Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

Cesar Legaspi evolved a brand of Cubism nourished by the plenitude of the earth: more opaque than transparent, more organic than geometric. This work of pastel-on-paper, which the National Artist painted in 1979, showcases this particular preoccupation, featuring the two figures in one of the country’s origin myths: Malakas and Maganda. Their bronze bodies, having broken free from a bamboo, exhibit a remarkable dynamism. The similarity of their poses suggests the indivisibility of their fate. Her hair streaming in the wind, Maganda is a model of awesome confidence. At the same time, a dark-skinned Malakas asserts hsi towering presence. Their sheer physicality showcases Legaspi’s version of Cubism, which reveals them as figures sprung from the earth.