Provenance: Provenance:
Private collection, Spain

Literature: Exhibited: St. Louis World’s Fair of 1904, St. Louis, Missouri, April 30 - December 1, 1904

ABOUT THE WORK

In 1904, Zaragoza would send several works to the St. Louis Exposition, the United States’ first showcase of its newest colony, ‘The Mestiza’ is listed as one of his many works and for this ample participation, he would be presented with both gold and silver medals. He would return to much publicity but would return quietly to his teaching, which would include not only classes at the Liceo de Manila but also at the newly-formed School of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines where he would be one of the first three professors, teaching the first class of five, which included the young Fernando Amorsolo. In this work at hand, we spy a barefoot beauty — who seems to be taken by surprise and has her arms coyly folded over her chest. She is shaded in a makeshift thatch hut fashioned from hay and criss-crossed bamboo poles. Zaragoza has added Manila to his signature and it refers to his rather grand home and studio on Arlegui Street in the Quiapo district, but this is most likely a scene from his youth in Nueva Ecija. It’s a summer day with just the hint of clouds in the background. The red of her filmy blouse and skirt are cinched with the dark indigo of her skillfully painted heavy folds of her tapis (or apron.) Indeed, one can see the influence of Zaragoza’s color rendition of monochromatic tones on the young Amorsolo. Zaragoza would be known, wrote art historian Ignacio Manlapaz, for the “vigorous rendering of form and unhesitating brushstrokes which impart a delightful freshness ... (making his works) honest masterpieces.” The mestiza would be a favorite subject of Zaragoza who would submit various drawings with that title to La Ilustración Filipina. Important to note is that this is the largest known Zaragoza to come to auction. (Lisa Guerrero Nakpil)