 Made National Artist in Painting in

1976, Victorio C. Edades was the

pioneer in modernism in the
Philippine art scene. In fact, he
is known as the Father of Modern
Philippine Painting. A lot of his
paintings portrayed the hardships
of the working class, using dark
and somber colors and bold
strokes.
 Edades was born on
December 23, 1895 in
Dagupan, Pangasinan to
Hilario Edades and Cecilia
Edades. He obtained his
early education in barrio
schools and went to a high
school in Lingayen.
 In 1919, he left for the United
States to study Architecture and
Fine Arts at the University of
Washington in Seattle. During
the summer, he worked in the
salmon canneries of Alaska. It
was also during his stay in the
U.S. that he married American
Jean Garrott, with whom he had
his only daughter, Joan.
 He returned to the Philippines in
1928 and in the same year had
his first one-man show at the
Philippine Columbian Club. He
also came up with two of his
most well-known works in that
year: The Sketch (also known
as The Artist and His Model),
and The Builders.
 Edades joined the University of
Santo Tomas in the 1930’s where
he stayed on for three decades and
became dean of its Department of
Architecture. It was he who
introduced the Liberal Arts program
which led to a Bachelor’s Degree in
Fine Arts, a first in the Philippines
since art was only taught in
vocational schools then.
 Edades later formed the
Triumvirate of Modern Art with
Carlos V. Francisco and Galo B.
Ocampo, after they produced a
mural for the lobby of the
Capitol Theater on Escolta
Street. This began the growth
of mural painting in the
Philippines.
 However, it was also during
this period that the infamous
debate between the
modernists and the
conservatives, including
Ariston Estrada, Ignacio
Manlapaz and Fermin
Sanchez, took place.
 Thiswas interrupted by the
second World War, but
resumed in 1948, with
sculptor Guillermo Tolentino
and painter Fernando
Amorsolo representing the
conservatives.
 In1938, Edades, together with
Ocampo and Diosdado
Lorenzo, established the
Atelier of Modern Art in Malate,
Manila. This resulted in the
formation of the Thirteen
Moderns, considered the
pioneers of modern art in the
Philippines.
 This group was led by Edades
and included Ocampo,
Francisco, Lorenzo, Vicente S.
Manansala, H. R. Ocampo,
Demetrio Diego, Bonifacio
Cristobal, Cesar F. Legaspi, Jose
Pardo, Arsenio Capili, Ricarte
Puruganan, and Anita
Magsaysay-Ho.
 Aside from this, Edades co-
founded the Mindanao
Ethnoculture Foundation, which
focused on the indigenous
culture and heritage of
Mindanao. In his last fifty
years, the subject of his
paintings had also become
indigenized.
 Edades retired from the UST at
the age of 70, and he was
bestowed with the degree of
Doctor in Fine Arts, Honoris
Causa. He then settled in
Davao after retirement.
 On May 7, 1985, Victorio
Edades passed away at the age
of 89.
 1928 – The Sketch, National
Museum Collection
 1928 – The Builders, Cultural
Center of the Philippines Collection
 1935 – Interaction, with Carlos V.
Francisco and Galo B. Ocampo
 1976 – Demoiselles D’avao
 1979 – Kasaysayan, a mural for a
Manila bank

Edades’ major works include:

1961 – Pro Patria Award,
given during the Rizal
Centennial Celebration
1964 – Patnubay ng
Sining at Kalinangan
Award, from the City of
Manila
Among His Awards are:
JAPANESE GIRL
MARKET SCENE
MORA GIRL
MURAL
THE BUILDERS
THE SKETCH
THE WRESTLERS