Seascape
signed and dated 1944 (lower right)
oil on wood
20 1/2" x 18" (52 cm x 46 cm)

Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo confirming the authenticity of this lot
PROVENANCE: Private collection, Manila



Amorsolo’s Eternal Sunshine Capturing Beauty Amidst the Madness of WarBeginning in 1944, Fernando Amorsolo began working on a series of oil paintings depicting the destruction of Manila, then touted as “The Pearl of the Orient.” This set of works—which includes the 1944 oil on wood panel painting “Explosion” (from the Luis Araneta collection) and the 1945 oil on canvas works “Burning of Manila” (from the Antonio Delgado collection) and an “Untitled” piece (from the Dr. Salvador de Leon collection) depicting a sweeping yet harrowing view of the destruction of the great city—possess a spur-of-the-moment quality, an immediate creative catharsis from witnessing the carnage of a beloved urban landscape. “The Japanese occupation provided a fresh opportunity for a different development,” writes the artist-critic Alfredo Roces in his monograph ‘Amorsolo.’ “Amorsolo painted his pictures of the war with no interest in pleasing his customers. He did many oils right on the spot as the emotion moved him.” Roces concludes his statement by writing that Amorsolo “must have reacted to the need to record the chaos around him.” However, there is another interesting anecdote about Amorsolo’s lived experiences and his overall career trajectory during the war. Even at the height of the Japanese occupation, Amorsolo remained resolute in painting the majestic vistas of the Philippine countryside. This charming wartime piece epitomizes this passionate pursuit. Amorsolo painted this work inspired by the more idyllic shores of the Manila Bay on one of its scenic portions stretching from old Baclaran to Cavite, where Mt. Mariveles—Bataan’s highest point—towers prominently, seemingly casting its silhouette as if serving as both a guide and admonition to locals and pilgrims alike. Fisherfolks are seen ready to embark on their livelihood, a subtle melancholic reminder of a people striving to survive in the face of holocaust destruction. The composition is bathed in the warm glory of the sunset’s final outburst of light. Amorsolo’s loose yet pulsating and vigorous brushstrokes and his intentional softening of details are clearly evident (notice the heavy impastos, especially on the skies and waters), which shows his dynamism as he becomes enraptured by his daydreams of a cool sea breeze while the solemn ephemerality of dusk starts to creep in. The work at hand shows Amorsolo at the height of his impressionist power, scarred yet still adamant on the inherent power of the brush and paint as soothing instruments amid the ravage of war. Like the fisherfolks embarking on another day of life-sustaining pursuits, so is Amorsolo and the life-preserving vocation that is his art. (Adrian Maranan)