Leon Gallery wishes to thank Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo for confirming the authenticity of this lot

Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist

ABOUT THE WORK

Colorfully dressed Spanish conquistadors check out their maps as they embark on a native port defined by the blue mountains, and the blue sea. The finely clothed Spaniards are surrounded by a backdrop replete with colorful elements of indigenous Filipino culture. Amorsolo painted the female nude in the form of a woman holding a ‘banga’ as integral to a historical scenario — using such as a component in the historicity of the work. Though devoid of any semblance of the Manila we know, this very scene depicts the construction of Intramuros — the oldest district, and historic core of Manila. The Spaniards arrived on the island of Luzon in 1570, and after quarrels and misunderstandings with the Islamic natives, fought for the control of the land and settlements. After several months of warfare, the natives were defeated, and the Spaniards made a peace pact with the councils of Rajah Sulaiman III, Lakan Dula, and Rajah Matanda who handed over Manila to the Spaniards. Legazpi declared the area of Manila as the new capital of the Spanish colony because of its strategic location and rich resources. In this, Intramuros was constructed — and once settled, such became the political, military and religious center of the Spanish Empire in Asia. Flourishes of brushstrokes define the tent sheltering the Spaniards. The maestro must have made some meticulous studies prior to painting this scenario. It has been written that his ‘The First Baptism in the Philippines’ required numerous detailed sketches and colored studies of its elements. These diverse elements were meticulously and carefully set by the artist before being transferred to the final canvas. Even outside of his bucolic genre scenes, Amorsolo’s characters display the most distilled attitude and emotion for the role they are portraying.