Lot description
Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972) Bulacan signed and dated 1950 (lower left) oil on canvas 24" x 32" (61 cm x 81 cm) P 5,000,000 León Gallery wishes to thank Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo for confirming the authenticity of this lot Provenance Private Collection, San Francisco, USA. Light, as Carlomar Arcangel Daoana wrote on Amorsolo: Love & Passion Volume II: Landscape and Other Works, has been one of the constant tropes to anyone pondering upon Fernando Amorsolo’s works especially of his iconic landscapes - those dappled, bucolic worlds where men and women gather together in congenial spirit celebrating the countryside. This masterpiece entitled Bulacan - proffers ripe, exultant gifts of light that does not merely illuminate but rather define and sculpt the space. Amorsolo, a master colorist as well, showcases his palette of choice that is both bright and lyrical - a color that sings, a true reflection of the Filipino soul. With his use of chiaroscuro and a perfect colori cangianti, Amorsolo illuminated the Bulacan scenery while overlooking the Apo Kristo Church (Bisita ng Sto. Kristo) - vividly displaying the magnificence of the countryside’s sunshine and portraying perfectly the tranquility of provincial life - one would immediately be convinced of the colorful and cordial rural living. Amorosolo’s works presented a sense of nationhood in counterpoint to the American colonial rule during his time and with his art, it became an important factor to the formation of the Filipino national identity wherein art historian Eric Torres described the artist’s sunlight paintings as “... overflow[ing] with sweetness and optimism.” - a statement that dazzles in its truthfulness.
