PROPERTY FROM THE DON J. ANTONIO ARANETA COLLECTION

Literature: Araneta, Antonio S., ed. 1030 R. Hidalgo: Volume II, Legacy in Art. Manila: Mara, Inc., 1986. Full-color illustration and painting description on page 72. Duldulao, Manuel D. The Philippine Art Scene. Manila: Maber Books, Inc., 1977. Full color photograph on page 243; Catalogued in the caption on page 244.

ABOUT THE WORK

Fabian de la Rosa's 1922 Landscape proves art critic Emilio Aguilar Cruz correct when he described the artist's works as "nearer to the native soil." In his cool soft palette, de la Rosa transforms a windy grassy patch in the woods into a place of rest and relaxation. This view shows a virility that throbs throughout the painting – de la Rosa's landscapes are so intimate that one could feel the breeze fluttering around them should they focus hard enough. Nostalgia is the currency that de la Rosa banks on. “In [Fabian de la Rosa], the autochthonous Philippine painting of the last century reached full flowering, and in his whole career is summed up all that is good in the past,” continues Aguilar Cruz. In his exaltation of the local Filipino views, he brings the Philippine landscapes to the international stage, with foreign patrons championing his works in a bid to experience the enchanting Philippine countryside for themselves. (Hannah Valiente)