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Untitled (Palay Maiden)

FA-92-296

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Why this is a A closer look at this work will reveal brush strokes executed with the ease of a virtuoso. The
featured painting is considered a masterpiece for the subtlety of its encoded messages, which, in
Masterpiece this case, has been described as national pride. In stark contrast to the increasing westernization
of the urban capital Manila, this work is a celebration of the pristine, rural Philippine countryside. The
scene is bathed in sunlight and features a country maiden. This work is a fine example of this National
Artist’s favorite subject and setting. Amorsolo notes, “My conception of an ideal Filipina beauty is one
with a rounded face, not of the oval type... The eyes should be exceptionally lively… The nose should
be of the blunt form but firm and strongly marked… The ideal Filipino beauty should have a sensuous
mouth…not…white-complexioned, nor of the dark brown color…but of the clear skin…which we o!en
witness when we meet a blushing girl.” For Amorsolo, the Filipino beauty was an important symbol of
national identity. The colors of the Philippine flag are evident in the blue kerchief, red skirt, and white
blouse. The subject gazes directly at the viewer, holding a generous bundle of newly harvested rice, a
hope-filled moment for the young Philippines.

History of the Object

Fernando Amorsolo studied painting at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts and was
among its first graduates. He created numerous studies and sketches and kept a photographic file of his
paintings. The Philippine countryside was his source book of images. Like the Impressionists, he
showed scenes in varied conditions of light and like the Realists, he painted country folk going about
their daily tasks with simplicity and honesty. This artwork has been exhibited many times at the Ayala
Museum and its image published in many publications. Notable exhibitions are Ayala Museum’s
Fernando, Fernando (2000), inaugural exhibit Pioneers of Philippine Art (2004) and Ayala Museum’s
first international exhibition featuring its fine arts collection, Pioneers of Philippine Art: Luna Amorsolo
Zobel at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, California (2006).

Type Painting
Map Of Museums
Materials Oil on canvas
Measurements Width 60.3 cm. Length 85.5 cm.
Creator name Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (1892 – 1972)
Creator date 1892-1972
Where it was made Philippines; Manila
Geography Philippines
Time period AD 20th century ~ AD 20th century
Creation date 20th Century; 1920
Function Painting See the Google map

Acquisition Purchased in 1992

Copyright This photograph and information pertaining to the artwork pictured herein may be used only once and
only for the purpose of the Virtual Collection of Masterpieces (VCM) project. The image may not be
cropped or manipulated. Credits (title of artwork, artist, collection/owner, and Ayala Museum) should
always be included when publishing this photograph.
Acknowledgements References: Capistrano – Baker, et al. Pioneers of Philippine Art: Luna, Amorsolo, Zobel Transnationalism
in the late 19th – 20th Century. Manila: Ayala Foundation Inc., 2006. Paras-Perez, et al. Pioneers of
Philippine Art: Luna, Amorsolo, Zobel. Manila: Ayala Foundation Inc., 2004. Villanueva, Rene. The Boy
who Lost a Father and Found the Sun, The Life of Maestro Fernando Amorsolo. Manila: Ayala Foundation
Inc., 2006.
Owner Ayala Museum
Museum Ayala Museum
Credit line Ayala Museum collection

see also

Ayala Museum AD 20th century ~ AD 20th century Painting Oil on canvas Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (1892 – 1972)

Philippines; Manila

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