Fernando amorsolo

Fernando Amorsolo’s penchant for depicting an idealized world is viewed by his critics as the work of someone who has never experienced pain in his life. It is apparent that the artist’s preference was not due to a lack of exposure to the ills of society but to a conscious effort to hang on to what is pure and good before the harsh realities of the world shattered his peaceful life in the countryside.

Amorsolo’s work continues to resonate among his countrymen decades after his death. His portrayals of an ideal and beautiful world drew the most ardent praises and the harshest criticisms. To understand the artist one has to appreciate the man behind Amorsolo.

He was shy, innocent, and most importantly pure. These traits spilled over onto his canvas. It was not because Amorsolo was not capable of recognizing the dark side of society. He had his share of heartbreak and disappointment in his life but he deliberately isolated himself from these and chose to portray the bright side of the world. Not a shred of wickedness permeated his character and as a result his art is the purest manifestation of beauty. The basic desire to identify with what is good is what people inherently have in common with the artist. It is for this legacy that Amorsolo will be most fondly remembered.