AMORSOLO PAINTING SUBJECTS AND EXAMPLES OF 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