Zóbel's influence is pervasive and the history of contemporary Philippine art cannot possibly be written without him, since he contributed so much to it. It cannot be denied that Zóbel helped enhance the climate for modern art through his lectures. There have been other "explainers" of art but it was Zóbel who put the chic atmosphere which drew in flocks of students, artists, writers, and patrons to his slide-full talks. He put a dash of humor to the substance and people came back increasingly for the rich platter of hearty helpings. From his art appreciation courses have come some of the leading art critics of today like Emmanuel S. Torres and Leonidas V. Benesa. Apart from his being one of modern art's prime builders, Zóbel’s other important gesture was his appreciation and respect for the works of his contemporaries and the young forces that were to follow. Zóbel pitted his taste, honed sharply by superior education and cultural back- ground, against the judgment of the future and backed his convictions to the hilt. He bought the works of his contemporaries and those of the coming generations. He filled up his walls and rooms, and by 1960, his collection had grown to a significant proportion and a true reflection of the scope and character of Philippine art. Zóbel donated this collection rich with prime Ocampos, Manansalas, Sansos, Joyas, Bencabs, and others to the then Ateneo de Manila, giving birth to the Ateneo Art Gallery on June 19, 1961 which formally opened to the public on August 15 of the same year. Zóbel's main influence, however, was in his art which made an impact on the generation of the sixties. His paintings in the early fifties were figurative, peopled by old ladies, urchins, contractors, coffee-grining machines, baroque houses as well as literary characters as in the surrealistic watercolor Stultifera Navis (Ship of Fools). This representational style was to find its climax in Carroza, his prize-winning entry at the 1953 AAP Annual show.
PROPERTY FORMERLY FROM THE DON ENRIQUE ZOBEL COLLECTION
Provenance: Acquired directly from the Artist and the Philippine Art Gallery by Mr. Enrique J. Zo?bel
Exhibited: Zobel : Paintings. (First One-Man Show); Philippine Art Gallery; February 8, 1953 Leon Gallery, Mid-Century Moderns: Important Modernist Paintings from the Philippine Art Gallery, Makati City, August 29, 2017
Literature: Contemporary Philippine Art: From the Fifties to the Seventies, Manuel D. Duldulao, Vera-Reyes Inc.,1972. Illustrated with a black and white plate, page 44; photo caption on page 45 with the listing as “Collection : Mr. E. Zo?bel.” Guerrero Nakpil, Lisa and Ramon N. Villegas. Mid-Century Moderns: Important Modernist Paintings from the Philippine Art Gallery. Makati City: Leo?n Gallery, 2017. Published to accompany the exhibition of the same title at Leo?n Gallery on August 29, 2017. Full color illustration on page 37, with accompanying text on page 36. Kalaw-Ledesma, Purita. Philippine Art Gallery: The Biggest Little Room. Makati City: Kalaw-Ledesma Art Foundation, 1987. Black-and- white illustration and photo caption on page 99; catalogued in the roster of works exhibited at the Philippine Art Gallery, on page 163 Villaverder, Fernando. Zo?bel. Contrapuntos. Translated by Sofi?a Molina de Starnes. Makati City: Ayala Museum, 2017. Published to accompany Zo?bel's retrospective at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017. Archival photos of Zo?bel with the painting reproduced on page 56.