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 Philippines The Order of National Artists of the Philippines ( Tagalog: ''Orden ng mga Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas'') is an order bestowed by the President of the Philippines on Philippine nationals who have made significant contributions to ...

. He was recognized as such for his "pioneering use of impressionistic technique" as well as his skill in the use of lighting and backlighting in his paintings, "significant not only in the development of Philippine art but also in the formation of Filipino notions of self and identity."

Early life and education

Fernando Amorsolo was born on May 30, 1892, in

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

His parents were Pedro Amorsolo and Bonifacia Cueto. His father quickly found work in

Daet, Camarines Norte Daet (), officially the Municipality of Daet (; ), is a municipality and capital of the province of Camarines Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 111,700 people making it the most populous in the province ...

months after Fernando's birth, and the family lived there until his father died when Amorsolo was 11. While he studied in a public school in Daet, his parents taught him to read and write Spanish at home. After his father's death, the family moved back to Manila, where they stayed with one of his uncles, Don

Fabián de la Rosa Don Fabián de la Rosa y Cueto (May 5, 1869 – December 14, 1937) was a Filipino painter. He was the uncle and mentor to the Philippines' national artist in painting, Fernando Amorsolo, and to his brother Pablo. He is regarded as a "master ...

, his mother's cousin, who was also a Filipino painter. At the age of 13, Amorsolo became an apprentice to De la Rosa, who would eventually become the advocate and guide to Amorsolo's painting career. During this time, Amorsolo's mother did embroidery to earn money, while Amorsolo helped by selling water color postcards to a local bookstore for 10 centavos each. His younger brother,

Pablo Amorsolo Pablo Cueto Amorsolo (born Pablo Cueto; June 26, 1898 – February 21, 1945) was a Filipino painter. He was the younger brother of the Philippine National Artist Fernando Amorsolo. His most notable work as a student at the ''Liceo'' was his painting of a young man and a young woman in a garden, which won him the first prize in the art school exhibition during his graduation year. Fernando Amorsolo in Madrid 1917

After graduating from the ''Liceo'', he entered the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; ) is a Higher education in the Philippines#State universities and colleges, state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by List of Philippine laws, Re ...

' School of Fine Arts, where De la Cruz taught at that time. During college, Fernando Amorsolo's primary influences were the Portuguese people court painter

Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptised 6 June 15996 August 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the Noble court, court of King Philip IV of Spain, Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He i ...

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era, Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil ...

Anders Zorn Anders Leonard Zorn (18 February 1860 – 22 August 1920) was a Swedish artist who attained international success as a painter, sculptor, and etching artist. His portrait subjects include King Oscar II of Sweden and three President of the Un ...

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; ; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French people, French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionism, Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially femininity, fe ...

, but mostly his contemporary Spanish masters

Joaquín Sorolla Bastida Joaquín or Joaquin is a male given name, the Spanish version of Joachim. Given name * Joaquín (footballer, born 1956) (Joaquín Alonso González), Spanish football midfielder * Joaquín (footballer, born 1981) (Joaquín Sánchez Rodríguez) ...

and

Ignacio Zuloaga Ignacio Zuloaga y Zabaleta (July 26, 1870October 31, 1945) was a Spanish painter, born in Eibar, Guipuzcoa, near the monastery of Loyola. Family He was the son of metalworker and damascening, damascener Plácido Zuloaga and grandson of the orga ...

. To make money during school, Amorsolo joined competitions and did illustrations for various Philippine publications, including

Severino Reyes Severino Reyes y Rivera (February 11, 1861 – September 15, 1942) was a Filipino people, Filipino writer and playwright. He used the pen name Lola Basyang. He was nicknamed "Don Binoy". Early life and education Severino Reyes was born on Febr ...

’ first novel in Tagalog language, ''Parusa ng Diyos'' ("Punishment of God"), Iñigo Ed. Regalado's ''Madaling Araw'' ("Dawn"), as well as illustrations for editions of the ''

Pasyon The ''Pasyón'' () is a Philippine epic narrative of the life of Jesus Christ, focused on his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. In stanzas of five lines of eight syllables each, the standard elements of epic poetry are interwoven with a colourfu ...

''. Amorsolo graduated with medals from the University of the Philippines in 1914.

Career

After graduating from the University of the Philippines, Amorsolo worked as a

draftsman A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman, drafting technician, or CAD technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawi ...

for the Bureau of Public Works as a chief artist at the Pacific Commercial Company and as a part-time instructor at the University of the Philippines. He taught at the University for 38 years, including 14 years as director of the Art Department. Fernando Amorsolo in his studio

After three years as an instructor and commercial artist, Amorsolo was given a grant to study at the Academia de San Fernando in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, Spain by Filipino businessman

Enrique Zóbel de Ayala Enrique Jacobo Pedro Luis Plácido Zóbel de Ayala (October 9, 1877 – February 17, 1943) was a Spanish-born industrialist and philanthropist who became the first patriarch of the Zóbel de Ayala family. He was also one of the leaders in the P ...

. During his seven months in Spain, Amorsolo sketched at museums and along the streets of Madrid experimenting with the use of light and color. Still through the Zóbel grant, Amorsolo was also able to travel to New York City, where he encountered postwar

impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

and

cubism Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement which began in Paris. It revolutionized painting and the visual arts, and sparked artistic innovations in music, ballet, literature, and architecture. Cubist subjects are analyzed, broke ...

which would become major influences on his work. Amorsolo set up his own studio upon his return to Manila and painted during the 1920s and the 1930s. His ''Rice Planting'' (1922), which appeared on posters and tourist brochures became one of the most popular images of the

Commonwealth of the Philippines The Commonwealth of the Philippines (; ) was an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territory and Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States that existed from 1935 to 1946. It was established following the ...

. Beginning in the 1930s, Amorsolo's work was exhibited widely in the Philippines and abroad. Amorsolo was sought after by influential Filipinos including Luis Araneta, Antonio Araneta and

Jorge B. Vargas Jorge Bartolomé Vargas y Celis (August 24, 1890 – February 22, 1980) was a Filipino lawyer, diplomat and youth advocate born in Bago, Negros Occidental, Philippines. He graduated valedictorian from Negros Occidental High School in 1909 an ...

. Due to his popularity, Amorsolo had to resort to photographing his works, sticking and mounting them in an album allowing patrons to choose from this catalog of his work. Amorsolo avoided creating exact replicas of his trademark themes by recreating the paintings by varying some elements. His works later appeared on the cover and pages of children textbooks, in novels, in commercial designs, in cartoons and illustrations for Philippine publications such ''The Independent'', ''Philippine Magazine'', ''Telembang'', ''El Renacimiento Filipino'', and ''Excelsior''. He served as the director of the University of the Philippine's College of Fine Arts from 1938 to 1952. During the 1950s until his death in 1972, Amorsolo averaged finishing 10 paintings a month. However, during his later years, diabetes, cataracts, arthritis, headaches, dizziness and the death of two of his sons affected the execution of his works. Amorsolo underwent a cataract operation when he was 70 years old, a surgery that did not impede him from drawing and painting. Amorsolo was a close friend of the Philippine sculptor

Guillermo Tolentino Guillermo Estrella Tolentino (July 24, 1890 – July 12, 1976) was a Filipino sculptor and professor of the University of the Philippines. He was designated as a National Artist of the Philippines for Sculpture in 1973, three years before his ...

, the creator of Filipino patriot Andrés Bonifacio's monument in

Caloocan Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines. Caloo ...

Style and techniques

Women and landscapes

Amorsolo, acclaimed as “Painter of Philippine Sunlight,” is best known for his illuminated landscapes,"Fernando Amorsolo". ''Filipinos in History''. Manila, Philippines: National Historical Institute. Available for download thoug
nhi.gov.ph
(requires registration). which often portrayed traditional Filipino customs, culture, fiestas and occupations. His pastoral works presented "an imagined sense of nationhood in counterpoint to American colonial rule" and were important to the formation of Filipino national identity. He was educated in the

Classical tradition The Western classical tradition is the reception of classical Greco-Roman antiquity by later cultures, especially the post-classical West, involving texts, imagery, objects, ideas, institutions, monuments, architecture, cultural artifacts, ritu ...

and aimed "to achieve his Philippine version of the Greek ideal for the human form." In his paintings of Filipina women, Amorsolo rejected Western ideals of beauty in favor of Filipino ideals and was fond of basing the faces of his subjects on members of his family. Amorsolo used natural light in his paintings and developed the

backlighting A backlight is a form of illumination used in liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) that provides light from the back or side of a display panel. LCDs do not produce light on their own, so they require illumination—either from ambient light or a de ...

technique,

Chiaroscuro In art, chiaroscuro ( , ; ) is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to ach ...

, which became his artistic trademark and his greatest contribution to Philippine painting. In a typical Amorsolo painting, figures are outlined against a characteristic glow, and intense light on one part of the canvas highlights nearby details. Philippine sunlight was a constant feature of Amorsolo's work; he is believed to have painted a rainy-day scene only once. In 2018, the

National Museum of the Philippines The National Museum of the Philippines () is an umbrella government organization that oversees a number of national museums in the Philippines, including Ethnography, ethnographic, Anthropology, anthropological, Archaeology, archaeological, an ...

officially identified Amorsolo's last known painting of an

unfinished creative work An unfinished creative work is a painting, novel, musical composition, or other creative work, that has not been brought to a completed state. Its creator may have chosen not to finish it, deferred its completion indefinitely, or may have been pr ...

of the late Florencia "Nena" Singson Gonzalez-Belo (September 29, 1927-May 11, 2016), wife of Enrique Belo and mother of

Vicki Belo Victoria Belo (born January 25, 1956) is a Filipina doctor, entrepreneur, and media personality. Early life and education Victoria G. Belo was born on January 25, 1956, in Cebu, Philippines, and was adopted by the family of attorney Enrique ...

. It was donated by Amorsolo's widow, Maria del Carmen Amorsolo as confirmed in 2016 by Judy Araneta Roxas. Vicki Bello further affirmed that her mother's 5 sisters had Amorsolo paintings. The painting stood at the National Museum of the Philippines' Gallery VI since 2015.

Sketches

Amorsolo was an incessant

sketch Sketch or Sketches may refer to: * Sketch (drawing), a rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not usually intended as a finished work Arts, entertainment and media * Sketch comedy, a series of short scenes or vignettes called sketches Fil ...

artist,Paras-Perez, Rodriguez (1992). ''Fernando C. Amorsolo: Drawings''. Manila: Lopez Museum. . often drawing sketches at his home, at

Luneta Park Rizal Park (), also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in the Philippines, covering an area of . The site on where the park is situated was ...

, and in the countryside. He drew the people he saw around him, from farmers to city-dwellers coping with the Japanese occupation. Amorsolo's impressionistic tendencies, which may be seen in his paintings as well, were at their height in his sketches. His figures were not completely finished but were mere "suggestions" of the image. Unfinished Painting by Fernando Armosolo

Unfinished Painting by Fernando Armosolo

Historical paintings and portraits

Amorsolo also painted a series of historical paintings on pre-Colonial and Spanish Colonization events. Amorsolo's ''Making of the

Philippine Flag The national flag of the Philippines () is a horizontal List of flags by design#Bicolour, bicolor flag with equal bands of royal blue and Crimson, crimson red, with a white, equilateral chevron at the Glossary of vexillology#Flag elements, hois ...

'', in particular, was widely reproduced. His ''The First Baptism in the Philippines'' required numerous detailed sketches and colored studies of its elements. These diverse elements were meticulously and carefully set by the artist before being transferred to the final canvas. For his pre-colonial and 16th-century depiction of the Philippines, Amorsolo referred to the written accounts of

Antonio Pigafetta Antonio Pigafetta (; – c. 1531) was a Venetian scholar and explorer. In 1519, he joined the Spanish expedition to the Spice Islands led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, the world's first Magellan's circumnavigation, circumnavigation, ...

, other available reading materials, and visual sources. He consulted with the Philippine scholars of the time, H. Pardo de Tavera and

Epifanio de los Santos Epifanio de los Santos y Cristóbal, also known as Don Pañong or Don Panyong (April 7, 1871 – April 18, 1928), was a notable Filipino historian, journalist, and civil servant.Afan, Carolina L. Epifanio de los Santos y Cristobal. Filipinian ...

.Ocampo, Ambeth
"Amorsolo's Brush with History"
. Lopez Memorial Museum (2003). Retrieved June 30, 2007. His work on historical periods, especially his most famous work in popular culture, ''Confeccion de la Standarte Nacionale'' or ''Making of the Philippine Flag'' in 1955, has been frequently reproduced in commercial goods and has become a mainstay in Filipino popular culture. Amorsolo also painted oil portraits of

Presidents President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *''Præsidenten ...

like General

Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...

Manuel L. Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (, , , ; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1 ...

, and

Elpidio Quirino Elpidio Rivera Quirino (; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Philippine nationality law, Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 6th President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. A lawyer by profession, Quirino entered p ...

, and other prominent individuals such as Don Alfredo Jacób and Doña Pura Garchitorena Toral of

Camarines Sur Camarines Sur (; ), officially the Province of Camarines Sur (Central Bikol language, Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Habagatan na Camarines''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its ca ...

. He also painted the wedding picture of Don

Mariano Garchitorena Mariano Garchitorena y Chereau (February 12, 1898 – October 1, 1961) was a Filipino politician of Spanish-French descent. Garchitorena was the son of Don Andres Garchitorena and a French lady, Margarite Chereau. He was married to Dona Carida ...

and Doña Caridad Pamintuan of

Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...

. He also did a portrait of American

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

Warren Grant Magnuson (1905–1989), of the Democratic Party from Washington, whom the Warren G. Magnuson Health Sciences Building at the University of Washington, and the Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center at the

National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...

in Bethesda,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

are named after.

World War II-era works

After the onset of World War II, Amorsolo's typical pastoral scenes were replaced by the depictions of a war-torn nation. During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II, Amorsolo spent his days at his home near the Japanese

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

, where he sketched war scenes from the house's windows or rooftop.Amorsolo Lazo, Sylvia
"Remembering Papa"
. Lopez Memorial Museum (2003). Retrieved June 30, 2007. During the war, he documented the destruction of many landmarks in Manila and the pain, tragedy and death experienced by Filipino people, with his subjects including "women mourning their dead husbands, files of people with pushcarts and makeshift bags leaving a dark burning city tinged with red from fire and blood." Amorsolo frequently portrayed the lives and suffering of Filipina women during World War II. Other World War II-era paintings by Amorsolo include a portrait ''in absentia'' of General

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

as well as self-portraits and paintings of Japanese occupation soldiers. In 1948, Amorsolo's wartime paintings were exhibited at the

Malacañang Palace Malacañang Palace (, ), officially known as Malacañán Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila district of San Miguel, Manila, San Miguel, along Jose Laurel S ...

Critical evaluation

Amorsolo's supporters consider his portrayals of the countryside as "the true reflections of the Filipino Soul."Benesa, Leo
"An Amorsolo Festival"
(originally from Philippine Sunday Express, November 16, 1975). ''What is Philippine about Philippine Art? and Other Essays'', Manila: National Commission for Culture and the Arts, 2000, pp. 24-27. Amorsolo has been accused, however, of succumbing to commercialism and merely producing souvenir paintings for American soldiers. Critic

Francisco Arcellana Francisco "Franz" Arcellana (September 6, 1916 – August 1, 2002) was a Filipino writer, poet, essayist, critic, journalist and teacher. Biography Francisco Arcellana was born on September 6, 1916. He already had ambitions of becoming a writer ...

wrote in 1948 that Amorsolo's paintings "have nothing to say" and that they were not hard to understand because "there is nothing to understand." Critics have criticized Amorsolo's portraits of Philippine Commonwealth personalities, his large, mid-career anecdotal works, and his large historical paintings. Of the latter, critics have said that his "artistic temperament was simply not suited to generating the sense of dramatic tension necessary for such works." Another critic, however, while noting that most of Amorsolo's estimated ten thousand works were underwhelming, considering his talent, argues that Amorsolo's oeuvre should nonetheless be judged by his best works instead of his worst. Amorsolo's small landscapes, especially those of his early career, have been judged as his best works, "hold ngwell together plastic-ally." Amorsolo may "be considered a master of the Philippine landscape as landscape, even outranking

Luna Luna commonly refers to: * Earth's Moon, named "Luna" in Latin, Spanish and other languages * Luna (goddess) In Sabine and ancient Roman religion and myth, Luna is the divine embodiment of the Moon (Latin ''Lūna'' ). She is often presented as t ...

and

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico :''Most, if not all, named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811)'' * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coah ...

who also did some Philippine landscapes of the same dimensions."

Death

After being confined at the St. Luke's Hospital in Quezon City for about two months, Amorsolo died of heart failure at the age of 79 on April 24, 1972.

Legacy

Four days after his death, Amorsolo was posthumously honored as the first

at the

Cultural Center of the Philippines The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) established to preserve, develop and promote Arts in the Philippines, arts and Culture of the Philippines, culture in the Philippines.Presid ...

The volume of paintings, sketches, and studies of Amorsolo is believed to have reached more than 10,000 pieces. Amorsolo was an important influence on contemporary Filipino art and artists, even beyond the so-called "Amorsolo school." Amorsolo's influence can be seen in many landscape paintings by Filipino artists, including early landscape paintings by abstract painter

Federico Aguilar Alcuaz Federico Aguilar Alcuaz ( Filipino: ''Federico Alcuaz Aguilar'', June 6, 1932 – February 2, 2011)Flores, Helen. "Painter Alcuaz, 78". in The Philippine Star. February 03, 2011 was a Filipino painter who exhibited extensively Internationally an ...

In 2003, Amorsolo's children founded the Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving Fernando Amorsolo's legacy, promoting his style and vision, and preserving a national heritage through the conservation and promotion of his works."Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation"
FernandoAmorsolo.com. Retrieved July 2, 2007.

Auction records

Since the 2000s, works by Amorsolo have achieved record prices at auction with the growth of the Philippine art market. On April 28, 2002, an early work from 1915 called ''Portrait of Fernanda de Jesus'' sold for a record price of PHP19.136 million (US$376,177) at a

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...

auction in Hong Kong. This record on May 30, 2010, was later broken as a work from 1923 ''Lavanderas'' previously held by an American-based collector sold for PHP20.83 million (US$434,067) also at a

auction in Hong Kong. By the 2010s, the prominence of local auction houses in the country has substantially increased the value of Amorsolo's works with the constant repatriation of Philippine art. On June 9, 2018, a 1931 work called the ''Mango Gatherers'' better known as the ''Conde de Peracamps Amorsolo'' as it was previously in the collection of Antonio Méilan Zóbel, the 4th Count of Peracamps, was sold at a Leon Gallery auction in Manila for a then-world record price of PHP46.720 million (US$883,883). In its wake, other works by Amorsolo have surpassed the PHP20 million mark including a 1946 genre work by Amorsolo titled ''Cooking under the Mango Tree'' previously in the collection of the

Compañía General de Tabacos de Filipinas The , S.A. (''General Tobacco Company of the Philippines'', abbreviated CdF), also known as the , was a Spanish multinational joint-stock company, one of the world's most important enterprises in the late 19th and early 20th century, and the Ph ...

(Tabacalera) was sold at another Leon Gallery auction in Manila for a record

PHP PHP is a general-purpose scripting language geared towards web development. It was originally created by Danish-Canadian programmer Rasmus Lerdorf in 1993 and released in 1995. The PHP reference implementation is now produced by the PHP Group. ...

23.360 million on February 23, 2019. More recently, a 1949 genre work called ''Planting Rice'' reached PHP 30.368 million at a Salcedo Auctions sale on March 13, 2021, presently the world record price for a post-war work by the artist. On 14 September 2024, Amorsolo's 1929 work ''Under the Mango Tree'' that previously was in the collection of American industrialist Edward J. Nell was sold at a record price of PHP 57.676 million at Leon Gallery in Manila, thus becoming the world record price for the artist.

Museums

The Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center in Manila displays a major collection of Amorsolo's work.

Major works

Major works by Amorsolo include: *''Babaeng Nagbabasa'' *''Afternoon Meal of the Workers'' (''Noonday Meal of the Rice Workers'') (1939) *''Assassination of Governor Bustamante'' *''Bataan'' *''The Bombing of the Intendencia'' (1942) *''The Building of Intramuros'' *''Burning of the Idol'' *''The Burning of Manila'' (1946) *''El Ciego'' (1928) *''Confeccion de la Standarte Nacionale'' (''Making of the Philippine Flag'') (1955) *''The Conversion of the Filipinos'' (1931) *''Corner of Hell'' *''Dalagang Bukid'' (1936) *''Defense of a Filipina Woman's Honor'' (1945) *''La destruccion de Manila por los salvajes japoneses'' (''The Destruction of Manila by the Savage Japanese'') *''Early Filipino State Wedding'' *''Early Sulu Wedding'' (c. 1955–1960) *''The Explosion'' (1944) *''The First Baptism in the Philippines'' (1949) *''The First Mass in the Philippines'' *''Fruit Gatherer'' (1950) *''Fruit Pickers Harvesting Under the Mango Tree'' (1939) *''Maiden in a Stream'' (1921) *''Marca Demonio''/''

St. Michael the Archangel Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second- ...

'' (1917) *''The Mestiza'' (1943) *''My Wife, Salud'' (1920; lost in World War II) *''One Casualty'' *'' Our Lady of Light'' (1950) *''Planting Rice'' / ''Rice Planting'' (Multiple versions: 1921 (first version), 1922, 1946, 1949 with

Mayon Mayon (; , ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano is an active stratovolcano in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Albay in Bicol Region, Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renowned for its "perfect cone" bec ...

, 1951) *''Princess Urduja'' *''The Rape of Manila'' (1942) *''Sale of Panay'' *''Sikatuna'' *''Sunday Morning Going to Town'' (1958) *''US Senator Warren Magnuson Oil Portrait'' (1958) *''Traders'' *''El violinista'' (''The Violinist'') *''Sunrise'' (1958)

Awards and achievements

Source: *1908 – 2nd Prize, Bazar Escolta (''Asocacion Internacional de Artistas''), for ''Levendo Periodico'' *1922 – 1st Prize, Commercial and Industrial Fair in the Manila Carnival *1939 – 1st Prize, New York World’s Fair, for ''Afternoon Meal of Rice Workers'' (also known as ''Noonday Meal of the Rice Workers'') *1940 – Outstanding University of the Philippines Alumnus Award *1959 – Gold Medal,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

National Commission *1961 – Rizal Pro Patria Award *1961 – Honorary Doctorate in the

Humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...

, from the Far Eastern University *1963 – Diploma of Merit from the University of the Philippines *1963 – ''Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award'', from the City of Manila *1963 – Republic Cultural Heritage Award *1972 – ''Gawad CCP para sa Sining'', from the Cultural Center of the Philippines In 1972, Fernando Amorsolo became the first Filipino to be distinguished as the Philippine's National Artist in Painting. He was named as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Art" during the

inauguration In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inau ...

of the Manila Hilton's art center, where his paintings were exhibited on January 23, 1969.

Major exhibitions

Outside the Philippines, his exhibitions were held in Belgium, at the Exposicion de

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

in 1914, at a one-man show at the

Grand Central Art Galleries The Grand Central Art Galleries were the exhibition and administrative space of the nonprofit Painters and Sculptors Gallery Association, an artists' cooperative established in 1922 by Walter Leighton Clark together with John Singer Sargent, Edm ...

in New York City in 1925, and at the

National Museum A national museum can be a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In the United States, most nati ...

on November 6, 1948. During the 1931 Paris Exposition, Amorsolo exhibited one of his anecdotal paintings, ''The Conversion of the Filipinos''. Amorsolo's entries at the ''Exposicion'' in Panama were a portrait of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and the piece ''La Muerte de Socrates''. In 1948 an Amorsolo exhibit was sponsored by the Art Association of the Philippines in the National Museum. In 1950, Amorsolo exhibited two more historical paintings, ''Faith Among the Ruins'' and ''Baptism of Rajah Humabon'' at the Missionary Art Exhibit in Rome. In 1979, Fernando Amorsolo's legacy as a painter was celebrated through an exhibition of his works at the Art Center of the Manila Hilton. His art was also featured in a 2007 exhibition in Havana.

Personal life

During his lifetime, Amorsolo had a total of 14 children from two marriages and a common-law-wife. In 1916, he married Salud Tolentino Jorge, with whom he had six children; Salud died in 1931. He then met and lived with common-law wife, Virginia Guevarra Santos, with whom he had three children, namely Manuel (who followed in his father's footstep, with a degree in Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines), Jorge and Norma before he met his would-be second wife, Maria del Carmen. While they were still together, Virginia found an engagement ring in one of Amorsolo's drawers; she knew the ring was for Maria, that prompted her to leave his house with her three children. In 1935, Fernando married Maria del Carmen who gave him eight more children. Among her daughters with her are Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo and Luz. But while they were married and Maria was giving birth to his children, Fernando had three more children with Virginia. His reputation was growing as fast as his brood and his work was more than enough to provide for his rather large family. Six of Amorsolo's children became artists themselves. His descendants include

Eula Valdez Maria Julia Amorsolo Valdes (born December 11, 1968), professionally known as Eula Valdez (), is a Filipino actress and singer, best known for her prominent role as Amor Powers in the original version of ''Pangako Sa 'Yo'' (2000) and as Janice ...

and

Paolo Ballesteros Paolo Elito Macapagal Ballesteros IV (born November 29, 1982) is a Filipino actor, comedian and drag queen. He has appeared in films and several TV shows, he is one of the co-hosts of longtime noontime show ''Eat Bulaga!'' since 2001, and he i ...

References

External links

Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation
*Photographs of Amorsolo'
palettewallet
an
other personal effects
at

flickr.com Flickr ( ) is an image and video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was previously a common way for amateur and professional photogra ...

.
Amorsolo works
at Allinson Gallery.
Amorsolo works
at Frazer Fine Art.

at Geringer Art. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Amorsolo, Fernando 1892 births 1972 deaths 20th-century Filipino painters Burials at the Loyola Memorial Park Filipino landscape painters Filipino portrait painters National Artists of the Philippines People from Camarines Norte Bicolano people People from Paco, Manila University of the Philippines alumni