Fernando Amorsolo y Cueto (1892 – 1972) was a Filipino painter who worked primarily in landscapes. He trained in Manila and New York in the early 20th century and was influenced by the Spanish masters. Amorsolo began painting in earnest in the 1920s and 30s, becoming known for his realist paintings of Filipino country life. His subject matter took a turn from the darker in World War II, but returned to the pastoral and optimistic afterwards. In the time leading up to his 1972 death, he was very prolific and favored by mainstream Filipino society, producing dozens of paintings a year.
Amorsolo's romantic portrayal of the rural lifestyle has been considered by local art historians to be central to the development of the Philippines' national identity following its independence for Spain (at the turn of the century) and the United States (after World War II).
He also created the logo for the local gin brand Ginebra.
Tropes in his work:
- All Asians Wear Conical Straw Hats: The salakót (the term for the straw hats used by the Tagalog people) are a common feature in his paintings. Justified because of the pastoral setting; many of the people wearing it actually are farmers or otherwise rural folk who need protection from the weather.
- Arcadia: A consistent theme throughout his body of work. He produced several warm, welcoming images of Filipino pastoral life, with lots of well-lit forests, country lasses, hardworking farmers, and distinctive landscapes.
- Babies Make Everything Better: Hope in the Ruins of Manila features a woman nursing a baby as she walks through a city destroyed by war, symbolizing that the next generation will be around to fix things.
- Chiaroscuro: He is often fond of this technique in an inverted manner, where the countryside landscapes are bathed in sunlight while the people are cast in shadow.
- Damsel in Distress: Defence of a Filipina Woman's Honour features a Filipino man, bolo at the ready, in a defensive position in front of a young woman with a cloth covering her body. Details in the scene imply he is protecting her from a Japanese soldier.
- Farmer's Daughter: The Filipino version, the dalagang bukid (literally "maiden from the fields" or "maiden from the country"), meaning a pretty girl from a rural farming community, is a common archetype in his paintings, such as Dalagang Bukid, Fruit Gatherer, and Palay Maiden. She's seen helping with the harvest, sometimes with a sunny smile on her face.
- Scenery Gorn: In contrast to the warm paintings of farm life he became known for, Amorsolo's art during World War II featured detailed depictions of the destruction of the Philippines, such as boats burning in Manila waters, corpses littering the ground, and buildings falling to ruin.
- Scenery Porn: Amorsolo's vision of Luzon country life was idealistic, with his paintings of it frequently featuring perpetual blue skies, sunny weather, gorgeous mountains, and bountiful fields.
