CONTEMPO

• Fernando Amorsolo


  Portraitist and painter of rural Philippine landscapes
• Guillermo Tolentino


  Filipino sculptor and professor of the University of the Philippines
• Fernando Amorsolo's lifespan


  May 30, 1892 – April 24, 1972
• Guillermo Tolentino's lifespan


  July 24, 1890 – July 12, 1976
• Fernando Amorsolo was the first-ever to be recognized as a National Artist of the Philippines
• Fernando Amorsolo


  • Pioneering use of impressionistic technique
  • Skill in the use of lighting and backlighting in his paintings
• Fernando Amorsolo's paintings helped shape Filipino national identity, presenting an imagined sense of nationhood during American colonial rule
• Amorsolo's portrayal of Filipina women

  Rejected Western ideals of beauty, favoring Filipino ideals and often basing faces on his family members
• Fernando Amorsolo: '"[The women I paint should have] a rounded face, not of the oval type often presented to us in newspapers and magazine illustrations. The eyes should be exceptionally lively, not the dreamy, sleepy type that characterizes the Mongolian. The nose should be of the blunt form but firm and strongly marked. ... So the ideal Filipina beauty should not necessarily be white complexioned, nor of the dark brown color of the typical Malayan, but of the clear skin or fresh colored type which we often witness when we met a blushing girl."'
• Fernando Amorsolo's works


  • Rural Scenes
  • Golden Age
  • Philippine Sunlight
• Fernando Amorsolo's rural scenes

  • Vibrant depictions of Filipino countryside and rural life
  • Impressionistic tendencies
• Fernando Amorsolo's backlighting technique

  • Use of light to showcase the beauty of the Philippines
• Fernando Amorsolo painted historical events, including pre-Colonial and Spanish Colonization periods, consulting with Philippine scholars for accuracy
• Fernando Amorsolo's historical paintings

  • The First Baptism in the Philippines
  • Confeccion de la Standarte Nacionale or Making of the Philippine Flag in 1955
• Fernando Amorsolo painted oil portraits of prominent figures like Emilio Aguinaldo, Manuel Quezon, and Warren G. Magnuson
• Fernando Amorsolo's World War II-era paintings


  Depictions of war's devastation, documenting destruction and portraying the suffering of Filipina women
• Fernando Amorsolo's World War II-era paintings

  • Defence of a Filipina Woman's Honour
  • Portrait in absentia of General Douglas MacArthur
  • Paintings of Japanese occupation soldiers
• Fernando Amorsolo was posthumously honored as the first National Artist of the Philippines at the Cultural Center of the Philippines
• The volume of paintings, sketches, and studies of Fernando Amorsolo is believed to have reached more than 10,000 pieces
• Fernando Amorsolo was an important influence on contemporary Filipino art and artists, even beyond the so-called "Amorsolo school"
• Major works by Amorsolo

  • Babaeng Nagbabasa
  • Afternoon Meal of the Workers (Noonday Meal of the Rice Workers) (1939)
  • Assassination of Governor Bustamante
  • Bataan
  • The Bombing of the Intendencia (1942)
  • The Building of Intramuros
  • Burning of the Idol
  • The Burning of Manila (1946)
  • Confeccion de la Standarte Nacionale (Making of the Philippine Flag) (1955)
  • The Conversion of the Filipinos (1931)
  • Corner of Hell
  • Dalagang Bukid (1936)
  • Defense of a Filipina Woman's Honor (1945)
  • La destruccion de Manila por los salvajes japoneses (The Destruction of Manila by the Savage Japanese)
  • Early Filipino State Wedding
  • Early Sulu Wedding (c. 1955–1960)
  • The Explosion (1944)
  • The First Baptism in the Philippines (1949)
  • The First Mass in the Philippines
  • Fruit Gatherer (1950)
• Guillermo Tolentino


  Designated as a National Artist of the Philippines for Sculpture in 1973
• Guillermo Tolentino attended Malolos Intermediate School and the University of the Philippines, where he created a popular illustration titled "Grupo de Filipinos Ilustres," depicting prominent Filipinos
• In 1925, Tolentino returned to the University of the Philippines and opened his studio in Manila
• In 1930, Tolentino participated in a contest to design the Bonifacio Monument, based on the bone structure of Espiridiona Bonifacio's sister
• In 1935, Tolentino sculpted the Oblation statue, based on Jose Rizal's Mi ultimo adios
• The Oblation


  A concrete statue by Philippine National Artist Guillermo Tolentino which serves as the iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines. It depicts a man facing upward with arms outstretched, symbolizing selfless offering of oneself to his union.
• Tolentino also designed an arch commemorating the Commonwealth of the Philippines' inauguration, but it was never built due to war
• Tolentino later became the director of the School of Fine Arts
• The Seal of the Republic of the Philippines

  Tolentino's design was chosen for its ability to encapsulate the identity and sovereignty of the nation, incorporating significant national symbols
• The Ramon Magsaysay Award Medal


  Tolentino's design embodies the spirit of the award, which recognizes individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to Asia
• In 1955, Tolentino retired from service in the University of the Philippines and returned to private practice
• Tolentino was declared a National Artist by Ferdinand Marcos on May 15, 1973
• Tolentino died at 8:00 p.m. on July 12, 1976, at his house in Retiro Street, Quezon City, twelve days before his 86th birthday
• Tolentino was interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, which was part of his privileges as a national artist
• Fernando Amorsolo


  Labelled the country's first National Artist in 1972 by then President Marcos, often known as the 'Grand Old Man of Philippine Art'
• Fernando Amorsolo


  • Spanish-trained realist developed a backlighting technique, where his colorful depictions of local people reflect the radiance of the Philippine sun
  • The figures and illuminated landscapes magically glow on the canvas
  • Despite his deteriorating health and failing eyesight, he remained prolific until the end, producing up to 10 paintings a month until his death at the age of 80
  • Amorsolo's creativity defines the nation's culture and heritage to this day
• José Joya


  A Filipino pioneer of Abstract expressionism, multi-media painter
• José Joya


  • Uses bold and vibrant colours with a variety of painting techniques, layering, loose impasto strokes and controlled drips
  • His harmonious colours are influenced by Philippine landscapes and tropical wildlife
  • His mastery lies in gestural paintings, where the paint is applied spontaneously on canvas, sometimes directly out of the tube or through the use of broad strokes with brushes
• Pacita Abad


  • Born on the northern island of Batanes, the internationally revered artist first obtained a degree in Political Science at the University of the Philippines
  • Her staunch activism against the Marcos regime in the 1970s, led her to move to San Francisco to initially study law – but she found her true calling with art