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

The celebration of all manner of religious or cultural ritual continued to characterize Western art throughout history, and Filipino artists have been anchored to this Western hegemony. These rituals of celebration set within a historical context are depicted in this Amorsolo painting, what with three native women playing indigenous instruments while conquistadors look on in the backdrop. Amorsolo’s works are distinguished by striking composition, great dexterity of handling and brilliancy of color. Amorsolo’s anecdotal paintings feature subjects that are grandiose, and consequently, while other artists would put great attention to the authenticity of detail such as in the costume and explicit finish, the maestro hints by brisk brushstrokes the otherwise heavily detailed costumes of the foreign conquistadors. For his pre-colonial and 16th-century depiction of the Philippines, Amorsolo referred to the written accounts of Antonio Pigafetta, other available reading materials and visual sources; he consulted with the Philippine scholars of the time, H. Pardo de Tavera and Epifanio de los Santos.