PLANTING RICE WITH MAYON VOLCANO

CONTENT PRESENTATION:
Amorsolo was committed to two fundamental ideas in his art: first, a classical notion of idealism, in which artistic truth
was found through harmony, balance and beauty, and second a conservative concept of Filipino national character as
rooted in rural communities and the cycles of village life. The two come together in pastoral scenes such as ‘Planting
Rice with Mayon Volcano’, painted in 1949. Here, happy Filipino villagers in their bright clothes and straw hats work
together amid a green and sunlit landscape of plenty. Behind them, releasing a peaceful plume of steam, rises the
beautifully symmetrical cone of Mayon stratovolcano. It is the ash erupted by the volcano over its highly-active
history that has made the surrounding landscape fertile, and the tranquil cone appears here to be a beneficial spirit of
the earth standing guardian over the villagers and their crops.

CONTRIBUTION:
Mayon’s eruptions can be very destructive (as in the violent eruption of 1947, not long before this picture was painted,
when pyroclastic flows and lahars brought widespread destruction and fatalities) but here the relationship between the
volcano and the surrounding landscape is depicted as a positive, fruitful and harmonious one. Mayon is a
celebrated symbol of the Philippines, and its presence in Amorsolo’s painting emphasizes his wish to represent the spirit
of the nation on canvas.

THE MAKING OF THE PHILIPPINE FLAG

CONTENT PRESENTATION:
The making of Philippine flag is a masterpiece painting by Fernando Amorsolo in Philippines. Fernando Amorsolo was
one of the most important artists in the history of painting in the Philippines. No doubt he created such a wonderful
artwork. The painting shows three women namely Marcella Marino de Agoncillo (on the right side) refer as the mother
of the Philippine flag, with the help of Lorenza and Delfina Herbosa de Natividad which is actually the daughter of
Marcela. They was tasked by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo to sew the first flag for the new republic. The clothes that the
women are wearing are an older style, more vintage and really depict the traditional styles. The skirts the women’s are
wearing are long and their tops were like a traditional “kimona”. The three women are sewing passionately which
demonstrates elegance.the painting was not that kind of vibrant in the eyes but canset your mood in calm. The setting is
inside of a house which is more like a “Bahay Kubo” The main colors that was used in painting was brown, red, blue and
yellow. The mood and visual effect that this painting can be considered is calm and serene.

CONTRIBUTION:
It is believed that Fernando Amorsolo made this painting to show the citizen of the Philippines of how the Philippine flag
was made and to remind them the traditions and customs that we did not realize it becomes faded. To take care and
give importance the National flag which it symbolizes as white triangle stands for equality and fraternity; the blue field
for peace, truth and justice; and the red field for patriotism and valor. The eight rays of the sun stand for the first eight
provinces that the colonizers have put under martial law. The three stars symbolize Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. These
just shows us to loved our country, be proud of it do not be ashamed because our ancestors risked their lives for the
freedom from the hands of the colonizers. It is really shown in the painting of Amorsolo that he is a nationalistic person
some his paintings portray and commemorate the different tradition, cultures and customs of Filipino.

EL CIEGO
The painting features a male playing guitar. We know that guitar is an instrumental part of our culture as Filipinos. Our
ancestors have loved it since ancient times. In celebrations such as the festival or in courtship, the guitar is always
present. At the festival, it encourages people to engage in dancing and singing. In a courtship, a man expresses his love
for the beloved woman through playing the guitar and singing. All of these have a positive effect. So we can say that El
Ciego is a traditional concept based on the interpretation we get from the guitar.

PRINCESS URDUJA
Princess Urduja is a figure from Philippine legend, a warrior princess who is said to have ruled the kingdom of Tawalisi in
the province of Pangasinan. Though whether or not she actually existed is in contention among scholars, she is still
considered a popular heroine and Philippine icon, especially in Pangasinan. 

In his efforts to promote pre-Hispanic Filipino icons, National Artist Fernando Amorsolo made several paintings in the
1950s depicting Princess Urduja. Because of the lack of historical data about 14th-century Philippines, most of the
details of his depiction - such as clothing and weaponry - came from Amorsolo's imagination.

LAVANDERA
The washerlady, au naturel, and the river where she is washing clothes, are noted from their common factor: both are
unintruded by man. Virginal is the lady. Pollution-free is the river of debris and nonbiodegradable refuse of man.