Untitled (Palay Maiden)

FA-92-296

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Why this is a
Masterpiece
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 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 often 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).
Map Of Museums
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Type

Painting 

Materials

Oil on canvas 

Measurements

Width 60.3 cm. Length 85.5 cm.  

Creator name

Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (1892 – 1972) 

Creator date

1892-1972 

Wh
ere
it
was
ma
de

Philippines; Manila 

Geography

Philippines 

Time period

AD 20th century ~ AD 20th century 

Creation date

20th Century; 1920 

Function

Painting 

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. 

Acknowledgemen

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