Provenance: Private Collection, USA

ABOUT THE WORK

A native of Mexico, Pampanga, Jose Bumanlag David studied at the UP College of Fine Arts before World War II and became part of what would be known as the Amorsolo School. The subject matter alone of the work conveys his affinity: a pair of washerwomen (“lavanderas”) doing their chore on the brook, their action creating ripples on the water. A throng of bamboo shoots up, only to bend and render a canopy of leaves. A “bahay kubo” is situated in the near distance, adding visual weight to the composition. While he may have shared the same subject matter as Amorsolo’s, David’s treatment of light is all his own. A sense of quiet imbues the scene — pervasive as it is expansive.