Carlos Modesto "Botong" Villaluz Francisco (November 4, 1912 – March 31, 1969) was a Filipino muralist from

Angono Angono ( or ), officially the Municipality of Angono (), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Rizal (province), Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 130,4 ...

, Rizal.

Early life

Francisco was a most distinguished practitioner of mural painting for many decades and best known for his historical pieces. He was one of the first Filipino modernists along with Galo Ocampo and Victorio C. Edades who broke away from

Fernando Amorsolo Fernando Amorsolo y Cueto (May 30, 1892 – April 24, 1972) was a portraitist and painter of rural Philippine landscapes. Nicknamed the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Art," he was the first-ever to be recognized as a National Artist of the Philip ...

romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

of Philippine scenes. According to restorer Helmuth Josef Zotter, Francisco's art "is a prime example of linear painting where lines and contours appear like cutouts."Alex Y. Vergara (July 24, 2000) "How to Save a Botong Francisco," ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'

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Later career

Francisco served as the production designer for the Noli Me Tángere (1961 film), 1961 film adaptation of

José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is popularly considered a na ...

's '' Noli Me Tángere''. He was responsible for the discovery of the now famous Angono Petroglyphs in 1965. He was also involved in Costume Design in

Philippine The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

cinema. His great works include portrayals of the

Blood Compact Blood compact ( Spanish: ''Pacto de sangre''; Tagalog: ''Sanduguan'') was an ancient ritual in the Philippines intended to seal a friendship or treaty, or to validate an agreement. The contracting parties would cut their hands and pour their blo ...

, First Mass at Limasawa, The Martyrdom of Rizal, Bayanihan, Magpupukot, Fiesta, Bayanihan sa Bukid,

Sandugo The Legazpi-Sikatuna Blood Compact, or ''Sandugo'' ( Spanish: ''Pacto de Sangre''), was a blood compact, performed on the island of Bohol in the Philippines, between the Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna, chieftain of ...

, Portrait of Purita, The Invasion of

Limahong Limahong, Lim Hong, or Lin Feng ( Teochew zh, t=林鳳, :, : ), well known as Ah Hong ( Teochew zh, t=阿鳳, : , : ) or Lim-A-Hong or Limahon ( Teochew zh, t=林阿鳳, :, : ), was a Chinese pirate and warlord who invaded the northern Phi ...

, Serenade, and Muslim Betrothal. Some of his murals have suffered big damage over the years. The "Pageant of Commerce" emerged from several years of restoration in 2000. His murals, The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines, was restored for the 3rd time in 2007 and is currently residing in the National Art Gallery of the Philippines. A high-quality replica of the mural is also located at its previous location at the lobby of the

Philippine General Hospital The Philippine General Hospital (also known as University of the Philippines–Philippine General Hospital or UP–Philippine General Hospital), simply referred to as UP–PGH or PGH, is a tertiary state-owned hospital administered and operated ...

.Allison Lopez (August 30, 2007
"Art docs work on ‘dying’ Botong murals in PGH,"
''Inquirer'' Nikki Francisco (September 26, 2017
"10 Must-See Masterpieces at the National Museum of the Philippines"
''Spot.ph'' Francisco's last work is the '' Camote Diggers'' which was left unfinished.

Death

Botong died on March 31, 1969, in Angono, Rizal, Philippines.

Gallery

File:FvfMuseum6691 21.JPG, ''First Mass at Limasawa'' File:FvrMuseuj6650 32.JPG, '' The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines''

References

1912 births 1969 deaths 20th-century Filipino painters Burials at the Libingan ng mga Bayani Artists from Rizal (province) Filipino portrait painters Modern artists Filipino muralists National Artists of the Philippines {{Philippines-painter-stub