Barcelona - Legacy of Greats

Gaudi's Casa Batlló

I had three full days in Barcelona recently. Hardly enough to see Gaudí's many projects, Picasso's paintings and ceramics, and Joan Miro's colorful works of art. Dividing the city into sections, I started exploring in the medieval Barri Gotic where the Museu Picasso is located. The most memorable of the collection on display are the series of paintings called "Las Meninas" after the painting of the same name by one of Spain's greatest painters, Velasquez. Picasso's abstract interpretation of the 17th century painting is interesting and thought provoking, to say the least. The series challenges viewers to see an icon from a modernistic perspective and appreciate the nuances and differences in style.

The second day was devoted to Gaudí. I could only squeeze 3 of his masterpieces into my schedule - Casa Batlló, Casa Mila and Sagrada Familia. Inside Casa Batlló I was captivated by the sheer beauty of the undulating walls, the stained glass windows flowing in a curve, the outdoor terrace with a wall on one side decorated in a rainbow of colors, the attic with its white arched vaultings that reminds one of a chapel, and the rooftop where one can get up close to the front façade which is designed like a giant scallop shell. As excited as I was with Casa Batlló, I can't say I feel the same way about the Sagrada Familia where work continues. I wish they would have left the cathedral just as it was after Gaudi's unfortunate death. There are so many things going on with the construction today that it no longer feels uniquely Gaudí.

It's easy to smile when viewing the works of Joan Miró. They seem like child's play - fun, whimsical and colorful. The Fundació Joan Miró on Parc de Monjuic above Barcelona (take the funicular) has a large collection of the artist's paintings, sculptures, and tapestries (which are colossal in scale). The galleries provide an intimate look at the artist and his oeuvres.

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Photo by Rosario Charie Albar

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called Kasaysayan ng Maynila (History of Manila). The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the

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