Accompanied by a certificate issued by Comité Vitalis confirming the authenticity of this lot

Provenance: León Gallery, The Kingly Treasures Auction 2021, Makati City, 4 December 2021, Lot 94

ABOUT THE WORK

Only in his early 20s, Macario Vitalis had already ventured overseas to further his art studies. He stayed in the United States for a few years, then went to France and stayed there for almost the rest of his life, only returning to the Philippines for a short while in his later years. He worked in a restaurant in France where his artworks were exhibited and sold. His years in France can be seen in his works, both in subject matter and in the manner in which he paints. Most of his early works are characterized by the social conditions he witnessed in France, such as the events during the Great Depression and World War II. After the war, he settled in the town of Plestin-les-Gréves, which became the subject of his subsequent paintings, for it offers a magnificent landscape. Vitalis adheres to post-impressionism, with blues and yellows dominating his palette, which can be seen in his 1983 painting, Bouquet of Flowers. Once closely examined, one can see that the artist did not use definite lines or shapes in this painting. Instead, it is a harmonious blend of paint dabs in various hues, tints, and shades to create an object and successfully bring it to life. (Jessica Magno)