By Johanna Villanueva
How does a man organize a culture’s identity, in the midst of not one, not two, but three nations having colonized the Philippines? Well of course, he does it with a paintbrush.
Fernando Amorsolo y Cueto was born (May 30, 1892 – April 24, 1972), having lived through Japanese and American occupation of the Philippines. He was the first appointed National Artist of the Philippines and aptly given the title, “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art” and for good reason.
His paintings depicted Filipino pastoral scenes as well as Filipino culture, preserving it through other countries’ occupations. His “Harvesting Under the Mango Trees” (pictured left) depicts Filipina women in traditional dress doing day-to-day activities, like leisurely picking mangoes and other vegetation. Many of these pieces were made from observation of his people’s lives, to render such actions as important and arcadian, as opposed to the erasure it may have been condemned to due to another country’s influence. Other paintings show fiestas, dancing, and around WWII, scenes of the Philippines burning (Burning of Manila, pictured below), and his protest against the violence. His work is a reflection of his day, always with pride in the heart of the Philippines.
In the midst of other beauty standards being forced upon their society, Amorsolo took it upon himself to preserve his own family and the moments they shared. The creation of “Portrait of Lina” (pictured right) was in 1946: it was a quiet holy day of Good Friday when he asked her to pose for the painting. It is through this work we see how his inspiration from other artists, such as Diego Velasquez, is expressed. He is an Impressionist with lighter and looser brushstrokes usually used in landscapes, but he approaches portraiture in the same vein of Velasquez by using the alla prima method, a method of painting where it is done in one go with oil paints, not allowing previous layers to dry and applying it all while wet. She is pictured casually and youthful, naturally staring to the left side kindly. Her background is saturated with different tones of purple and blue, with warmth mixed in with light oranges and red tones. She clutches a piece of cloth to symbolize her love for sewing. The original portrait is, to this knowledge, still with Lina.
Why does this matter? Well, even a Fil-Am (Filipino-American) girl from far away about 100 years later who’s never seen the islands, never caught their foot in bamboo dancing tinikling, cradled a sampaguita and admired its petals; can see that it was beautiful, and it’s warmly felt as my culture. Along with that, Amorsolo’s private feelings; his love for his country, the cheerfulness and peace found in its normal happenings, as well as during its trials and adversity; prove not only mean a whole lot to its Philippine people, but to stand the test of time.
Bibliography:
Martinez, Edwin A. “Portrait of Lina, 1946 – Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation.” Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation, Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation, www.fernandocamorsolo.com/feature/lina.pdf. Accessed 10 Feb. 2024.
Order of National Artists: Fernando Amorsolo, Order of National Artists, ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/national-artists-of-the-philippines/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2024.
Wang, Nickie (September 13, 2008). “Introducing Fernando Amorsolo to a new generation”. Manila Standard Today. Accessed 10 Feb. 2024.