Lot description
Fernando Amorsolo (1892-1972) Lavanderas signed and dated 1957 (lower right) oil on canvas 30" x 24" (76 cm x 61 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE Private Collection, USA The post-war era represented a period in Fernando Amorsolo's career when he would recurrently paint the themes and subjects of his prime years. As such, lavanderas became a favorite subject matter of the maestro. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo recounts: "Since there are so many streams or rivers in rural places, as well as in some urban places then, and Papa took his time going to these places for his on-the-spot sketching and paintings, I think his lavanderas were mostly painted in the provinces of Laguna and Bulacan and along the Pasig River." Amorsolo employed his method of working outdoors and on the spot in the lavandera paintings, especially for its background landscapes. The maestro described this practice in a 1960 interview, saying, "You have to work fast outdoors. Light changes very rapidly, and you have to be fast in order to catch the mood with which you started out." This piece displays one of the many variations of the theme that Amorsolo used—modestly nude lavanderas washing their saya and frolicking in the crystal-clear waters. According to Amorsolo-Lazo, her father's lavanderas were "ideal, beautiful Filipinas who lived in a pastoral landscape of woods, streams, and mountains." Particularly in this piece, sunlight is reflected on the women's bodies, emphasizing the contours of their bodies and their overwhelming sweetness that is youthful and dignified. As Alfredo Roces noted, "the full burst of Philippine sunlight, which actually washes out color and produces a blinding glare, he added only as accents to bring out the nude's form." Amorsolo's lavanderas are usually seated next to a batya containing the clothes to be washed and a banga for carrying water. These objects act as still lifes within the canvas, giving pertinence to Amorsolo's pieces as encompassing several genres in one composition. The river's graceful flow and the afternoon sunlight that refracts through its waters exhibit Amorsolo's prowess in visually depicting the phenomena of reflection and refraction. The lush, tropical flora complements the river's rocky shores and evokes the salient elements of an Amorsolo painting. (A.M.)
