Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by Dr. Oscar Mayo

ABOUT THE WORK

For Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco, there could be a no more Filipino material, than the noble bamboo. As early as 1947, Botong painted its noblest of beginnings — as the first tree on this earth and as the first pod to beget the first man and woman , “Malakas (The Strong)” and “Maganda (The Beautiful.)” Botong would adopt the bamboo as a metaphor for the Filipino spirit. It would grace the humblest of abodes, in the form of floors, benches, and roofs; it would be the strong palisade of Soliman, King of Manila and thoughtful cane Rizal would carry in his hand. It would also make the sharp staves of Bonifacios’ army. The bamboo would shelter families’ cooking Angono’s famous sinigang as well as the many town-folk in his famous murals, carried in hammocks, busy at bubbling pots, or lazing away an afternoon in a treetop This bas-relief is taken from one of his most famous works, “Madonna of the Bamboos” that was created in 1962. In it, Botong takes the Catholic Madonna and Child and synthesizes it with the Filipino bamboo. The original painting featured bamboo in various stages of growth, a homage to the Baby Jesus as well as the eternity of His love. The “Madonna of the Bamboos” at hand is equally graceful. The Virgin Mary and Child are set against a grove of bamboo. (Botong famously had one in his own garden.) A butterfly, as in the original artwork, flits near the sacred Pair, another allusion to the endlessness of life with Christ. -Lisa Guerrero Nakpil