Ruins of the Legislative Building by Fernando Amorsolo (1945)

Known for his idealized portrayal of Philippine rural life and beautiful scenic landscapes,
Fernando Amorsolo’s depictions of the World War II devastation of Manila were in stark
contrast to his usual subject matter. Amorsolo was known to have spent his time during the
war in his home in Manila, which was near the Japanese garrisons. From here, he sketched
vivid images of the city’s destruction which he managed to see from his window and rooftop.
The picture showcases the usual spectrum of gentle colors seen in Amorsolo’s landscapes.
However, the ruins of a once impressive structure give the viewer an idea of the incredible
aftermath of the war. The Legislative Building was said to be the grandest and most
impressive structure of all public buildings constructed during the American occupation. It is
now the National Museum of Fine Arts.

Contributions; The country had its first national artist in fernando C. Amorsolo. The
official title “grand old man of philippine art” was bestowed on amorsolo when the
manila hilton inaugurated its art center on january 23, 1969 with an exhibit of a
selection of his works. Returning from his studies abroad in the 1920s, amorsolo
developed the backlighting technique that became his trademark where figures, a
cluster of leaves, spill of hair, the hair, the swell of breast, are seen aglow on canvas.
This light, nick joaquin opines, is the rapture of a sensualist utterly in love with the
earth, with the philippine sun, and is an accurate expression of amorsolo’s own
exuberance. His citation underscores all his years of creative activity which have
“defined and perpetuated a distinct element of the nation’s artistic and cultural
heritage”.
14. Amorsolo set up his own studio upon his return to Manila and painted
prodigiously during the 1920s and the 1930s. His Rice Planting (1922), which
appeared on posters and tourist brochures, became one of the most popular images of
the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Beginning in the 1930s, Amorsolo's work was
exhibited widely both in the Philippines and abroad. His bright,optimistic, pastoral
images set the tone for Philippine painting before World War II . Except for his darker
World War II-era paintings, Amorsolo painted quiet and peaceful scenes throughout
his career. Amorsolo was sought after by influential Filipinos including Luis Araneta,
Antonio Araneta and Jorge B. Vargas. Amorsolo also became the favourite Philippine
artist of United States officials and visitors to the country. Due to his popularity,
Amorsolo had to resort to photographing his works and pasted and mounted them in
an album. Prospective patrons could then choose from this catalog of his works.
Amorsolo did not create exact replicas of his trademark themes; he recreated the
paintings by varying some elements. His works later appeared on the cover and pages
of children textbooks, in novels, in commercial designs, in cartoons and illustrations
for the Philippine publications such The Independent, PhilippineMagazine,
Telembang, El Renacimiento Filipino, and Excelsior. He was the director of the
University of the Philippine's College of Fine Arts from 1938 to 1952. During the
1950s until his death in 1972, Amorsolo averaged to finishing 10 paintings a month.
However, during his later years, diabetes, cataracts, arthritis, headaches, dizziness and
the death of two sons affected the execution of his works. Amorsolo underwent a
cataract operation when he was 70 years old, a surgery that did not impede him from
drawing and painting. Amorsolo was a close friend of the Philippine sculptor
Guillermo Tolentino, the creator of the Caloocan City monument to the patriot Andrés
Bonifacio.