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One would be hard pressed to find even the slightest bit of anger in any of Amorsolo’s colorful subjects – this was not his way. The placid demeanor of the Philippine farm workers and country people, going about the lives and chores, exude contentment with their lot in life, never showing resentment of any kind. This is not to say that Amorsolo did not imbue his subjects with psychological dimensions. The weathered lines on an old woman’s face, projecting the cumulative experiences she had encountered in her long life – or the gleeful abandonment of dancers in a neighborhood fiesta. This was all about to change. On December 8th, 1941, ten hours after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, they launched bombing raids on the American airfields at Clark Air Base in Pampanga. With the exit of General Douglas MacArthur on March 11, 1942, and the subsequent surrender of his starving troops in Corregidor, all allied resistance to the Japanese invasion of the Philippines had essentially halted. The famous Bataan death march ensued, where 7-10,000 troops were murdered, and the remaining 13,000 survivors surrendered in Corregidor on 6 May. Filipino guerrilla fighters continued to battle Japanese troops throughout the rest of the war, using their own domestic resources and supplies sent to through US submarines and other means. During this Japanese occupation period, many atrocities were committed by the Japanese soldiers against the Filipinos. General MacArthur returned to the Philippines on October 20, 1944, as he had promised to do, with a force of 170,000 men and over 700 vessels, landing in Leyte, Visayan Islands. Knowing they were beaten, The Japanese executed a suicide defense of the major areas of the country, such as Manila, ultimately reducing these to rubble. It is estimated that over 500,000 Filipinos were killed during the Japanese occupation. Amorsolo’s kind heart was buried under the wanton devastation of the beautiful Manila he idealized, along with the countless Japanese inhumanities in the raping, pillaging, and murder of his beloved countrymen. He resolved to capture this depravity and destruction for the world to see and judge, in a series of works known collectively as “The War Paintings.” These coveted paintings were generally created in the early to mid-1940's, ceasing altogether a few years after the war ended DESTRUCTION OF MANILAUp until the time Amorsolo initiated his War Paintings series, the closest thing he had done to that was capturing the ruins of old Spanish era churches. Usually recognizable as religious structures, these churches are adorned with crumbling, moss covered facades. These images are often accented with flame trees and villagers, enjoying a few moments of respite before continuing with their busy day. Compare that idyllic scene of a weathered ancient church, to the still smoldering remains of a residential street. Huge chunks of concrete are missing from the structures that recede into the distance, where bombs had blasted their symmetric shapes into irregular hulks. Uncontrolled fires still rage within these buildings, with no sign of life anywhere to be seen. Amorsolo’s pastoral renditions of Manila Bay usually entail fisherman with their families, unloading the day’s catch, with a magnificent sunset in the background. Not so in one of his most famous scenes, “Bombing of the Intendencia.” Panicked civilians run for their lives across the pier, while several bombed ships spew billowing black smoke skyward from their oil fires. In the background, the beautiful Manila Bay sunset remains, as if the artist is saying, this horror will one day pass, and normalcy will again reign – a message of hope. ATTROCITY PAINTINGSA ruthless Japanese soldier looks down upon the dead body of a beautiful Filipina he has presumably just murdered – with the likelihood of his having committed other foul deeds upon her before that eventuality. She faces heaven, likely having prayed for a savior that never came. Her clothing is disheveled, with her long hair spread out far past her limp form. The solider appears to be fixing the sleeve of his uniform, perhaps grabbed by the fallen maiden during her desperate struggle for life. In another heart rendering work, a desperate woman flees the nearby fighting with her infant child, clutched to her breast. Dead bodies are strewn around her, and a man with a cane strides behind her, carrying what appears to be either the remains of a child, or possibly one wounded and still clinging to life that he is seeking to help. Smoke and destruction consume the background, and one might imagine this scene was repeated time and again. One of the most profound war images, shows a beautiful Filipina kneeling. Her gaze is to the heavens, and she clutches her yellow head scarf. The smoke of the battle behind her takes on a religious glow, encircling her head in a way one would usually associate with depictions of Mary or a Saint. At her knees is a dead Philippine soldier, presumably her husband. RISING FROM THE ASHESFernando Amorsolo used his art to capture the terrible consequences of war, aptly detailing the gruesome results of the Japanese occupation of his country. When the war was over, he painted a scene called “Defend Thy Honor,” originally gifted to General Frank Lowe in 1945, but now on permanent exhibit at the National Gallery, Singapore.
In this scene, which is a rare interior painting, a young Filipino man stands to the viewer’s right. A raged unmade bed is to his right, representing the post-war destruction that was prevalent in the country. To his left is a table set with candles and fruits, conveying that light and prosperity would eventually return. The man looks out at the viewer, holding a beautiful, frightened Filipina, dutifully protecting her with a menacing Bolo knife. At his feet is the uniform cap of a Japanese soldier, who he presumably just chased from their house.
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Fernando Amorsolo intimately understood the diversity of the Philippine people. He endeavored to capture the marginalized, non-Catholic ethnic groups, to reveal their dignity and to emphasize their important place in Philippine culture and history. His renditions of the mountain Igorot peoples of the extreme North, and Muslim Moro peoples of the South, included colorful studies of their lifestyle and unique apparels. GeographyThe Philippines is comprised of about 7,641 islands, of which about 2000 are inhabited. This stretches over 1100 miles, with territory in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The three stars in the Philippine flag symbolize the three main regions these islands are grouped together into. The largest area in the Northern most region is named Luzon, the principal area of population and commerce, which includes Manila. The central region is the Visayas, and the Southern region is Mindanao. IGOROTS, THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLESMost envision the Philippines as a vast network of farmlands and rain forests, interspaced with large areas of urban sprawl. The Northern-central region of the main island of Luzon is dominated by the Cordillera Mountain Range, which covers 8700 square miles. These mountains are the highest points in the country, reaching elevations of over 9600 feet. Unlike the tropical weather experienced year round by most of the rest of the country, temperatures in these mountains can often approach freezing during the winter months. A major feature of the Northern Philippines is the city of Baguio, and future north, the Banaue Rice Terraces. These terraces were carved by hand into the mountains over the last 2000 years, by the ancestors of the Igorot peoples, and are located about 4,900 feet above sea level. They are often called the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, and if put end to end might cover half the globe. Fernando Amorsolo was fascinated by both the grandeur of these ancient human-crafted marvels, many of which are still farmed in modern times, and the Ifugao peoples who worked and lived on them. He did many paintings that showed the majesty of colorful mountains in the backdrop, with groups of Igorots huddled together in their native attire. Many artists rattled off fast busts of Igorot and Moro types to sell to tourists for quick profits. Amorsolo’s versions were truly anthropological and psychologically imbued. They masterfully captured the intricate details of layered, carefully dyed, striped garments, head dress, and intricate accoutrements; such as detailed bead work necklaces and dangling golden earrings. The faces of the beautiful Igorot women in these portraits, also accurately conveys the harsh nature of their difficult existence. In one such painting, there is a group of colorfully dressed Igorots coming around a mountain pass into the morning light. They are all carrying large back packs full of life’s necessities. The second figure has four dogs on leashes, that are enthusiastically pressing forward. Amorsolo frames the scene with a tree in the left foreground and a large dirt hill on the right, bringing the image to life in three dimensions. This is further amplified by the sheer drop off behind them, which extends to a pale ocean inlet far below. MOROS, THE MUSLIM PEOPLESIslam was first believed to have come to the Philippines in the 14th century, as Muslim traders made their way there from surrounding areas. These visits eventually resulted in Sultanates in the main island of Mindanao, as well as the out-branching Sulu archipelago. The mostly Sunni religion expanded rapidly, until the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in the 16th century, when Catholicism took root and eventually became the dominant religion of the country. In Amorsolo’s time, as well as now, the Muslim religion accounted for about 5% of the Philippine population. The United States took possession of the Philippines in 1898, after the settlement of the Spanish American War with the Treaty of Paris. Subsequently, there was an insurrection war declared between Philippine revolutionaries and the United States which ended In 1899. From 1901 to 1913 the Moros, as these Philippine Muslims are called, continued to battle United States forces in a series of skirmishes, known to many, as the “Moro Wars.” Over the years, the Moros continued to maintain separatist ideals, accentuated during the communist backed post WWII Huk movement, which ended in the mid-1950's. As one could imagine, the Moros were a prominent counter force in the Philippines for most of Fernando Amorsolo’s life, and sometimes a focus of his artistic attention. As was his way, rather than to produce propagandize images of his country’s struggle with these peoples, or vice a versa, he instead focused on their history, culture and craft. While not as prevalent as his depictions of the Igorot population, largely due to their proximity in Luzon and easier access to the artist, Amorsolo did glamorize the idealized Moro existence. In a very popular image Amorsolo painted many times, he shows a topless young Princess Urduja being groomed by an attendant behind her, presumably for her wedding. This is a rare interior scene, of which Amorsolo did few, but there is also a known version of the same event taking place near a river. The Princess is positioned kneeling on a rug, with her right arm lifted behind her head. She is adorned with three gold bracelets on her left bicep, and a simple pink cloth draped over her waist and thighs. On either side of her are heirloom earthenware jars, that would have been kept in the family for hundreds of years, brought to the country by Arab or Chinese traders. Moro images done by the artist include fierce chieftains adorned with a menacing Kris, proudly looking out to the viewer in a challenging posture. Amorsolo was also a fan of depicting the colorful Moro vessels that one would see transversing the open ocean in their territories. In other important historical paintings, Amorsolo captured the surrender of the Moros to the Spanish, and painted an imagined scene of their conversion to Christianity. ALL ARE FILIPINOSBy deftly capturing the ethnic peoples of the Philippines, Amorsolo wanted to ensure that both visitors and his predominantly Catholic countrymen, would appreciate that there were others in their country as well – fully as Filipino as themselves, but very different in their thoughts, prayers, and approach to daily life. Seeing the awesome beauty of Baguio and Banaue in person, as well as taking pages from history to represent the long standing Moro presence, there is no doubt Fernando Amorsolo wanted them all to be thought of as an important part of the entire Philippine experience. Philippine National Artist Fernando Amorsolo was fascinated with the idea of an ideal Filipina (female Filipino) image. To this end, he used many carefully selected models to portray his vision. Although Amorsolo did portraits and images of Mestiza women as well (women of mixed blood, usually with Spanish or American lineage), most of his depictions capture what he imagined to be the quintessential, pure blooded Filipina beauty. These depictions of the ideal Filipina beauty were usually expressed either in the form of a bathing nude, a peasant farm worker, or the seller of produce. Amorsolo Female NudesUnlike many Western Artists who depicted nude women in their canvases, Amorsolo opted for a much more modest translation of this genre. It was rare that you would have a full frontal image of the nude beauty, but instead she might be seen from the backside, or topless at an angle to the viewer's perspective. Inevitably these nude figures would be busy working their chores, whether it was washing clothing, bathing themselves, or caring for children. Since until recent times there was little running water in the Philippine provinces, it was common for these provincial women to go down to a nearby stream or river to do their laundry. These clothes washing woman are known even today as "Lavanderas", and they would also take the opportunity of being at the water to bathe themselves, as well as gather water to return to home with for practical purposes (cooking, washing, etc.). The water was conveyed in a Bangka, or clay pot, which are also commonly seen in Amorsolo's works. In the 1950s and early 1960s, Amorsolo also did a series of nude women in "pin-up" poses, very similar to the style of Playboy Magazine artist Alberto "Vargas". These were probably done as a source of quick income for the artist, and likely were executed at the request of American men visiting or working in the Philippines who admired Vargas' work. Typically, these paintings are unfinished and on smaller canvases, with a splash of color highlighting a reclining nude Philippine beauty. Proud Women in Philippine Traditional ClothingWhether it be on a farm, walking on the roadside, or in a pretty pose, Amorsolo loved to paint the ideal Filipina in traditional costume. This usually consisted of a skirt with gold and dark purple colored stripes, a white blouse, and a bandana (or neatly kept black hair). Farm workers or those working near the ocean, might have more simple clothing, often with a large hat (or bandana) to keep back the severe mid-day sun.
Many of Amorsolo's paintings of this type, are happy, posed young women who flash a modest smile at the viewer. Other than in Amorsolo's war paintings (circa WW2), where he emphasized the great grief that many Filipinas were sufferering, almost all of his other paintings show the subjects as being content with their lot in life. Despite their dreary toil on the farm or in other occupations, both female and male figures appear to be very satisfied in being productive and contributing to their family and society in the best way they were able. This appears to be a message that Amorsolo wanted to impart to the rest of the world - the strength and eternal optimism of the common Philippine people. A popular painting that Amorsolo did often in the late 1920's and 1930's, speaks well to the concept of happiness in the completion of everyday chores. In the painting, the "Bangka Girl", Amorsolo shows a young maiden in traditional Philippine garb, on her way home after fetching water. She is usually depicted next to a stream where she likely had just filled the large clay Bangka jar that she is dutifully carrying home. Although this trip must have happened several times a day, and the Bangka filled with water was undoubtably heavy, the young girl makes her way home with determined haste. There is no trace of regret or self-pity in her stance, but instead the peace of one who dutifully completes the tasks expected of her, in support of her family's needs. Amorsolo was truly a champion of Philippine women, wanting to ensure that the world saw them favorably through his eyes on canvas. Though the unbreakable backbone of Filipino society and everyday life, their internal peace and contentment in spite of their numerous burdens, showed through vividly in their satisfied expressions. These images of beautifully proud Filipinas are amongst the most coveted of his paintings. The Beginning Works of The Legendary Artist Fernando Amorsolo Fernando Amorsolo, the first national painter of the Philippines, had the gift of embedding life and warmth into each of his works. Capturing peaceful moments and tranquil beauty over the lush landscapes of his home was the essence of his artistry from his early life and throughout his famous career. While Fernando Amorsolo went through formal schooling for his art, his raw, natural talent is clear to see. His early works are a tribute to this truth and show why he was the most famous painter in the Philippines. Fernando Amorsolo’s Early Life Born on May 30th, 1892, in Manila, Fernando lived the first seven months of his life in the capital region of the Philippines. His parents, Pedro Amorsolo and Bonifacia Cueto, then moved the family to the coastal municipality of Daet in Camarines Norte. In his childhood home of Daet, he found his love for rural landscapes, traditional culture, and artistic expression. His love for drawing began at a young age, and he would often draw pictures of boats along the shore. His parents strongly supported his artistic skill, and his mother would send his sketches to her first cousin, Fabian De La Rosa, an accomplished Philippine painter. While Amorsolo had a talent for painting an ideal world, his reality was much darker and struck by tragedy. In the span of a few years, he lost his elder brother by execution by the Spaniards and his father to a heart attack at eleven years old. Family member, Edwin Amorsolo Martinez, writes that Amorsolo’s father, Pedro, made his mother promise to give Fernando a proper art education near the time of his passing. After his father passed, the family moved back to Manila and lived with his mother's cousin and famous painter, Fabian De La Rosa. De La Rosa took Amorsolo under his wing and gave him proper art instructions. Fernando also assisted De La Rosa in his art studio, where his artistic knowledge grew and developed. As a widowed mother, Bonifacia struggled to make ends meet and couldn’t provide much financial support for Fernando to receive a formal art education. To help his family and support his education, Fernando sold his drawings, officially beginning his career as an artist. This provided him with enough income to complete his studies at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts. In 1914, at 22 years of age, Fernando Amorsolo graduated with honors and earned his degree in art. Fernando Amorsolo’s Early Career After graduating from the Philippines School of Fine Arts, Amorsolo taught as a professor at the university. Being a young man in his early twenties, this was quite an accomplishment, and his early career as an artist and teacher was successful. Perhaps the most noted accomplishment of Amorsolo’s early career was the logo design commissioned for the company Ginebra San Miguel. A popular alcohol brand, this logo is still in use today and opened the doors for Fernando’s legendary career. Don Enrique Zobel, the brand owner, was highly impressed with Fernando’s work. He had a deep fondness for the arts, and as a wealthy businessman, he gifted Fernando with an opportunity to study at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, Spain. Along with this generous offer, he gave Fernando and his growing family a stipend for him to further his studies. After seeing the results of his standard entrance exam, the school accepted him not as a student but as a professor and held a banquet in his honor. This remarkable chain of events speaks to Amorsolo’s incredible talent as an artist and his natural ability to paint realistic portraits and serene landscapes. It was in Madrid that Fernando sharpened his skills as an artist by visiting art galleries and museums. He studied the works of famous artists such as Monet, Van Dyck, and El Greco. However, it was Diego Velasquez and Joaquin Sorolla who inspired Fernando’s characteristic brushwork, bright and beautiful colors, and warm, natural light. A Lifetime of Success, Tragedy, and National Recognition After returning from Spain and a short trip to New York, Fernando was ready to settle down and build his career in his hometown of Manila. His paintings were highly sought after by tourists, businessmen, government officials, and locals. His talent for portraits brought him many clients and success, as he had an unmatched ability to capture the essence of the person before him. Amorsolo’s landscape and cultural paintings captured his love for traditional Filipino gatherings and ways of life. This is shown in his paintings of workers in rice fields, women bathing in streams, and portraits of people in traditional clothing. The way he captured light and brought warmth to the still life paintings showed a life full of love and peace. Some describe his style as a depiction of an ‘ideal world.’ In a life marked by tragedy and war, it’s a wonder that Amorsolo focused on light and idealism. His focus on what was good, pure, and lovely showed his willpower to turn his gaze on the beautiful things in life rather than the ugly. Amorsolo was not ignorant of hardship. For a time, his paintings captured the ruggedness and heartbreak of war. These realist depictions are still found in Filipino government buildings today as historical remembrance of that dark time. Fernando Amorsolo is one of the most famous and respected Filipino artists. His paintings, sketches, and drawings total over 10,000 pieces. His country recognizes him and honors him today as the first national painter of the Philippines. With this, his legacy lives on and continues to inspire the millions who view his work. Examples of Early Paintings by Fernando Amorsolo |
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