Lot description
PROPERTY FROM THE JOHN WILLIAM HAUSSERMANN COLLECTION Under The Mango Tree signed, dated 1948 and inscribed "Manila" (lower right) oil on canvas 19 1/2” x 27” (50 cm x 67 cm) PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist WRITE UP Fernando Amorsolo is one of the most revered artists in Philippine art history. For a long time, the Amorsolo genre, characterized by his realistic images of the bucolic Filipino countryside-scenes of rural life, landscapes, and everyday activities depicted in vibrant hues, dominated the Philippine art scene. Amorsolo’s contemporaries and emerging artists alike followed this style and subject matter. The work at hand exhibits a scene during the harvest season, except it’s shown from a different angle. In view is a group of country folks resting under the shade of a mango tree: one is a gray-bearded man sitting on the overgrown root; beside him on the right is a young lady holding a bilao, and on the man’s left is another young lady standing up while carrying a child; the three of them looking at another woman cooking at a make-shift charcoal stove. In the background are farmers working in the rice field under the blazing midday sun, a thematic element often used by Amorsolo to symbolize the harsh conditions of rural life, such as the intense heat and the physical toll of manual labor. Therefore, this work thoroughly captures not only the hard work but also the familial affection of the Filipinos: farmers working amidst the blazing sun and families waiting for and preparing food for their families to eat together. “He invested rural people with dignity and country life a feeling of contentment,” art essayist Alfredo R. Roces writes in Amorsolo (1975). Indeed, the master painter’s artistic bravura and use of light strokes and vivid tones can create masterpieces that elevate Filipino folklife and spread its various emotions through the viewers. To this day, his influence in the art field is still strong, and many people want to get ahold of his works, drawn to the sheer beauty and aesthetic pleasure they offer, admiring the skill and vision that went into their creation. (Jessica Magno)
