The exhibit of rare and original paintings of Filipino masters Juan Luna, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, Fernando Amorsolo and Juan Arellano opened to the Iloilo public Nov. 25 at the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Performance Hall.
The ribbon cutting was graced by former Senate president Frank Drilon, Rosalie Trenas representing Mayor Jerry Trenas, UPV Chancellor Clement Camposano, former Tourism secretary Narzalina Lim and Cedie Lopez Vargas representing the Lopez Group Foundation, Inc. which made the paintings available to the Iloilo City public.
Curator Patrick Flores revealed the exhibition presents a survey of works from exemplars in Philippine art from the late nineteenth century to the early part of the 20th century. “These painters painted what they saw and felt around them but also conversed with what was being imagined elsewhere in the world. Around Academic Realism and Impressionism, they layered their visions of colonial allegory, the native sunlight and the dreamwork of the primeval and the future.”
The Lopez collection include Luna’s La Moza y El Lego (1890), Fantasia (1890), Ensuenos de Amor (undated) and Street Flower Vendors (1855).
Samplers from the Lopez Collection include El Asesinato de Gobernador Bustamante y Su Hijo (1900) by Hidalgo, Philippines Scenes (1920s) by Arellano and Native Fruits (1937) by Amorsolo.
Vargas, who is president of the Lopez Group Foundation, Inc., said her beloved father, Oscar Lopez, shared his father’s (Don Eugenio Lopez) belief in the primacy of Philippine art and culture. “That explains our impressive collection of Filipino paintings and Filipiniana rare books, manuscripts, and maps. With the dedication and hard work of my forebears, the future generations of Filipino youth will still be able access these collections, not just as a celebration of cultural history and art, but of cultural preservation and an enduring spirit of nationalism.”
She said they could not let pass the opportunity to bring the masterpieces to Iloilo to honor their roots. “It is in Iloilo that our family’s journey of hard work, philanthropy and service to others began. It just made perfect sense to keep coming and giving back, uplifting the very community that had also shaped our own personal history.”
Mrs. Rosalie Trenas — representing the city mayor – said the opening of the exhibit, is like coming home. “We all know the Lopezes are proud Ilonggos. They have never failed to give back to Iloilo in anyway they can.”
Vargas also recognized Drilon — who along with Sen. Loren Legarda and Narz Lim — have been the driving force behind this vision.
UPV Chancellor Clement Camposano pointed out that the exemplary works in the exhibition are born of an aesthetic agency that cannot be dissociated from the process of the nation’s historical becoming. “The works of these Filipino masters — Juan Luna, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, Fernando Amorsolo, and Juan Arellano — clearly invite such reflections. They inspire with their brilliance and edify with the sheer weight of their historical significance,” he said.
Prof. Martin Genodepa, director of Office of Initiatives in Culture and the Arts. said the university has always been in the forefront of art and culture initiatives. “The impact of this exhibit will be bigger and wider because of the artists involved. We always aim for well-curated and organized shows in our seven galleries ever since.
Painter Rock Drilon who promotes art and poetry in his Dumangas-based Magnet Café said he carefully studied the choice of the four artists from historical perspective. “Luna and Hidalgo are classicists and deeply rooted in the European tradition. I notice the attempt of Arellano to breakaway towards modernism and it is obvious Amorsolo localized it.”
He also opined Hidalgo had more skills compared to Luna.
Drilon sizes up the state of the arts in Iloilo City and pointed out it needs real and sustained local patronage. “I always believe if local patronage catches up, that’s when we see real development.”
Iloilo’s distinguished arts reviewer John Anthony Estolloso pointed out the presence of original artworks by the great masters would give Ilonggos a glimpse of art as historical artifact. “While Ilonggo art enthusiasts and aesthetes are quite familiar with an eclectic range of art styles and genres from the classical to the modern, seeing a Hidalgo or a Luna would give them the opportunity to come face-to-face with history through the artistic lens. Beyond the aesthetic representation of figures and landscapes would be the idea that these works captured the times of the artists. The minute details and nuances, from inscriptions to brushstrokes, offer a portal through which the Ilonggo can understand local sensibilities better. And in turn, they will have a much clearer – and much more colorful – picture of what transpired in the past. That resonates with the exhibit’s title, The Patrimony of All.”
Estolloso said the arts scene in Iloilo is thriving. “A good number of artists of all art forms and art groups are flourishing. Nary a month goes without multiple cultural-artistic activities being produced and attended.”
He said in the recent months, local painters, sculptors, dancers, musicians, writers, and filmmakers have been recognized and lauded both nationally and internationally. “Corollary to that, there is positive response from the audience in the aesthetic sense. The local government is supportive of the arts and has encouraged the creation and restoration (for some) of public artworks and architecture,” he added.
Estolloso credits the city’s lively art scene to the active implementation of the arts curriculum in the city’s basic education institutions reinforced by trips and visits to museums and galleries or talks and conversations with artists.
“There is a group of active writers who document, write about, and in a sense, archive what is going on in the city’s art scene. To a considerable degree, Ilonggos talk about art. And where else would art appreciation start if not with the usual chatter of what’s new in which gallery or theater? In that context and aesthetic sensibility, I guess the time is ripe to have the works of the masters brought and displayed here in Iloilo City to be appreciated by everyone,” he said.
Mayor Jerry Trenas said Iloilo City is proud to host the exhibit. “Let us take pride in this unique opportunity to honor and preserve our nation’s artistic heritage. ”
(All exhibits at the UPV MACH are free. Museum hours are 8:30-4:30 Monday through Friday. Please call or message us in advance for group tours of 15 persons or more. The exhibition can be viewed at the UPV MACH. It is open to the public until April 2025.)