Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label art

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

Masterpieces from the National Museum of the Philippines

"If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him." John F. Kennedy Spoliarium by Juan Luna The Spoliarium  is an oil on canvas painting by Juan Luna. It won the coveted first gold medal at the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in Madrid in 1884. The Assassination of Governor Bustamente by F. Hidalgo Felix Resurección Hidalgo studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando de Madrid as a pensionado of the Ayuntamiento de Manila. He won the ninth silver medal in 1884 for his work, Las Virgines Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho at the Exposicion General de Bellas Artes in Madrid at which event, Juan Luna won the gold medal for his Spoliarium.  The Assassination of Governor General Fernando Bustamante y Rueda  is a controversial painting for its depiction of the Dominican friars as active participants in the murder of the Governor. In fact, Fr. Fidel Villaroel, Ph.D., a Span

Osaka, City of Kuidaore

Unlike its neighbors, Kyoto and Nara, Osaka has few historical landmarks to show. This third largest city in Japan makes up for the shortfall with its thriving entertainment and food scene.  Dotonbori Street Dotonbori is referred to as the Times Square of Osaka. I think of it as an amusement park with shopping, restaurants, theaters, night clubs and crazy billboards all lit up at night. This place is all about fun, food and whimsical appearances. Restaurant signboard Osaka has been christened the city of kuidaore which means, "eat until you drop". Nowhere is food more visible than in Dotonbori where cartoon signs come alive in the evening, beckoning patrons to dinner. The restaurant shown above is on Dotonbori Street and from the looks of things, the favorite of Spiderman. There are also food stalls on the street selling two popular street food,  okonomiyaki (grilled pancake with flour, eggs, shredded cabbage and meat)   and takoyaki (octopus dumplings).   C

Themed Travel Ideas for Summer 2017

    Church of Santa Maria, Jeronimos Monastery, Belem

This small museum packs a punch

Blast Furnaces of Vizcaya, Juan Luna, 1893 I love small museums where I don't have to rush from painting to painting so I can see everything in a few hours. I like to linger, take a photo if it's allowed, leisurely read the attribution card or the brochure and check out the works of art as meticulously as possible. The Yuchengco Museum in Makati is an ideal place to visit and learn about Philippine art in an intimate setting. It wows with its collection of paintings by the masters of Philippine art including Juan Luna, Fernando Amorsolo, Carlos "Botong" Francisco and a host of other artists, some of whom I've included below. During my visit in July, I was lucky to have seen the Benedicto Cabrera Tribute Exhibition, BenCab in Two Movements . Juan Luna (1857-1899) made a name for himself in 19th century Europe where he was nurtured in the classical style of painting. This education gave birth to such works as the Spoliarium which won him the first gold med

Cerralbo Museum

Foyer The Cerralbo Museum is a museum palace which belonged to Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, the 17th Marquis of Cerralbo (1845-1922). He was an avid collector of art and antiques which he obtained from his travels and from art auctions in Europe. His acquisitions include paintings, sculptures, drawings, tapestries, ceramics, historical documents, books, photography, objets d'art and furniture. It was one of the finest collections of its time. The palace of the Marquis was built to be both a residence and a gallery. Hall of the Armoury The armoury was the receiving area of this aristocratic residence. The Marquis and his Marquess, Inocencia Serrano y Cerver, greeted their guests in this hall where the suit of armor belonging to the illustrious ancestor of the Marquis, Pablo Fernandez Contreras, the first Earl of Alcudía, (who was the Admiral of the Spanish Squad that defeated the Dutch fleet in 1635) is on display. The Marquis of Cerralbo also inherited the title of

Casas Colgadas, Cuenca

Casas Colgadas (Hanging Houses) The Casas Colgadas are the iconic symbols of Cuenca. Hanging precariously on a cliff above the deep gorge of the Huécar river, they defy gravity. There used to be more hanging houses in Cuenca but only three have survived to this day. The Museo de Arte Abstracto Español occupies two of these houses. To get a good perspective of their hairy perch, walk downhill to the Puente de San Pablo which straddles the gorge.  Hanging Houses from Puente de San Pablo The footbridge of San Pablo is a good vantage point for a sweeping view of this fortress town. Look down and you'll appreciate the depth of the gorge. Look up and you'll see how the balconies of the Casas Colgadas seem suspended in the air. Look behind you for a panoramic view of the highest section of the old hill town. And across the bridge is the Parador de Cuenca, a former monastery from the 16th century which has been converted into a government-run hotel. View of the

The Arts Scene in Roxas City

At the recently inaugurated Dance and Arts Studio in Gaisano Mall, paintings by Clay Dalid and works by artists of the Paon Livelihood Series are currently on display. From the Paon group comes the livelihood genre such as laying fish out to dry and fresh catch in metal baskets. These works reflect one of the most important means of livelihood for residents of the "seafood capital" of the Philippines. Clay Dalid continues the theme of the bountiful harvest of the sea with her still life with seashells. In her lily series, Clay gives us a taste of her colorful palette. On the third floor of Gaisano, there is a children's playroom with a huge mural by John Alaban. Here you'll see the hills of San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge. I've seen John's other oeuvres of Philippine scenes which are reminiscent of Amorsolo, suffused with the light of the tropics and bold hues. At the Roxas City Museum, the paintings of Lino Villaruz are on view as well as those

Discovering J. Torrents Lladό

The home and studio of J. Torrents Lladό contains around 100 of his works as well as his personal belongings. There is a stunning courtyard garden. It is located at C/ de la Portella 9, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.  ***** Photo by TravelswithCharie