Provenance:
Private Collection, Makati City

ABOUT THE WORK

Ibarra de la Rosa was among the original members of the Dimasalang Group of Progressive Artists. He became one of the most prolific painters of his time due to his numerous followers and buyers. His first exhibition at the La Solidaridad Gallery in Manila was succeeded by more than sixty shows in the leading Philippine galleries of his time, such as Hidalgo, Quad, Kamalig, Luz, and Galerie Bleue. De la Rosa was a recipient of the highly coveted CCP Thirteen Artists Award and the Araw ng Maynila Award. Perhaps De la Rosa's most significant contribution to Philippine art is a captivating synthesis of the various elements of a typical landscape, such as forests and gardens. He weaves them into a magical brand of inherently impressionistic art that concurrently borders the surreal. His pointillist-like brushstrokes, which he called "wipings," is credited as his trademark technique. In this piece, De la Rosa evokes the Fauvists' radical application of unusual colors, breathing new life and concocting a unique emotional connection to landscape painting. He conveys untroubled moments of contemplation, inviting the viewer to indulge in pleasant reveries that are deeper than reality. The viewer's consciousness is engrossed in the varicolored, lush flora, transporting them towards a pure Elysian experience. De la Rosa's application of harmoniously cascading colors results in an opus that is universally appealing to art critics, collectors, and enthusiasts.