Chelsea Irish Medrano October 13, 2023

Alikah Arienh R. Sadamas Section 42

Title

The artwork “Mga Magsasaka” by Vicente Manansala is one of the remarkable artworks

that represents the living and culture of the Filipinos. Seen by its fine lines and various colors,

Vicente wanted to show the whole structure without using perspective or graded shadings to

create an image as a whole. The painting reflects the hard work of five farmers arranged

perfectly in their own space, expressing unity. All five people, specifically four women, and one

man, are sun-drenched and seemingly tired due to their sad eyes and expressionless faces; it is

extracted with the perfect symmetrical lines crafted by the hands of the talented artist in the year

1961. It was painted using Oil on canvas mounted on landscape wood with a measurement of 51

x 84 inches and placed on the walls of the National Museum of Fine Arts in the Philippines. The

color palette of the painting is visually earthy colors, colliding with a hint of blue, green, yellow,
and tangerines (Abadilla, E. V., 2014), representing agriculture. Vicente Manansala is known as

an illustrator and a cubist painter who studied Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. In

his works, he emphasizes using patterns such as tones and shapes (Rey, 2019). He is known for

the transparent cubism technique that he adapted from Pablo Picasso and came from his training

under Leger (BSP, 2020).

In the years of Vicente Manansala, he was often compared to some painters like Jean Francois

Millet and Pablo Picasso because of the often-seen similarities in their works. Despite this, he

was regarded as one of the most important Filipino painters during the 20th century. He bridged

the gap between urban and rural living, as well as between traditional and modern lifestyles

through the movement of Social Realism, illustrating social and political turmoils. Just like in the

painting Magsasaka, he showed a mirror of the Philippine society regarding the situations of the

farmers. Although the artwork shows the vibrancy of colors, it depicts the defying of the

romanticized approach under the subject (De Guzman, N., 2017). Based on the socio-cultural

context of the painting, it shows the active participation of the people in the community, such as

farming with the men and ladies, portraying the same part of the job they do for a living, a

simple practice that possibly the artist have perceived during his time, which can also conclude

in the agricultural aspect of the country where the artist has resided.

On the other hand, it sets the values of the Filipinos, generosity, helpfulness, and the course of

providing for family’s needs, which has become a mirror of the past and present of the

environment where every Filipino exists. The concept of the artist is a great way of expressing

appreciation to the dear farmers of the Philippines that may symbolize that farmers are not

forgotten; they are still at the heart of every Filipino’s dining table. Conversely, Filipino farmers

deserve recognition for their hard work for the reproduction in agriculture and for providing for
the whole country. The painting could demonstrate the real conditions, as well as the struggles of

the farmers. Possibly, the painter would like to emphasize his endearment to Filipino Farmers

who have been part of the culture from the pre-Spanish era up to his time. He enclosed his vision

of reality in the form of a painting. His cubism style has been very notable by portraying more

paintings related to the common lives of the people in his country. As of today, this painting may

become a way of initiative to give more incentives to farmers and make their lives easier and

fairer, sending a message about the need for support rather than idealizing the typical overly

simplified view.

References
Abadilla, E. V. (2014, April 6). Vicente Silva Manansala – MANILENYA. MANILENYA.
https://manilenya222.wordpress.com/tag/vicente-silva-manansala/

BSP. (2020). Fine art collection - national artist series. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

https://www.bsp.gov.ph/Pages/AboutTheBank/Facilities/BSP%20Museum%20Collection/

FineArt/NationalArtist-Manansala.aspx?ID=2642

De Guzman, N. (2017). National Museum features Manansala retrospective. SPOT.PH.

https://www.spot.ph/arts-culture/56154/national-museum-features-manansala-retrospective

Nagarjun, K. (n.d.). Magsasaka (Farmer). Flickr.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nagarjun/37410348886

Rey, M. V. (2019, October 17). Who is Vicente Mananasala? national artist in the Philippines.

PhilNews. https://philnews.ph/2019/10/17/who-is-vicente-mananasala-national-artist-in-the-

philippines/

Vicente Manansala | Widewalls. (n.d.). https://www.widewalls.ch/artists/vicente-

manansala