Untitled (war scene)
signed and dated 1942 (lower right)
oil on canvas
14" x 18" (36 cm x 46 cm)

Dr. and Mrs. Romeo Gustilo Collection

Leon Gallery wishes to thank Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo for confirming the authenticity of this lot

Amorsolo’s depiction of the brutality of war is a marvelous summary of the artist’s style: perfect anatomical draughtsmanship which emphasizes volume, gleaming twilight colours which enhance the moulding of form and a profoundly touching vigour of expression, especially that of the hapless female victim. After the onset of World War II, Amorsolo’s typical pastoral scenes were replaced by the depictions of a war-torn nation. During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II, Amorsolo spent his days at his home near the Japanese garrison, where he sketched war scenes from the house’s windows or rooftop. During the war, he documented the pain, tragedy and death experienced by Filipino people, with his subjects including “women mourning their dead husbands, files of people with pushcarts and makeshift bags leaving a dark burning city tinged with red from fire and blood.” Amorsolo frequently portrayed the lives and suffering of Filipina women during World War II. In 1948, Amorsolo’s wartime paintings were exhibited at the Malacañang Palace.