Church
signed and dated 1960 (lower right)
oil on canvas
30” x 40” (76 cm x 101 cm)

Even before attaining his stature as the father of printmaking in the Philippines, Mang Maning, as he is fondly referred to, had already engaged in painting to considerable acclaim while aligning himself with the modernists. One might say that it was a bold move, considering that he was mentored by Amorsolo and de la Rosa.

And while Rodriguez spent most of his life outside of the country -- in the United States and the Bahamas -- his subjects never veered away from local themes, always harking back to his hometown of Cebu that remains very much close to his heart. This, then, a splendid image of a church, accomplished in delicate shades of white and blue that is almost dreamlike in its appearance, puts forth such sentiments.