This piece is accompanied by a certificate issued by Mr. Christian Aguilar confirming the authenticity of this lot

Provenance: Private Collection, Makati City

ABOUT THE WORK

The art of Federico Aguilar Alcuaz covers a wide range of genres and styles, from the simplest of portraits to the most complex abstraction. And figurative painting is one of the strongest aspects of the art of Alcuaz. This elegant ingenue “Marias” might as well be lounging in a large hotel suite: behind these uncomplicated figures is a subtle evocation of female grace. The artist, Alcuaz, was for quite some time a resident of the Manila Pavillion. He occupied a studio suite on the twentieth floor of the hotel. The suite seems to have been carefully designated for specific works; an easel stands in one of the rooms where paintings such as Tres Marias were done. And on the other, a different easel is in place for abstract compositions. Both rooms command a panoramic view of the Walled City. Women have always been favorite subjects of Alcuaz. Sometimes Alcuaz portrays them nude, others prefer to paint them fully clothed. Among Alcuaz’s well known works were the Tres Marias series. These are lyrical scenes of women at rest rendered in impressionistic brushstrokes. These works depicting elegant women in their berriboned dresses, Victorian hats and long tresses evoke a turn of the century romanticism vivid in the art of great painters of the nineteenth century. Like his nudes, his somber yet glowing color scheme must have come from the influence of Velasquez and Goya, and in these he also shares kinship with Juan Luna.