FERNANDO AMORSOLO

Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (1892 – 1972)

Fernando Amorsolo painted and sketched more than ten thousand pieces over
his lifetime using natural and backlighting techniques. His most known works
are of the dalagang Filipina, landscapes of his Filipino homeland, portraits and
WWII war scenes.
In the twilight years of his life, Amorsolo’s continued painting through declining
health. He was married twice and had 13 children before a heart attack
eventually took his life on April 24, 1972.

BENEDICTO CABRERA
Benedicto Reyes Cabrera, born August 27, 1942, better known as "BenCab", is
a Filipino painter and was awarded National Artist of the Philippines for Visual
Arts (Painting) in 2006. He has been noted as "arguably the best-selling painter
of his generation of Filipino artists."
Benedicto Cabrera took on the name “BenCab” even before the Cultural Centre
of the Philippines listed him among the Thirteen Artists awardees in 1970. So,
this is the name he has been known by across Asia, Europe and North
America, and equally known as an illustrator, painter, portrait artist,
photographer and printmaker.

CARLOS V. FRANCISCO
Carlos V. Francisco (November 4, 1912 – March 31, 1969), popularly known as
Botong, was a muralist from Angono, Rizal.
Francisco was a most distinguished practitioner of mural painting for many
decades and best known for his historical pieces. He was posthumously
conferred the title National Artist of the Philippines in Visual Arts in 1973. He
died on March 31, 1969, leaving a rich legacy and a new generation of
followers. On November 4, 1975, the town of Angono, Rizal, held an exhibit
titled "Gunita Kay Botong." The event became an annual institution and was
widely followed to the point that Angono became the unofficial art capital of the
Philippines.

CESAR LEGASPI
Born in April 2, 1917, Legaspi is remembered for his singular achievement of
refining cubism in the Philippine context. Legaspi belonged to the so-called
“Thirteen Moderns” of the pre-WWII era and later, the “Neo-realists” with Arturo
Luz, Vicente Manasala, Jose Joya, and Hernando Ocampo.
Legaspi’s works are in the collection of the National Museum of the Philippines
in Manila. The artist died on April 7, 1994 in Manila, Philippines.
 HERNANDO OCAMPO
Hernando R. Ocampo is a Filipino National Artist in the visual arts. He is also
fictionist, a playwright and editor. Ocampo was a leading radical modernist
artist in the Philippines. He was a member of the Saturday Group of artists
(also known as the Taza de Oro Group), and was one of the pre-war Thirteen
Moderns, a group of modernist artists founded by Victorio C. Edades in 1938.
Famously known for his triumvirate of with neo-realists Vicente S. Manansala
and Cesar Legaspi, he did works which reflected the harsh realities of his
country after the Second World War. However, many of his works, through his
skillful use of fierce and bold colors, depicted lush sceneries and beautiful
Philippine landscapes.

JUAN LUNA
Juan Luna (1857-1899) was born in a town called Badoc, located in the
northern Philippines. When he was four years old his family moved to Manila,
where he later attended the Ateneo Municipal de Manila and earned his
Bachelor’s Degree. After graduation, Luna took course work at the Academy of
Fine Arts in Manila. During his studies at the academy he was influenced by the
artists Lorenzo Guerrero and the Spanish artist Agustin Saez, who advised him
go to Spain and continue his studies. Luna took Saez’ advice and resettled in
Spain, after which he enrolled at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.
There he met the painter Don Alejo Vera, and followed Vera to Rome where he
was exposed to art of the Renaissance painters that became so influential on his own art career.

DAMIAN DOMINGO
Damián Domingo y Gabor (February 12, 1796 – July 26, 1834) was the father
of Philippine painting. Domingo established the official Philippine art academy
in his residence in Tondo in 1821. Damian Domingo was born in Tondo, Manila
and is a Chinese Filipino mestizo. He began his career as a painter specializing
in miniature portraits and religious imagery. He also created albums of
illustrations of native costumes. This he did primarily to sell to collectors. Such
skills made Domingo one of the most famous and sought-after artists of his
time in the Philippines. Domingo is regarded highly in the history of Filipino art
and is credited with establishing academic courses in art in the Philippines.

LORENZO GUERRERO
On November 4, 1835, Lorenzo Guerrero, was born in Ermita, then a town
independent of Manila.
Guerrero left a few works of enduring value. His beautiful illustrations in
Father Manuel Blanco's Flora de Filipinas (Manila, 1877) will be remembered.
Of the 253 signed plates (laminas) of the Flora, 35 were his. His drawings
have an individuality all their own and are distinguished by great accuracy of
detail. During the Philippine-American war he was commissioned to make
designs for the ensigns and uniform of the revolutionary army, and he also
had occasion to draw plants for his brother, Dr. Leon Ma. Guerrero, the botanist, the tide of war having
brought them to different places in Central Luzon, rich in plant life.
SIMON FLORES Y DE LAS ROSA
Simón Flores was born in 1839 in Paco. His first recognition came when he
was thirty-two years old, upon delivering to the town of San Fernando
(Pampanga) a commissioned portrait of the new King of Spain, Amadeo de
Saboya. The quality of the artwork was highly esteemed, and was officially
acknowledged by the colonial administration.
Simón Flores y de la Rosa is recognized as the first Filipino artist to have
received an international award. In his lifetime, he accepted commissions from
parishes shortly after his studies at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios, which he
entered in 1857.

FABIAN CUETO DE LA ROSA

Fabian de la Rosa (May 5, 1869- December 14, 1937) was the brightest name
in Philippine painting after Luna and certainly the leading master of genre in the
first quarter of the century. Particularly noted for being an outstanding painter of
women’s portraits, alongside Juan Luna and his nephews, Pablo and Fernando
Amorsolo. De la Rosa introduced and taught decorative painting. Teaching and
portrait painting became his means of livelihood. Best remembered for painting
landscapes, portraits, and everyday scenes with women depicted as simple yet
regal in doing daily activities such as cleaning out clay pots, weaving, chatting,
going to church, planting in the rice fields, washing clothes, etc. De la Rosa’s
style has never changed despite his exposure to Europe.