feasts by LISA GUERRERO NAKPIL - Summer and sunshine are recurring delights of the Fernando Amorsolo painting. In this particular treasure, the master of the eternal feast crams an impossible number of the ‘festejadas’ (fiesta- goers). There are tiny tots and mothers and fathers, some have arrived from the fields, others by cart (there’s a wheel of one in the picture) as well as by boat. In the foreground, a delicate banca perches on the riverbank, still brimming with fruit, waiting to be unloaded. A couple minds a pig roasting on a spit and an open fire. In the distance, a haystack of grain lets us know that it is harvest time and occasion for rejoicing. A pair of dancers appear to be floating above the crowd as they hop and prance the ‘tinikling.’ The spreading branches of a mango tree and a quaint nipa hut complete the view of a blissful life, combining all of the maestro’s favorite elements of midday meals and fruit vendors and dancers in a single vignette. Fernando Amorsolo was born at the tail-end of a Filipino summer in May. He would spend his boyhood south of Manila, where his father would go to try his luck and find his fortune. Life in the country was not to be for Amorsolo, with his pater’s unexpected demise, and he found his way to the world of art through the good graces of an uncle, the by- then renowned Fabian de la Rosa, a cousin of his mother’s. It would be a turn of events that the nation will always be grateful for, as Amorsolo captured the essence of Filipino life for the following generations in painting after painting such as this.
A Man Leading Bullock Carriages at Sunset signed and dated 1961 (lower right) oil on canvas 24" x 30" (61 cm x 76 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot Homeward Bound at Day's End Amorsolo Takes Us Home by HANNAH VALIENTE - Fernando Amorsolo is perhaps one of the most famous Filipino artists of the 20th century and beyond. A master of light and color, his compositions and landscapes have managed to capture the nostalgia of the Philippine countryside, gaining traction overseas even as early as the 1920s. This 1961 A Man Leading Bullock Carriages at Sunset was created in a year full of awards for the already decorated artist—he was awarded a diploma of honor in the field of Philippine painting from the Philippine Federation of Private Medical Practitioners, Inc., as well as a citation by the Rizal-Pro Patria Award. The painting, while occupying a similar subject matter as the rest of his oeuvre, was more somber in tone than the others. Set against the backdrop of a sunset, two carts being pulled by carabaos are awash in shadowy orange light. Perhaps the two figures are going home after a day of hard work, portraying an unofficial sequel to his famed planting rice paintings. Now, the romantic depiction of the rice cycle is no longer seen; in its stead is the silence after a backbreaking physical work, a stillness that depicts an ever-continuing cycle one must undertake, day after day and months after months. A Man Leading Bullock Carriages at Sunset portrays not just an idyllic return to the past but the quiet moments of retrospection hidden between its depths, a quality that endeared and immortalized Amorsolo for the years to come.
PROPERTY FORMERLY IN THE DON ANSELMO TRINIDAD COLLECTION Bathers signed and dated 1939 (lower right) oil on canvas 16 1/2” x 22 3/4” (42 cm x 58 cm) Innocents in a River Glade From Amorsolo's Iconic Age Fernando Amorsolo’s illustrious artistic career reached its Golden Period in the 1930s, with the Amorsolo school of art becoming the prevailing art style followed by his contemporaries and budding artists. But besides his landscapes and genre scenes, Amorsolo extends his “light” to his dalagas and nude paintings. Amorsolo’s canvases are a profound manifestation of his undying love for his home country, each composition a celebration of the Philippines’ culture and heritage. Inherently Filipino, this work from 1939 depicts two Filipina maidens taking a bath by the stream, a tradition practiced by our ancestors—maidens helping each other take a bath after doing their laundry. With his fine strokes and impressive use of color, Amorsolo splendidly captures the tranquil and content countryside life, evoking a sense of nostalgia that resonates with his viewers. Moreover, he delicately portrayed his maidens bathing in seclusion, away from the prying eyes and impure thoughts of their peers, vehemently keeping their dignity. Never failing to boast about his country in his every painting, Amorsolo truly is a cultural phenomenon in his lifetime and beyond. (Jessica Magno)
PROPERTY FORMERLY IN THE DON ANSELMO TRINIDAD COLLECTION Fruit Vendor signed and dated 1962 (lower right) oil on canvas 24” x 30” (61 cm x 76 cm) Fruit of Prosperity The Amorsolo Table of Plenty The works of Fernando Amorsolo need no introduction. Arguably the most famous Filipino artist of the 20th – and even the 21st – century, even the most casual of art enthusiasts are sure to recognize his iconic usage of light and shadow, the famed Amorsolo sunlight washing over his rural landscapes and pastoral scenes that endeared him to local and international patrons. Like the rest of his oeuvre, this 1962 piece recalls a quaint and distinct Filipino scene. This time turning his head to a marketplace scene, this unmistakably Amorsolo piece depicts a woman displaying her fruits for sale. The vividness of the cut-open watermelon serves as the only vibrant shade here; the rest, from the mangoes to the bananas to even the woman herself, is washed in a warm hue, not quite exactly the famed Amorsolo sunlight but close enough to mark the National Artist in this piece. In his life and beyond, Amorsolo’s everyday sceneries have become the face of Philippine art. Whether it is to uphold the status quo or to question it, at the heart of it lies Amorsolo, and his lavanderas, dalagas, rural countryside, and like in this case, vendors continue their reign as major players in the Philippine art scene. (Hannah Valiente)
Lying Nude signed and dated 1947 (lower right) oil on canvas 16" x 20" (41 cm x 51 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot \ PROVENANCE: Private collection, USA Renowned for his sunlit, bucolic landscapes celebrating the glorious Philippine countryside, Fernando Amorsolo’s artistry extends to a multitudinous collection of portraits and nude paintings. Yet, the Amorsolo “light” remains a constant, infusing his works with a serene tranquility, regardless of the subject matter. Living in a predominantly Roman Catholic and highly religious country, the public display of the female body, even a tiny slip of skin, is considered an act of indecency. However, Amorsolo has a flair for preserving his Filipina maiden’s dignity; their portrayal was not to gratify nor entice the spectator. Often depicted living in seclusion or having her body turned away from the viewers while preoccupied with her tasks, Amorsolo’s women, from Cid Reyes’ description, “still conveys an innate modesty and decency, propriety and grace.” Lying Nude is a conspicuous demonstration of Amorsolo’s great finesse in the art field. Embodying his romantic style, his fine brush strokes and skilled colorwork enliven this composition, evoking a deep and aesthetic appreciation of the female body. Moreover, this theme of Amorsolo’s works exudes a great sense of empowerment and confidence within his subjects. “Though shorn of her clothes, she did not feel naked, was comfortable in her own skin, with not a tinge of guilt or shame suggested in her body language,” Cid Reyes notes on Amorsolo’s nude paintings. (Jessica Magno)
Rice Fields signed and dated 1934 (lower right) oil on canvas 19 1/4” x 26” (49 cm x 66 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Private collection, USA By the time the 1930s rolled in, Fernando Amorsolo had already risen to become perhaps the most influential Filipino artist of his lifetime and the next. Spending the past decade as a professor at the UP School of Fine Arts, Amorsolo became the quintessential Filipino artist with his dalagas, lavanderas, and pastoral Philippine scenes becoming the image many associate with Philippine art. With this 1934 Rice Fields, Amorsolo’s penchant for the Philippine countryside is evident as he portrays the cycle of rice harvest. His portrayal of the rice harvest is more romantic than the back-breaking reality of the work – he washes the scene in his signature bright Amorsolo sunlight, which in turn makes it a picture-perfect image of the otherwise difficult work. At the forefront are three figures, one of them perched atop a carabao with two women loading the harvest on the cart attached to the carabao. With an admiration that bleeds into his oeuvre, Amorsolo portrays the bucolic Philippine countryside with the utmost affection, putting into canvas the appreciation our farmers deserve. (Hannah Valiente)
Fernando Amorsolo Y Cueto (Paco 1892-1972 Quezon City) El descanso de la siega signé et daté 'F. Amorsolo 1949' (en bas à droite) huile sur toile signed and dated 'F. Amorsolo 1949' (lower right) 28.4 x 36cm (11 3/16 x 14 3/16in).
Fernando Cueto Amorsolo 1892 - 1972 Burning of the idols signed F Amorsolo and dated 1952 (lower right) oil on canvas 61.5 by 86.8 cm. 24 ¼ by 34 ⅛ in. Executed in 1952. ---------------------------------------------- 阿莫索羅 1892 - 1972年 焚燒偶像 款識 F Amorsolo，1952（右下） 油畫畫布 61.5 x 86.8 公分 24 ¼ x 34 ⅛ 英寸 1952年作
Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (Filipino, 1892-1972) Workers in Rice Field, 1952 Oil on canvasboard Signed F. Amorsolo and dated (lower right) 14 x 18 in. (35.6 x 45.7cm) This lot is located in Philadelphia. Property from the Collection of Chloe Jachim, Seattle, Washington.
Lady with Umbrella stamped (lower left) graphite on paper 8" x 4 1/4" (20 cm x 11 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot
Portrait of a Lady signed and dated 1935 (lower left) oil on wood 12" x 9 1/2" (30 cm x 24 cm) One could argue that Fernando Amorsolo is the most influential Filipino artist, living or dead. The “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art” became the face and image of Filipino art itself – his rural scenes are the first image when one thinks of the Philippine art scene and the standard with which his contemporaries and juniors have to contend with as they go about their career. However, despite his status as a genre painter, Amorsolo is also a famed portrait painter, a skill honed when he was trained by José Moreno Carbonero and Cecilio Plá y Gallardo during his sevenmonth sojourn in Spain. Amorsolo’s portraits are saturated in the classical innocence and grace that is in line with his background. This romanticism is evident in his 1935 Portrait of a Lady. An oil-on-wood piece, Amorsolo wields the notoriously difficult medium with ease, creating a captivating image of his muse with whom he portrays with quiet grace. Suffusing this portrait with the muse’s essence, Amorsolo immortalizes this woman’s memory, fulfilling a deep-seated wish of many to preserve and celebrate their lives and memories. (Hannah Valiente)
A portrait of a partly nude woman. Signed, located for Manila and dated 1971 at the lower right corner. Dimensions: 36" x 24", Frame 41" x 29" Provenance: From a Bucks County collection.
Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972) Signed and dated '1957' (lower right) Oil on canvas 46 x 61 cm (18 x 24 in) Fernando Amorsolo's 'Fishermen,' painted in 1957, captures the tranquil essence of rural Philippine life, influenced by his childhood in the coastal town of Daet. Unlike his usual sunlit scenes of farmers, this work depicts fishermen returning at dusk, their boat gently moored as the sky blazes with orange and red hues. The serene atmosphere reflects the day's end, where labor gives way to rest, surrounded by nature's beauty. Amorsolo's Impressionist influence is evident in his treatment of light, with the setting sun's rays dappling the water, creating a luminous, calming effect. His mastery of oil painting shines through in the delicate brushwork, especially in the sky's soft transitions and the water's reflective surface. This painting not only showcases Amorsolo's technical skill but also his deep connection to his subjects, embodying the idyllic charm and peacefulness that make his works beloved and iconic, capturing the timeless allure of rural life. Provenance documentation provided by the present owner states that this lot was previously shown to Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo, who confirmed its authenticity.
Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972) Signed and dated '1949' (lower right) Oil on canvas 45.7 x 61 cm (18 x 24 in) Provenance: Private Collection, USA 20th Century and Contemporary Art (Morning Session), lot 151, Christie's Hong Kong, 26 May 2019 Private Collection, Quezon City This 1940s oil-on-canvas painting by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, from his celebrated 'Golden Period,' depicts farmers resting beneath a large tree, echoing the themes found in his iconic 'Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers' series. Don S. Amorsolo, the artist's grandson and Dean of the UE College of Fine Arts, Architecture, and Design, reflects on the portrayal of women in these works, highlighting their essential roles in both domestic and agricultural settings. In Amorsolo's paintings, women are depicted working alongside men, a dynamic clearly visible in the foreground and middle ground. This composition allows viewers to peer into the daily lives of these workers as if through a 'window,' offering a layered understanding of their world. French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan's theories on the signifier and the signified offer further insight into Amorsolo's approach. Lacan suggests that the signifier--the form or appearance of a symbol--does not carry a fixed meaning but gains significance through context. In Amorsolo's art, the recurring images of peasant figures act as stable signifiers, symbolizing the essence of rural life. Their consistent presence is not a mere repetition but a deliberate choice, reflecting Amorsolo's deep connection to his symbolic universe and his personal experiences. Rather than signaling a lack of variety or reliance on familiar themes, the repetition of these figures is an intentional artistic strategy. It emphasizes Amorsolo's ongoing exploration of his symbolic world, with each painting representing a return to the imagined landscape of his youth. Through this approach, Amorsolo not only revisits but deepens his portrayal of peasant life, adding thematic richness and personal resonance to his work. Reference: Sylvia Amorsolo Lazo, et al, Maestro Fernando C. Amorsolo: Recollections of the Amorsolo Family, Fernando C. Amorsolo Foundation, Inc., Quezon City, 2011, pp. 43-49
PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A VERY DISTINGUISHED FAMILY Carabaos at Sunset signed and dated 1959 (lower right) oil on canvas 16" x 12" (41 cm x 30 cm) LITERATURE Araneta, Antonio S., ed. 1030 R. Hidalgo: Volume II, Legacy in Art. Manila: Mara, Inc., 1986. Full-color illustration and painting description on page 96. WRITE UP Of Pastures and Sunsets Amorsolo Reminisces on His Childhood The works of Fernando Amorsolo revel in the pastoral and the provincial. Spending a few years of his childhood in Daet, Camarines Sur, Amorsolo continued to be enamored with the countryside even when he moved to the capital, visiting the adjacent provinces of Laguna and Bulacan to continue painting his genre works. By the mid-20th century, Amorsolo had already reached the height of fame and then more when in 1959, the UNESCO National Commission granted the already famous painter a gold medal of recognition, adding another accolade to his long list of awards. Amorsolo had resigned from his post as the dean of the UP School of Fine Arts in 1952 to focus on his painting full-time – and focus he did. Throughout his career, he had become the face of Philippine art with his pastoral countrysides, bathers in the creeks, and the dalagang Pilipina becoming the standard that his colleagues and the newer artists either conform or break. His 1959 Carabaos at Sunset showcases Amorsolo’s skill that UNESCO acknowledged and awarded in the same year. “The rural scenes that Papa painted were based from the actual day-to-day chores of the simple and poor people that he observed as a young lad until his growing years,” writes his daughter Sylvia Amorsolo Lazo in Amorsolo: Love and Passion. Indeed, it is quite easy to imagine the young Amorsolo as he sees a frolicking pack of carabaos in the field, his eyes picking out the blues of the skies and the browns of the carabao’s skin. In this piece, Amorsolo depicts the golden-pink hues of the sunset skies as they burst forth from behind giant fluffy clouds. Unlike today's rural situation, the carabaos have for themselves a huge plot of land to prance around and rest. and Amorsolo's depiction of this bucolic scene ramps up the nostalgia for the good old days. As he washes the scene with a warm orange light, quite unlike the vibrancy of his midday sun, one feels compelled to take a rest on the soft green grass and experience for themselves the slow life the province has to offer. (Hannah Valiente)
Ifugaos in Mines View Park signed and dated 1934 (lower right) oil on canvas 19” x 26” (48 cm x 66 cm) WRITE UP A Double Gold for Fernando Amorsolo with a Record Number of Noble Northmen by E. A. SANTAMARIA Upon Fernando Amorsolo’s return to the Philippines in 1920, he would almost immediately go from strength to strength, painting tirelessly. His daughter Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo would recall him saying, “I cannot remember a time when I didn’t want to draw or paint.” And draw and paint, he did In the Twenties, he would create a stream of posters and medals for the Manila Carnival, an annual American-style exposition that featured spectacles and beauty queens, as well as a seemingly endless series of calendars and magazine covers. This, too, would mark the beginning of the paintings that would give his painterly benediction to the idyllic life of the Filipino countryside and its people. The 1930s would consequentially blossom into Amorsolo’s ‘golden period.’ The decade would open with the maestro’s breakthrough participation in the Exposition Coloniale Internationale (International Colonial Exposition) of Paris, 1931. The French newspapers of the time reported that paintings ran the length of the Philippine pavilion of some 30 meters and depicted the history of the islands from 1521 to the American regime. It was a project created alongside his mentor (and uncle) Fabian de la Rosa, and cemented Amorsolo’s stature among the greats of Philippine art, like Luna and Hidalgo, who had also proved their mettle in the City of Lights. Later in the year, Amorsolo’s twin historical murals were unveiled for the Juan Arellano art-deco masterpiece, the Metropolitan Theater of Manila. Both sides of the highceilinged lobby were bookmarked by the lyrical works, “The History of Music” and “Ritual Dance.” Amid the backdrop of an era of boundless optimism of the Philippines future — the Philippine Commonwealth law was finally approved in 1934 — another kind of golden age awaited Amorsolo. It was literally, the Baguio gold rush that also began that year, sparked by an enormous leap in prices for the world’s most precious commodity. Seemingly overnight, hundreds of gold mines were registered in the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission, with a total capitalization of almost a staggering $100 million. Prospectors, engineers, and investors flocked to Manila — and Baguio — and with it, newly-minted American mining millionaires and their retinues. Offices were feverishly opened in the banking district of Binondo; while the mining community gravitated to elegant enclaves in Ermita and ‘the Little Baguio’ of San Juan. These all had to be furnished with symbols of that new-found wealth and were a fresh market for Amorsolo’s story-telling talents that dovetailed serendipitously with his clients’ fascination for the noble northern tribes. Mrs. Amorsolo Lazo would reminisce that ‘Papa’ would travel to Baguio “to meet clients mostly American executives of mining firms, who would commission him to paint beautiful Baguio scenes.” Her father, she would say, “would visit only a few days on each occasion, but would take advantage of those short stays by painting on the spot and in the open air.” He would return often to capture the splendid vistas, immortalizing the magical peaks and lush valleys of a bygone era. “Ifugaos in Mines View Park” puts together Amorsolo’s twin obsessions of this period — the breathtaking Cordillera landscape which also contained the richest veins of gold as well as the enchanting culture of the Ifugao. These would be the subjects in one way or another for this joyous series; although the work at hand adds a third reference to the lure of the gold mines. The unusual number of figures indicates that the piece would have been conceived for the highest echelon of mining elite. Twelve tribespeople spill gracefully across the mountaintop. following with their gaze, a lead figure carrying several earthenware stops on her head. She is followed by two men who stride down purposefully after her. More women and their children gather under tall evergreen trees — the green so fresh that one can almost smell the scent of pine. The group seems to catch their breath from the strain of bearing tall baskets of cabbages and other vegetables. (A teen seems to be mopping his brow.) One can sense Amorsolo chancing upon this view and creating the foundation of this picturesque mis-en-scène briskly on one bright, summer morning. Thick terracottacolored impasto — indeed, one of the signatures of his golden period — outline the rich reddish earth of the north. The blue skies above and mountain streams nestled in the majestic mountains are likewise boldly outlined. It is a homage to the hard-working character of the northern tribesmen and the now-lost beauty of their surroundings.
PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A DISTINGUISHED FAMILY Silenced Japanese Cannon, Intramuros signed, dated 1945 and inscribed “From the Original Painted in 1945”, (lower right) oil on canvas 16” x 20” (41 cm x 51 cm) WRITE UP The Filipina Spy who Silenced the Japanese Cannons by E. A. SANTAMARIA The Battle of Manila raged from February 3 to March 3 of 1945 — and was said to be the single deadliest urban warfare in the Asia-Pacific of World War II. It not only physically destroyed the metropolis and indiscriminately killed a massive number of civilians but lay waste the repositories of a nation’s culture. Japanese naval cannons were positioned in Intramuros and were used with deadly effect on pulverizing the sentinels of Philippine democracy from the Senate, the National Museum, and for this gun in particular, the Manila Post Office and the Manila City Hall, seen in these post-Battle photographs as shells of their former selves. But there were tales of heroism to be found in this desolation. Writing in Manila Nostalgia, Jose Maria Bonifacio Escoda featured an interview of the late Dr. Antonio “Tony” O. Gisbert, who he said was “the only one who knew the story of this last Japanese cannon — which was also the only one he failed to identify for the celebrated female guerrilla Josefina “Joey” Guerrero.” He continued, “she handed all the details of these deadly anti-aircraft guns to the Americans which were destroyed during the first air raid of the Americans on September 21, 1944.” This particular gun, which survives to this day, evaded destruction “because it was hidden in the walls and rolled out when it shelled City Hall and the Post Office.” Dr. Gisbert had married into the Guerrero family and during the war would reconnoiter around Intramuros, committing the locations of the artillery to his memory, and smuggle the sketches to Josefina Guerrero. The ground floor of the house she lived in was entirely occupied by the Japanese military — making it doubly dangerous. Josefina had become afflicted by leprosy before the War and the invasion of the Japanese cut off supplies of the medicine that could arrest her deadly disease. She made up her mind, her memoirs say, “not to die a slow and painful death but to live a heroic life.” She enlisted with the Resistance and became a valuable courier of information that saved thousands of Filipino and American lives. As her illness progressed and the lesions became more apparent, she had become obliged to wear a veil and carry a warning bell. The Kempeitai gave her a wide berth, allowing her to move freely and excusing her from body searches. It made her the perfect wartime spy. Joey, incidentally, was married to another doctor, Renato Ma. Guerrero, brother to the famous playwright Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero. After the war, she faced renewed exile in leper colony north of Manila, where she fought for patients’ rights amidst deplorable conditions. Fernando Amorsolo’s daughter Sylvia wrote in Remembering Papa, “Father sketched war scenes from his window or sometimes on the rooftop to catch a quick glimpse of the planes fighting in the sky.” As the battle went on, destruction befell the capital city. Amorsolo, even at his age (he was, by then, 53), considered it his patriotic duty to document the horrors of the war. He painted every day, diligently recording these scenes of both tragedy and victory even as his health declined — like Guerrero and countless other Manilans — due to the lack of medicine. This last remaining Japanese cannon, now finally silenced, would be discovered in the Baluarte de San Diego, a relic of those terrible times, with live ammunition still strewn around it after the Battle of Manila. It must have made a searing impression of the Japanese army’s ultimate and permanent defeat that Amorsolo recorded that he had made two paintings of this important tribute
PROPERTY FROM THE JOHN WILLIAM HAUSSERMANN COLLECTION Under The Mango Tree signed, dated 1948 and inscribed "Manila" (lower right) oil on canvas 19 1/2” x 27” (50 cm x 67 cm) PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist WRITE UP Fernando Amorsolo is one of the most revered artists in Philippine art history. For a long time, the Amorsolo genre, characterized by his realistic images of the bucolic Filipino countryside-scenes of rural life, landscapes, and everyday activities depicted in vibrant hues, dominated the Philippine art scene. Amorsolo’s contemporaries and emerging artists alike followed this style and subject matter. The work at hand exhibits a scene during the harvest season, except it’s shown from a different angle. In view is a group of country folks resting under the shade of a mango tree: one is a gray-bearded man sitting on the overgrown root; beside him on the right is a young lady holding a bilao, and on the man’s left is another young lady standing up while carrying a child; the three of them looking at another woman cooking at a make-shift charcoal stove. In the background are farmers working in the rice field under the blazing midday sun, a thematic element often used by Amorsolo to symbolize the harsh conditions of rural life, such as the intense heat and the physical toll of manual labor. Therefore, this work thoroughly captures not only the hard work but also the familial affection of the Filipinos: farmers working amidst the blazing sun and families waiting for and preparing food for their families to eat together. “He invested rural people with dignity and country life a feeling of contentment,” art essayist Alfredo R. Roces writes in Amorsolo (1975). Indeed, the master painter’s artistic bravura and use of light strokes and vivid tones can create masterpieces that elevate Filipino folklife and spread its various emotions through the viewers. To this day, his influence in the art field is still strong, and many people want to get ahold of his works, drawn to the sheer beauty and aesthetic pleasure they offer, admiring the skill and vision that went into their creation. (Jessica Magno)
Portrait of Mrs. Montilla signed and dated 1954 (lower right) oil on canvas 26 1/2” x 20 1/2” (67 cm x 52 cm) PROVENANCE Adelina Ines Montilla Montilla (Nelly Montilla / Mr. Ramon Zamora Paterno / Mr. Primitivo Valerio Lovina) WRITE UP Doña Josefa Ortaliz y Jordan known as “Pay” was a beautiful Spanish mestiza of a prominent family from Iloilo in Panay island who married Don Bonifacio Montilla y Yanson of Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, son of the Spanish patriarch Don Agustin Montilla y Orendain, ur–ancestor of all the Montillas of Negros island, and his wife the Chinese mestiza Dona Vicenta Yanson y Locsin–Zarandin. The Montillas were a prominent Spanish military and political family: Don Agustin’s father Don Jose Montilla was Governor– General of the Marianas islands in the 1820s. Don Agustin acquired, cleared, and planted vast tracts of agricultural land in Negros Occidental and built his palatial home known as “Balay Daku” during the 1840s --- one of the two largest residences in the province --- in the middle of his sprawling lands in barrio Ubay in Pulupandan town (the other large house being Don Aniceto Lacson y Ledesma’s famous 1880s Neo–Renaissance palace “Casa Grande” in barrio Matab–ang, Talisay town). The Montilla clan of Pulupandan town were famous landowners and powerful politicians southwest of Bacolod as were the Lacson and Lizares clans of Talisay town northeast of it. Dona Josefa Ortaliz y Jordan and Don Bonifacio Montilla y Yanson had seven children, one son and six daughters: Lina, Enriqueta, Marta, Agustin, Felisa, Soledad, and Bonifacia. Unfortunately, Josefa aka “Pay” passed away at a young age. Her eldest daughter Lina Montilla y Ortaliz (Sra de Candido Montilla) became the de facto mother to the younger siblings. The youngest daughter Bonifacia Montilla y Ortaliz (aka “Pasay,” Sra de Eugenio Veraguth) inherited the vast Balay Daku of her grandfather Don Agustin; she bequeathed it to her niece Angelina Mijares y Montilla (Mrs Bertram Percival Tomkins), daughter of her sister Marta Montilla y Ortaliz (Sra de Antero Mijares). Don Agustin Montilla and Dona Vicenta Yanson spawned a clan with many famous descendants: hacendero and BISCOM President Enrique Montilla Montilla; hacendera Marta Montilla Mijares (Mrs Carlos Benedicto Rivilla); socialite Adelina Ines Montilla Montilla (known as “Nelly”/Mrs Ramon Zamora Paterno/later Mrs Primitivo Valerio Lovina); businesswoman Teresa Arroyo Montilla (Mrs Vicente Lopez Araneta); philanthropist Maria Soledad Cuyugan Oppen– Cojuangco (known as “Gretchen”/Mrs Eduardo Murphy Cojuangco Jr); art & antiques collector and cosmopolitan bon vivant Herbert Montilla–Mijares Tomkins; technocrat Bonnie Rivilla Fuentes; architect Raymond Rivilla Fuentes; Atty Agustin Montilla IV, Chef Tonyboy Escalante; botanist and horticulturist Josef Montilla Sagemuller; businesswoman Gigi Lacson Lacson; tourism executive Baba Montilla Araneta–Escudero; businesswoman Mia Paterno–Rodriguez; and many others from the Montilla branches of the allied Mijares, Abello, Gonzalez, Oppen, (Veraguth), Esteban, Camara, Lopez, Fuentes, Rivilla, Tomkins, Mabus, Araneta, Lacson, Arroyo, Paterno, Lovina, Nieva, Montinola, Corral, Kramer, and Weber clans. According to their family tradition, Montilla descendants commissioned many oil portraits of their antecedents from master portraitist Fernando Amorsolo during the postwar period (from around 1946–60). Fernando Amorsolo was the Filipino portraitist par excellence of the twentieth century. His talent was recognized early during his youth and the multimillionaire art patron Don Enrique Zobel de Ayala sent him to Madrid for further studies; prestigious Zobel de Ayala patronage also set the bar for Amorsolo’s clientele which included Filipino high society and American and European expatriate businessmen. His portraits are visual records of affluent Filipino society from around 1920 to his passing in 1972; there was a time in Filipino social history (prewar–postwar) wherein a portrait or a genre painting by Fernando Amorsolo was “de rigueur” in every upper–class Filipino residence. His best portraits, especially from prewar, were dramatically lit with alluring chiaroscuro. However, he also had a Rembrandt–esque phase from the mid–1950s to the very early 1960s when he painted subjects with subdued, subtle, even dim lighting inspired by the great Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (o 1606 – + 1669). - (Acknowledgments: Mr. Josef Montilla Sagemuller)
PROPERTY FROM THE DON J. ANTONIO ARANETA COLLECTION a.) Barrio Scene signed and dated 1941 (lower right) pencil on paper 8" x 10" (20 cm x 25 cm) b.) Sabungero signed and dated 1930 (lower right) pencil on paper 7" x 10" (18 cm x 25 cm) c.) Portrait of a Man signed and dated 1931 (lower right) pencil on paper 8" x 5 1/2" (20 cm x 14 cm) LITERATURE Duldulao, Manuel D. The Philippine Art Scene. Manila: Maber Books, Inc., 1977. Full color photograph on page 243; Catalogued in the caption on page 244 WRITE UP Through his works, Fernando Amorsolo invariably manifests his love and adoration for his home country. In their daily chores and activities, Filipino folks always adorn an Amorsolo piece. His versatility is evident in the thousands of paintings and drawings he produced throughout his career, using various mediums such as oil, acrylic, pastel, charcoal, and graphite. His use of these mediums allowed him to capture the essence of his subjects in different ways. Apart from his scenic countryside paintings, he also made drawing studies of farmers doing their cyclic chores and city folk doing their daily routines. “Amorsolo sketched incessantly,” Rodolfo Paras-Perez writes in Amorsolo: Drawings. Indeed, the maestro produced numerous drawings and sketches throughout his career, aside from his sunlit, picturesque oil landscapes. Amorsolo’s command of his mediums is evidenced by this three-piece lot of pencil-on-paper drawings: a.) Barrio Scene, b.) Sabungero, and c.) Portrait of a Man, where he expertly presented the hard work and simplicity of country life. These works evoke a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for the past. With just a single grade of pencil and careful strokes and scribbles, Amorsolo created depth and brought life to his drawings. (Jessica Magno)
PROPERTY FROM THE JOSE MA. OSSORIO COLLECTION Fire Tree signed and dated 1959 (lower right) oil on canvas 24” x 34” (61 cm x 86 cm) WRITE UP Light has been a significant element in Fernando Amorsolo’s oeuvre, a product of his knowledge and organization of colors. The light from his concocted sun graced his paintings, creating an illusion of warmth that envelops the landscapes and the townsfolk in their daily activities. Amorsolo’s palette, characterized by bright and lyrical attributes, is a testament to his skill as a master colorist. Like any of his works, Fire Tree immortalizes the timeless beauty of nature and the serene countryside life. This 1959 piece captures the magnificent facade of the Santa Maria Church in Ilocos Sur, a structure that withstood the test of time. One of the long-standing and impressively made Spanish-era Baroque Churches of the Philippines, the Santa Maria Church was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 11, 1993. Amorsolo’s vivid hues bring to life a typical Sunday morning scene in Santa Maria. A flock of church-goers can be seen coming out of the admirable edifice; some are walking down the stairs, and some are already down. At the bottom of the stairs, a makeshift market in a nipa hut is bustling with vendors and buyers. The titular fire tree adorned the canvas with its vibrant orange hue, adding a feeling of warmth and liveliness that envelops the entire image in a comforting embrace. A cultural phenomenon in his lifetime, Amorsolo had a unique ability to turn any blank canvas into a buoyant image of his beloved country and compatriots. His genre and historical paintings not only offer appealing landscapes and portraits but also elicit a great sense of belonging to the Filipino nation. Amorsolo’s unparalleled artistry and his profound influence on the Philippine art scene continue to inspire and instill a deep sense of national pride, making his work a source of inspiration for all Filipinos. (Jessica Magno)
PROPERTY FROM THE JOSE MA. OSSORIO COLLECTION Bathers signed and dated 1958 (lower right) oil on canvas 18” x 24” (46 cm x 61 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UP The classical bearings of Fernando Amorsolo are exalted in his lavandera and riverside paintings. With the nude as the ideal representation of beauty in the Classical-Romantic art tradition, Amorsolo localizes the dryads and naiads of the West and turns them into the brown-skinned lithe women and children as they bathe, wash, and dress themselves. His 1958 Bathers shows the scene's intimacy – despite the various states of undress of the bathers, there is a sense of modesty about them. Amorsolo’s composition locks the scene by depicting only the verdant green grass of the banks and the cool clean water, creating a bubble around the children as though the little part of the river they were playing in is an oasis unreachable by trials and suffering. His encompassing composition did not make the painting as a whole feel claustrophobic; instead, the closeness exudes warmth, a comfort in the tiny space created by the children for them to enjoy all by themselves. The beauty of Amorsolo’s riverside paintings lies in his captivating backgrounds. “Papa took his time going to these places for his on-the-spot sketching and paintings,” says his daughter Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo in the second volume of Amorsolo: Love & Passion. “I think his lavanderas were mostly painted in the provinces of Laguna and Bulacan, and along the Pasig River.” Amorsolo, like many of the Romantics of his era, exalts the bucolic Filipino countryside. His Bathers focused on an aspect he revered whenever he painted his genre works; through his masterful intertwining of subject and environment, Amorsolo emphasizes the innocence in these children. Their childlike wonder manifests itself in their carefree enjoyment. As the vivid sunlight filters through the leaves and dapples across the river, one can easily imagine their past and enjoy for a brief moment the innocent enjoyment of the days long gone. (Hannah Valiente)
Portrait of a Lady signed, dated and inscribed Manila, 1926 (lower right) oil on canvas 33” x 25 1/2” (84 cm x 65 cm) PROVENANCE: Private collection, United Kingdom WRITE UP Fernando Amorsolo’s artistic acclaim had been steadily rising by the time the roaring twenties rolled in – among the first batch of graduates of the UP School of Fine Arts, Amorsolo’s prowess with the pen was recognized when he was given the position of Instructor of Elementary Drawing in his alma mater immediately after graduating in 1914. By 1918, he was promoted to Instructor of Painting, and by the next year, he left for Spain to study under the sponsorship of Enrique Zobel in a quest to refine his art further, proof of his incredibly moving art. Though mostly known for his genre pieces which exalt the bucolic Philippine countryside, Amorsolo is also an impeccable portraitist, as evidenced by his 1926 Portrait of a Lady. Unlike a usual portrait wherein the subject faces the viewer, Amorsolo portrays the titular lady with her hand on her hips, her fashionable French bob falling to her jaw as she faces to the side. The piece has a certain attitude to it, the air of a slight rebelliousness evident on the woman's set jaw and her hand placed on her hip. Here, Amorsolo not only immortalizes the visage of the woman but also her personality, her attitude bleeding into every part of this canvas. The Amorsolo legacy extends past his pastorale depictions of the Philippines – included in his majestic oeuvre are his portraits as he puts intimate and private to portray his great sensitivity to the personal. His portraits, like many that came before it, are imbued with the personality of his muse, putting onto canvas the age-old desire to immortalize one’s visage and memory. (Hannah Valiente)
PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A VERY DISTINGUISHED FAMILY Study of El Buen Samaritano signed and dated 1969 (lower right) oil on canvas 12” x 16” (30 cm x 41 cm) LITERATURE: Araneta, Antonio S., ed. 1030 R. Hidalgo: Volume II, Legacy in Art. Manila: Mara, Inc., 1986. Full-color illustration and painting description on page 139. WRITE UP El Buen Samaritano is an oil study for a larger painting, as attested by its size and a photograph of Fernando Amorsolo posing in front of the final finished work. The piece depicts a poignant interpretation of the biblical parable of the good Samaritan. Found in the Gospel of Luke, the parable tells of the story of a man who fell victim to robbers while traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. The robbers stripped him of his garments and possessions, beat him until he passed out, and left him dying on the road. “A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side,” Jesus narrates. “Likewise, a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds, and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. The next day, he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’” The Parable of the Good Samaritan was Jesus’ answer to a scribe who asked him what one must do to inherit eternal life. Amorsolo’s take on the biblical story came after a major eye operation in 1969, the year this work was painted. Thus, the work can be seen as a form of profound thanksgiving after the success of the medical procedure, a relief from a cataract that caused his sight to gradually fail and affected his painting procedures. The work depicts the scene in which the Samaritan finds the almost lifeless body of the physically assaulted man and proceeds to attend to his immediate medical needs. The Levite, who had previously seen the dying man but chose to ignore him, is depicted as a hazy shadow on the far right, with his back turned to the viewer. “It was Papa’s standard procedure to research and study references when commissioned to paint religious paintings,” Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo writes in Volume II of the book Amorsolo: Love and Passion. El Buen Samaritano is one in a storied list of works Amorsolo painted during the final years of his life. The figures still retain their fluidity. However, the brush strokes are nowhere near the vigor they possessed during Amorsolo’s prime. They are now softer, and the colors are noticeably softer and subdued. But what strikes the most in this work is Amorsolo’s enduring commitment to his art even in the face of physical limitations that naturally come with age. El Buen Samaritano showcases a master who not only left an indelible legacy to Philippine art but remained humble in the face of blinding fame and extended both financial generosity and creative enlightenment to the young and struggling artists of his time. (Adrian Maranan)
PROPERTY FROM THE EDWARD J. NELL COLLECTION Lady with Basket signed and dated 1929 (lower left) oil on wood 16 1/4” x 13” (41 cm x 33 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Acquired directly from the artist WRITE UP Amorsolo's Lady with Basket, another painting from the Edward J. Nell collection, comes from the same year as the previous lot, Under the Mango Tree. It was acquired by Nell around the same time he acquired Under the Mango Tree. Like the earlier work, he likely gifted it to his wife, Helen Mary Carr Hipkins, whom Isidra Reyes described in the Leon Gallery interview, appreciated more the finer things in life like art, as her husband had a hectic schedule running his business empire. The charming image of the dalaga may have also reminded Nell of Helen's timeless beauty. Lady with Basket features the same dalaga in Under the Mango Tree. While the dalaga takes her much-needed afternoon siesta in the previous work, Lady with Basket sees the dalaga working in the morning, peddling her fresh produce around the neighborhood. In the background, a group of women engaging in lively discussions around a table filled with commodities are active indicators of a vibrant market scene by the road. Lady with Basket and Under the Mango Tree, which both come from the artistic, commercial, and popularity peak of Amorsolo, are undoubtedly the jewels in Edward Joseph Nell's collection. But beyond being commissioned by an American magnate, the work at hand resonates particularly with the nation with its vibrantly rich display of Filipino essence. Lady with Basket is yet another epitome of Amorsolo's contribution to the flowering of Filipino civic and cultural nationalism of the 1920s up to the 1930s, which resulted from the optimism for the Philippines' eventual independence. Amorsolo's emphasis on the image of the native dalaga as someone possessing an active role in society further strengthened the notion that a collective consciousness rooted in the fostering of the autochthonous and the agricultural is essential to understanding one's history and identity. The Filipinismo shown by Amorsolo and his pastoral paintings manifests an ideal of the agricultural land being tilled by the natives as an intrinsic element of the map to sovereignty and genuine development. Through Amorsolo's paintings of the indigenous, which found their way on the front pages of the most popular magazines and newspapers and the colored calendars, people from all over the country, especially those in the provinces whose living and being, culture and heritage, are evocatively captured in the maestro's canvas, found a way to familiarize and identify themselves with his art. In the process of this identification, Amorsolo became a household name, and he became the very definition of Philippine painting. Amorsolo's contribution to the flowering of Philippine painting was indelible. So omnipresent was his art that he unwittingly introduced, to a significant extent, painting to people in the provinces whom Amorsolo exalted in his works. Even the champion and mother of Philippine modernism, Purita KalawLedesma, wrote an entire article in The Manila Chronicle titled "Amorsolo's place in Philippine art" (May 7, 1972) in the wake of Amorsolo's proclamation as the country's first national artist. "Amorsolo was lucky enough to live in an age where the art of reproduction had come into being." Kalaw-Ledesma writes. "Some of his paintings were reproduced in colored calendars of the Insular Life and the Filipinas Compania de Seguros. Through this means, many people in the provinces and even in Manila were able to appreciate good painting, where otherwise they would never have been exposed to this art. Thus, painting became synonymous with the word 'Amorsolo.'" Kalaw-Ledesma continues: "Every man has his place in the sun. To my mind, Amorsolo's contribution was his vision of the Philippine sunlight and landscape, and his portrayal of a happy era long gone (or maybe of one which had never existed), which we could look back to, when things look very bleak, as having been so once upon a time." (Adrian Maranan)
PROPERTY FROM THE EDWARD J. NELL COLLECTION Under the Mango Tree signed and dated 1929 (lower right) oil on canvas 38” x 38” (97 cm x 97 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Acquired directly from the artist WRITE UP In a recent interview with Leon Gallery, Mrs. Sylvia AmorsoloLazo, the maestro’s daughter, said that upon seeing the painting, memories of her father instantly flashed back. “I will simply say Papa is a genius. And I remember when he paints, it is so easy for him. So easy,” she reminisces. “Definitely, it is my father’s work,” Mrs. Lazo says. “Actually, this is the first time I have seen it when [Leon Gallery] brought it to my place for verification. But I have seen one in the 1950s, the same thing, but different strokes. So that is why I consider this as a masterpiece among the same painting compositions. The way I see it, all his styles in painting are there. The impasto [is] detailed.” Mrs. Lazo also adds that “a simple stroke will define the contour of the anatomy…As you look at the face of the woman, she looks so beautiful.” A Symbol of Filipino Nationalism Notice how, in this work, the radiance of the sunlight directly illuminates the dalaga and her charming face; she possesses a photographic likeness, a palpable realism. This is Amorsolo’s participation in the cultural self-assertion of the ‘20s, projecting the image of the Filipina to profess the pastoral indigenous as the foundation of Filipino identity amid the relentless surge of Americanized modernity. It is Amorsolo embodying the Filipino civic and cultural nationalism of the first decades of the 20th century that went hand in hand with the debates for the country’s independence after four centuries of colonial rule. Amorsolo emphasized the Filipinismo of the period (when folk motifs like the kundiman and native dances were being revived, the balagtasan that extolled the virtues of the dalaga rose to fame, and Philippine history and culture were heavily researched by Filipiniana scholars like Teodoro Kalaw) through the dalaga and the tropical sunlight as embodiments of a country whose identity is rooted in the agricultural. After all, land is intrinsically tied to one’s culture and identity. Amorsolo’s aggressive interest in pursuing the autochthonous rather than the Americanized seeped through the national consciousness amidst the foreign demand for his works. Mojares writes, “With the fever for things Philippine, Amorsolo’s art was everywhere—advertising posters, calendars, magazines, textbooks, postage stamps, even product labels. Few artists contributed as much to the country’s stock of “national” images.” Mrs. Lazo said that her father’s favorite is the mango tree, for it symbolizes the family. Aside from being a ubiquitous landmark in virtually every corner of the country, the mango tree resonates with the Filipino collective experience. It is a symbol of abundance and fertility, encapsulating the shared struggles and continuing hope of a people for an allembracing and empowering progress. As critic Alfredo Roces writes in the book Amorsolo, the maestro “gave the nation a sense of confidence in its culture, pride in its beauty, joy in its simple day-to-day living, and graciousness in the face of reality.” (Adrian Maranan)
PROPERTY FROM THE PRISCILLA L. CHIONGBIAN COLLECTION Igorots Overlooking the Cordilleras signed and dated 1928 (lower right) oil on wood 15” x 20” (38 cm x 51 cm) PROVENANCE: Acquired directly from the artist WRITE UP Looking Through the Lens of the Indigenous Amorsolo Paints the Igorots of the Cordilleras The heart and soul of what it means to be Filipino at a crucial turning point in our history runs deep in the works of Fernando Amorsolo: romantic and idyllic yet profoundly echoes the nationalistic sentiments of his time. In the 1920s, when a renewed sense of Filipino nationalism was at its height, spurred by the incessant and heated debates for the independence of the Philippines from four centuries of colonial rule, Amorsolo’s pastoral paintings became the quintessential image of the Filipino people, who were, consciously or unconsciously, rebelling against the relentless “Americanization” of the nation. “Faced with Americanization and urbanization, the national identity sought to reaffirm itself in the pastoral life of Filipinos,” critic Alfredo Roces writes in his 1975 monograph on Amorsolo. The kundiman became the popular music, fostered by the likes of Nicanor Abelardo and Francisco Santiago, folk dances were being “rediscovered,” compiled, and studied by Francisca Reyes, and Amorsolo’s dalagang bukid was at the helm of promoting the autochthonous pastoral as the foundation of the Filipino identity. There was another facet to Amorsolo’s art during the 1920s besides the ubiquitous image of the charming and innocent dalaga. Beginning in the mid to late 1920s, Amorsolo produced a series of works centering on the Indigenous tribes of the Philippines, particularly the Igorots inhabiting the cold mountains of the Cordilleras in Northern Luzon. Igorots Overlooking the Cordilleras is a breath of fresh air from Amorsolo’s mostly Tagalog-centric genre paintings. Amorsolo’s vigorous strokes and heavy impastos attest to the artist’s dynamic and confident creative flair during his “golden years.” Cool tones dominate the composition, evoking the temperate climate of the Cordillera region. Amorsolo’s colors are rich and “pure.” Amorsolo depicts four Igorot women resting amid a panoramic backdrop of a majestic mountain, which the artist renders in hazy blues and outlined with faint dabs of paint. Amorsolo’s knowledge of indigenous culture is evident in his depiction of the kayabang, a conical rattan basket used exclusively by the Ibaloi women to collect, carry, and transport fruits, vegetables, and crops, such as games (yams) and camotes grown through swidden farming techniques in Benguet. The kayabang is worn around the head and supported on both sides by two long straps of rattan called the apid. The kayabang brought convenience to the Ibalois as the basket filled with goods was supported by the head rather than the torso, helping them traverse the steep mountain slopes of the Cordilleras. Amorsolo also depicts the Ibaloi women donning their “divit,” a two-piece clothing composed of the “kambal” (upper garment) and the “divit” (wrap-around lower garment). Amorsolo’s Igorots Overlooking the Cordilleras is essentially an anthropological record and a part of the broader scope of “Filipinism” of the 1920s. The indigenous groups of the Cordilleras, who had successfully repealed centuries of colonial rule and maintained their cultural integrity, have been subjected to fetishization and sensationalism and deemed “savage, primitive, and inferior” by the Americans, especially at the “human zoos” of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Igorots Overlooking the Cordilleras shows Amorsolo at the height of his impressionist powers, adamant about the power of his brush in elevating the indigenous into the national consciousness. For Amorsolo, the indigenous is an integral part of the collective national identity that makes the Philippines a harmonious whole. It is in the indigenous that a people’s identity and, ultimately, culture and history, ideals and aspirations sprang forth. (Adrian Maranan)
