Fernando Amorsolo: Sabungeros
Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972)
Sabungeros
signed and dated 1967 (lower left)
oil on canvas
16” x 20” (40 cm x 51 cm)
Opening bid: P 2,000,000
Property from the collection of a very distinguished family.
Fernando Amorsolo is arguably the face of the
Philippine art scene. Despite the longevity and the
myriad of talents the scene has to offer, Amorsolo is
the first to come to mind when asked to name a Filipino
visual artist. For many, the best Philippine art has to
offer includes Amorsolo’s dalagas, his lavanderas, and
the scenic Philippine countryside that he lovingly depicts
canvas after canvas.
Amorsolo’s scenic vignettes of provincial life remain one
of the most iconic genres of paintings even outside of
Amorsolo’s oeuvre. The painter of the Philippine sunlight
has managed to “capture on canvas the vibrant tropical
Philippine sunlight” as art historian Eric Torres says in
100 Years of Philippine Paintings. The vivid rays wash his
works in warmth, a glow that captivated many national and
international patrons alike.
His 1967 Sabungeros features this characteristic yellow
shine. Depicting a group of men as they huddle around the
sabungeros mentioned above, Amorsolo sets a scene that
is both captivating and heartwarming. The men around the
sabungeros range from different ages but they listen intently
as the sabungeros converse. From one generation to the
next, the knowledge of cockfighting is being passed down.
The Philippines has a long history of cockfighting. First
recorded by Antonio Pigafetta during Magellan’s expedition
in 1521, cockfights served as a major social function in the
barrios of the Philippines, actualizing the Filipino pride and
ego as bettors put their money behind their favored fighter.
However, here, Amorsolo shows a side other than the
adrenaline-fuelled fight many might associate with
cockfighting. We see not the fight itself but the lull between
them as the fighters meet not as opponents but as mentors
to the next generation of sabungeros. Here, Amorsolo
emphasizes the community the cockfights produce and its
role as a social activity which many young men get into as
a rite of passage for adulthood.
Amid the usual bloody image procured by cockfighting,
Amorsolo draws attention to the softer, more intimate
side of it. He suffuses this intimate image with his notable
Amorsolo sunlight, washing the scene in warmth.
“There is always something beautiful in all things around
us and nature. So why not recreate God’s creation through
[my] canvas?” His daughter Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo recalls her father saying. Indeed, as he portrays the bucolic Philippine countryside with the utmost admiration, there is a palpable affection that bled into his body of works. This reverence for the pastoral beauty makes Amorsolo one of the most, if not the most, recognizable artists in Philippine art history. (Hannah Valiente)
Lot 121 of the Leon Gallery live and online auction on 14 September 2024. Please see leon-gallery.com and leonexchange.com for more information and to place an online bid.
Fernando Amorsolo: Sabungeros
Fernando Amorsolo (1892 - 1972)
Sabungeros
signed and dated 1967 (lower left)
oil on canvas
16” x 20” (40 cm x 51 cm)
Opening bid: P 2,000,000
Property from the collection of a very distinguished family.
Fernando Amorsolo is arguably the face of the
Philippine art scene. Despite the longevity and the
myriad of talents the scene has to offer, Amorsolo is
the first to come to mind when asked to name a Filipino
visual artist. For many, the best Philippine art has to
offer includes Amorsolo’s dalagas, his lavanderas, and
the scenic Philippine countryside that he lovingly depicts
canvas after canvas.
Amorsolo’s scenic vignettes of provincial life remain one
of the most iconic genres of paintings even outside of
Amorsolo’s oeuvre. The painter of the Philippine sunlight
has managed to “capture on canvas the vibrant tropical
Philippine sunlight” as art historian Eric Torres says in
100 Years of Philippine Paintings. The vivid rays wash his
works in warmth, a glow that captivated many national and
international patrons alike.
His 1967 Sabungeros features this characteristic yellow
shine. Depicting a group of men as they huddle around the
sabungeros mentioned above, Amorsolo sets a scene that
is both captivating and heartwarming. The men around the
sabungeros range from different ages but they listen intently
as the sabungeros converse. From one generation to the
next, the knowledge of cockfighting is being passed down.
The Philippines has a long history of cockfighting. First
recorded by Antonio Pigafetta during Magellan’s expedition
in 1521, cockfights served as a major social function in the
barrios of the Philippines, actualizing the Filipino pride and
ego as bettors put their money behind their favored fighter.
However, here, Amorsolo shows a side other than the
adrenaline-fuelled fight many might associate with
cockfighting. We see not the fight itself but the lull between
them as the fighters meet not as opponents but as mentors
to the next generation of sabungeros. Here, Amorsolo
emphasizes the community the cockfights produce and its
role as a social activity which many young men get into as
a rite of passage for adulthood.
Amid the usual bloody image procured by cockfighting,
Amorsolo draws attention to the softer, more intimate
side of it. He suffuses this intimate image with his notable
Amorsolo sunlight, washing the scene in warmth.
“There is always something beautiful in all things around
us and nature. So why not recreate God’s creation through
[my] canvas?” His daughter Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo recalls her father saying. Indeed, as he portrays the bucolic Philippine countryside with the utmost admiration, there is a palpable affection that bled into his body of works. This reverence for the pastoral beauty makes Amorsolo one of the most, if not the most, recognizable artists in Philippine art history. (Hannah Valiente)
Lot 121 of the Leon Gallery live and online auction on 14 September 2024. Please see leon-gallery.com and leonexchange.com for more information and to place an online bid.