This piece is accompanied by a certificate issued by Don Rafael Perez-Madero confirming the authenticity of this lot

ABOUT THE WORK

Zobel’s art evolved into absolute non-objectivism with the Saeta series. This shift in Zobel’s artistic style, which transpired in the late 1950s, remains an exemplary standard of Philippine abstraction to this day. In this painting what impresses most is the close up effect and the startlingly glowing red background into which the lines move about. The Saetas are the apotheosis of Zobel’s early, exuberant style. Zobel’s journey into pure non-objectivism and minimal color defined his work starting about 1960 - with the serie negra. Saeta - literally arrows - is a form of abstract calligraphy all of Zobel’s own. If one sees the suggestion of sailing ships with masts, It is not a fortuitous imagery. Earlier in his career, in the fifties, Zobel had gone through a representational period which included portrait landscape. Through then however, such landscapes became more abstract. The fine, calligraphic lines of the Saetas were to evolve into the vigorous and painterly Serie Negra works that go in step with both American Abstract Expressionist Franz Kline (1910-1962) and Japanese sumi-e paintings.