El Poeta del Color : Amorsolo in the Vargas Collection

El Poeta del Color 's aim is to unravel Amorsolo's works and style of painting in terms of the social production of his art including their contexts in the academe, society and culture, and politics during his time. Its title was inspired by Jesus Balmori's " A Fernando Amorsolo " poem published in La Vanguardia in 21 May 1928.

El Poeta del Color : Amorsolo in the Vargas Collection

Ongoing until 7 October 2007

Kawilihan Gallery

Vargas Museum, Roxas Ave., UP Diliman

To herald the 2008 centenary celebrations of the University of the Philippines, the UP Jorge B. Vargas Museum opens El Poeta del Color : Amorsolo in the Vargas Collection at the Kawilihan Gallery on 18 June 2007.

Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (1892 - 1972) was the first to be awarded National Artist of the Philippines. He dominated the country's art scene during the 1930s up to the 1950s and remains popular to this day. One of his more important contributions to Philippine art is his representation of sunlight in local settings, having mastered the technique of backlighting. Besides painting, he had also done illustrations for textbooks and magazines, and had also worked in advertising. Amorsolo was also among the first graduates in 1914 of the University of the Philippines' School of Fine Arts' (now the College of Fine Arts) after it was established in 1909. He immediately became a member of its faculty after winning the traditional competitive exam for the post as instructor in elementary painting. In 1938, he took over its leadership, following the death of Fabian de la Rosa.

For the first time since the Vargas Museum was opened in 1987, all 57 Amorsolo paintings and drawings acquired by the UP alumnus and Commonwealth period Executive Secretary Jorge B. Vargas will be featured in one exhibition. These are part of his donation of art, stamps, coins, documents, books, photographs, personal papers and memorabilia. When Vargas signed the deed of donation in 1978, this was and continues to be the single largest gift made by a private individual to a state art institution. Most of the Amorsolo artworks were commissioned portraits of Vargas, his family and colleagues, along with a number of genre, wartime and nude pieces. These cover about four decades of Amorsolo's artistic creativity, from the time he was an emerging artist (1919) to the peak of his career (1959). The Vargas Archive has proof of these commissions and also reveals aspects of other works done by Amorsolo, some of which Vargas as key government official gave as gifts to political and diplomatic personalities.

El Poeta del Color 's aim is to unravel Amorsolo's works and style of painting in terms of the social production of his art including their contexts in the academe, society and culture, and politics during his time. Its title was inspired by Jesus Balmori's " A Fernando Amorsolo " poem published in La Vanguardia in 21 May 1928.

For more details, please contact us at 928-1927 / 981-8500 locals 4024 & 23 / 09198151996 / 09274198533, or email us at [email protected] / [email protected] .

Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center
Roxas Avenue, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines
Telephone Numbers: (+632) 928-1927, (+632) 981-8500 locals 4021 to 24
Fax Number: (+632) 928-1925
Website: www.vargasmuseum.org
Email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

From 03 Sep 2007
Until 07 Oct 2007
Quezon City, Philippines
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