Provenance: Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

Hugo Yonzon Jr., a prolific and versatile modern artist from the post-war era, shifts through various styles in his career, from classicism, cubism, or abstract expressionism. It is said that he did not exhibit more often than his peers; collectors would buy his paintings as fast as he could finish them. Influenced by National Artist Cesar Legaspi, Yonzon said that Legaspi taught him “the tangents in composition.” This piece is part of his earlier body of works that features darker colors and his refined cubist techniques. In contrast to his later works that feature lighter colors and happier faces of common folk, the fishermen endure the toil of the sea in this detailed work.