68. A Mountain He Could Not Climb: JOSE W. HERNANDEZ and his Facebook Painting

ZAMBALES LANDSCAPE, 24" x 30", oil on canvas, signed Jose Hernandez, 1983.

When Facebook was founded in 2004, it was only a matter of time that sellers and dealers discovered it as an effective selling platform. Which was why, in 2016, Facebook launched its Facebook Marketplace that continues to be a convenient destination on  social media to discover, buy and sell items with people in one’s community.

It was in this way that I stumbled on a painting offered by dealer Kenito Romero, who had posted it, along with other picks on the said selling site.  I had previously bought a Ben Alano portrait from Kenito, who, when not on assignment in Qatar doing aircraft maintenance, also dabbles in freelance selling of collectible like antiques and paintings.

THE PAINTING, AS IT APPEARED FOR SALE ON A FACEBOOK GROUP.

This was, however, my first time to see a Jose Hernandez painting offered for sale from a picker—usually I see these in galleries and personal collections. I have always wanted a Hernandez artwork, as I am partial to the works of Kapampangan artists, of the “Mabini-style” kind, and Hernandez’s works reflect this style. He was more partial to large-scale themes, and I have seen these in paintings capturing town fiestas teeming with people, sprawling landscapes,  and Amorsolo-esque rural scenes.

Jose Hernandez was actually born in Tondo, Manila on 22 September 1944. The family, however, moved to Pampanga after the war, when his father, a lawyer, accepted a teaching job at the Harvardian College, a local law school in San Fernando. By 1948, the Hernandezes were well-settled; they had also established the Luzon Women’s Fashion Academy beginning that year.

SIGNATURE OF JOSE W. HERNANDEZ

Jose Hernandez, nicknamed “Boy” showed an early interest in the arts. As early as Grade IV at the Assumption Academy, he would use his notebooks to doodle and draw at the expense of his school work. As a teen,  he earned extra money as a painter- apprentice in a movie theater sign shop owned by Nards Mendoza. He was painting even as he started his high school at Pampanga High School. In his senior year, he was given a scholarship by Pres. Diosdado Macapagal, allowing him to graduate in 1963.

But his heart was in the arts, so, in the mid 60s, he pursued this passion under the mentorship of future National Artist, Fernando Amorsolo, Carlos “Botong” Francisco and Vicente Manansala. At the same time, he was also visiting the studios of  such popular artists as Simon Saulog, Cesar Buenaventura,  and  Miguel Galvez. He totally abandoned his education to learn art from these masters.

HERNANDEZ PAINTINGS ONLINE  Sources: alamy stock photos/worthpoint.com

In 1965, he was honored to join his idols in a group exhibit held at the National Library.  Later in the decade, his paintings were carried in the Angeles gallery of Conrado Zablan. Finally, he struck it on his own by opening his own gallery along Friendship Highway in 1974.

In 1980, he made it in the international scene with an exhibition of his works at the Fine Arts Gallery in Spokane, Washington. It was from this period that this mountainscape from Facebook Marketplace was painted.

NOTE THE CONDITION OF THE PAINTING, that has been glued on plywood, and framed.

When it arrived at my doorstep, this large 24” x 30” was in dire condition. It had been glued to a thin plywood, as it was the custom to keep the canvass flat, and it was coming off from the frame, which seemed too small to hold it. At the back, a dedication was inscribed with a pentel pen: “To Sammy, A Remembrance & Thanks for Everything. Robert Domingo P.D.” ( A quick google check revealed a certain Robert Domingo, a Production Designer for movies)

DEDICATION, written in pentel pen on masking tape at the back of the painting.

The seller, Kenito, told me that it had hanged in a restaurant in Tagaytay for years, which explains its sorry state.Exposed to the elements, the painting had sustained many scruffs and accumulated layers of dirt, I had to clean it at once, first with sponge and soap, followed with a generous rub of Wipe-Out cream. The original colors came alive, and the brush stroke details revealed that this could have been painted briskly, and quickly—on-the-spot.

THE CANVAS, as found was glued to a plywood board that revealed a paper sticker about its provenance.

I was so bothered that it had been glued on a plywood, so I set about trying to pry the canvas out. After a few, firm tugs, the canvas started to come off—thank God, the rubber glue had completely dried off.  It took awhile for me to pry the canvass loose, as even with careful peeling, all that pulling I added more scruffs and scratches to the painting.

To my  surprise, I found a sticker on the plywood to which the canvas had been affixed.  I could not avoid tearing the sticker to pieces, but I pieced it together like a jigsaw puzzle, revealing important information about the painting and its provenance,

RECONSTRUCTED STICKER , shows the piece came from Genesis Gallery.

The sticker yielded the name of the gallery it had come from: Gallery Genesis, a well-known gallery still extant today,  based in Pasig. It also confirmed that Jose Hernandez was the artist behind the painting, entitled “Zambales Landscape”, painted in 1983. The rest of the information, unfortunately, is unreadable due to the damage I caused, but all I needed to know was there.

ZAMBALES LANDSCAPE,restored detail.

The scene is actually a portion of the grand Zambales mountain range, and it shows a peak that looks like Mt. Dorst, painted from the Pampanga side. The trees, foliage and vegetation were painted with quick, energetic short strokes, which suggest that this artwork was painted in situ--the artist had tom paint quickly as he was at the mercy of the fickle outdoor weather, The deft handling of the perspective using different shades of blues and greys, and elements like the tiny nipa huts, and the mountains beyond-- give us a sense of the great distance and vast grandeur of this great mountain divide.

Next came the business of having the painting retouched and re-framed. For this part of the job, I sought the service of local painter, Roy L. Datu, a longtime artist since 1967, with a studio along Don Juico Ave., It also helped that Datu knew the painter personally. Datu’s specialties are portraiture and painting restoration, one of the few to have mastered the tedious art. But it took just two weeks for him to finish the restoration job, and double-frame the painting--which he did commendably, as these pictures show.

RESTORED AND REFRAMED "ZAMBALES LANDSCAPE" 

Though the rest of the 80s and the 1990s were a period of  relative stability and success --he opened a frame shop in Bacoor in 1988, was a finalist in the 1995 International Art Competition in Bardonia, New York, and had his “Fiesta” painting reproduced as a UNICEF Christmas Card----Hernandez began having bouts with depression, that grew worse in the 1990s.

While he had weathered the challenges of a struggling artist, his mental illness, compounded by his personal problems,  proved to be a more difficult mountain to climb.  Sometime in the late 1990s, he decided to end it all by taking his own life by hanging. His works today are avidly sought after by discriminating collectors who value the realist tradition with themes made popular by Amorsolo,  of which Hernandez was one true master.

57. Facebook Paintings: LAPU-LAPU AND BULAKNA, by Rodolfo Pasno

LAPU-LAPU AND BULAKNA, painted by Mabini artist Rodolfo Pasno ca.1957, in as-found condition on a facebook group. 

Will wonders never cease? I just found these paintings on a Facebook group--and they were for sale. The original description noted that these were portraits of Lapu-Lapu and his wife Bulakna. One look and I knew they were painted in the familiar Mabini tradition---paintings of ethnic types done in pairs, made for the burgeoning tourist market in the 50s-60s.

The paintings were done by the late artist Rodolfo Pasno, who used to work in the Mabini area and who had an atelier at the Pistang Pilipino, the mecca of things Filipiniana. The pair measured 16" x 20", with missing frames. There were a few issues with these paintings, common with vintage ones--there were some chips and paint losses, but the canvasses were still tightly drawn on their stretchers.

I also suspected that the backgrounds of the portraits were painted over, but this flaw does not detract from the powerful artistry of the paintings, as gleaned from the vibrant colorations and confident brush strokes of the artist.

Restretched, cleaned-up and reframed, the two Pasno portraits now hang on the stairwell of my condo, an addition to my growing collection of midcentury Mabini works, that is slowly, but surely being appreciated by a growing legion of art collectors.

54. CESAR AMORSOLO’S WARRIOR PRINCESS

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. Oil painting of a native warrior princess, by Cesar Amorsolo, signed, painted and dated 1956. 22 x 30". 

 Early paintings of the Filipina almost always depict her as a shy, sweet demure lady, dressed in embroidery-embellished baro’t saya, adorned with her jewelry pieces. In her fair hands, she holds a fan—for fluttering, fanning and for hiding her smile. For years, this was the stereotype image of her—until artists looked for other painting inspirations that showed her differently.

 The rise in popularity of ethnic type paintings afforded the adventurous artist more leeway in presenting the Filipina. It was a movement that flowered in the 50s, partly fuelled by the tourism industry, which drove interest for portrait paintings of ethnic minorities, in their colourful, native attire.

 Suddenly, it was alright to paint her as an ethnic princess, dressed in her native—and skimpy-- outfit, showing more skin, her delicate parts covered only in beads. Unlike her urbanized sister, this ethnic Filipina displays a more tempered mien, ranging from a controlled smile to a serious, stern, almost willful expression,  Soon, variations of the portrait paintings cropped up—and one enduring image that emerged was that of the Warrior princess.

Picture source: The Struggle for Philippine Art, by Purita Kalaw-Ledesma, Amadis Ma. Guerrero, (c) 1974 by Purita Kalaw-Ledesma. p. 22.

One famous painting came from the brush strokes of Antonio Dumlao---“Princess Urduja”—the fabled royalty from Pangasinan. In this 1955 prize-winning masterpiece, the princess is arrayed like a warrior—bare-breasted, her right hand clutching the handle of a kampit, the left, on her narrow waist. She stands proudly with her head and chin up, her eyes merely slits, her lips pursed—an intimidating sovereign, indeed. Yet, her delicate, feminine side can be gleaned from her adornments—strings of colored beads on her chest, circlet earrings, bangles and bracelets, feathers and gold beads on her hair, and a woven wrap-around for a skirt. The princess cuts a striking figure, but exuding sensual power.

 A rush of artists quickly replicated this new representation of the Filipina – a perfect combination of beauty and brawn, strength and softness. Cesar Amorsolo (Jan. 1912-1998) was one such painter who helped perpetuate the image of the ‘’Warrior Princess”. Amorsolo was born in Manila, and was educated at the University of the Philippines, earning in Fine Arts degree in 1934. He was the son of Alejandro Amorsolo, whose brother was the National Artist Fernando Cueto Amorsolo.

 The painting of ethnic types was not new to him; in fact, he was well known for painting them in pastel. He became a member of the Academy of Philippine Artists, and he achieved a measure of success when his works were included in the Travelling Art Exhibition sponsored by the Dela Rama Shipping Co. Inc.

 This large painting on canvass, dated 1956, shows a seated young bronzed beauty, naked , saved for her beads, bracelets and loincloth. Her styling is similar to the work of Dumlao, right down to her kris in one hand. Her left hand holds a native hat. But unlike Dumlao’s Urduja, this nubile princess stares directly at the viewer with steely, scheming eyes. Such power does her gaze hold!

 The lighting effect is outstanding in this artwork, echoing the sunlit canvass o his famous artist-uncle. The glint of the sun bathes the flawless kayumanggi skin of the subject in a wash of golden ochre. The monotone background of clay tapayans (jars), coconuts, nipa walls and bamboo flooring set off the browned, burnished complexion of our warrior princess.

 Amorsolo’s take on the Warrior Princess has become my favorite midcentury piece, for its sheer artistic qualities, a fine Filipiniana piece when an artists’s talent was measured in terms of his technical skills—in his ability to draw beautifully the human form, to replicate realism and to illuminate his work with his palette of colors.

52. REWARDED WITH AN OSCAR

When I began collecting paintings in 1995, one of the very first I acquired was a large work on canvass by an artist named Oscar T. Navarro. The name of the painter was my least concern at first—it was the theme that mattered to me most. I have always been partial to conservative Filipiniana paintings and this particular ‘woman on a banca’ scene I instantly liked—not just because of the subject but also because of the price; it was available in two easy installment terms!

 Eventually though, I got interested in the artist behind the painting. I looked up “Oscar Navarro” on available art books and found out that his works were included in the Jorge Vargas Filipiniana Collection. Born on 24 January 1921, Navarro had belonged to the first batch of U.P. Fine Arts students whose studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. Most of his classmates died in the Bataan Death March. After the war, he established his talyer in Ermita in 1949.

Painting in the realist tradition, he won many prizes in the Conservative Category at the AAP Exhibitions from 1951 thru 1955. He also was a superb landscapist, and it was his mastery of this genre that attracted me to his work in the first place.

Since then, many have started discovering the works of this Manila artist, and a quick search on art auction sites, including good old ebay, turned up a small cache of Navarro paintings now carrying hefty price tags, from a low of $399 to over $1,000!

So it was indeed a pleasant shock for me to discover a rather long and large Oscar Navarro flower painting in a ramshackle antique shop in Bulacan, hidden behind vintage furniture pieces.

Other than the name of the artist which can be legibly read, the dealer knew nothing about the artist. When pressed for more information about the painting, he told me that it had hanged in the living room of an old house.

The painting, dated 1970 and measuring approximately 24 x 48 inches, was done in the later years of the artist’s life (he died 22 December 1973, aged only 52). It sharply departed from his traditional landscape works of which he was more noted for; this example shows a still-life of brilliant colored zinnia flowers bursting from a vase, each rendered in distinct bold strokes and using thick paint, characteristic of Navarro’s deft, energetic technique.

It is a highly commercialized work for sure, more decorative than artistic, meant to enliven a drab wall or to fill up an empty space, but it still is a pristine example from the artist’s late period. Except for crayon markings on the lower part of the canvass, the painting, in its original stretcher and wood and gesso frame—is in very good condition.

And now, the most exciting part was inquiring about the price of this Navarro work of art. Will I be able to afford it? Will I be able to bring it home? Or will this be another case of “the one that got away?”

 The quote was Php3,500 pesos.

 And this Oscar goes to...

48. Review: PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

Category: Books 
Genre: Arts & Photography 
Author: Christiane L. de la Paz 
Hardbound, 364 pp. Arte de las Islas © 2009 , Limited Edition of 1,000 Copies,with a companion interactive CD

Before I write a review about this book, let me recount how I found it, lost it and finally tracked it down in Greenhills.

I have seen this book in an uppity bookstore in Rockwell, and actually became interested in it upon leafing through a few pages.

When I made a decision to get it, it was gone. The Customer Care guy with a fake, affected English accent checked out other other branches and a copy of the book was confirmed to be available at the Greenhills branch—a long way off from Makati.

When I asked him if it could be delivered to their Makati branch, he answered in the negative, which I found really strange. (I miss the friendliness and efficiency of National Bookstore) . Anyway, he said, there might be a volume available at their EDSA Shangrila branch, which, at least is nearer. He got my contact number, promised to give me a ring, but he never did. A few weeks after, I found myself in the Greenhills area and remembered the book again. I went to the uppity bookstore and tried to look for the book.

The Customer Care person was totally useless with his computer search until another sales aide overheard our talk and budged in—“Is this the 8,000 peso book?”, he asked. I had no idea about the book’s price, but since I’ve seen how thick it was, I just said, “Well, I guess so..” with a shrug of my shoulders.

A few minutes after, he handed me the book, “Private Collections”, same title I remember, but the cover looked different (I would later learn that the book was designed with 12 different covers that you can choose from). It was wrapped in plastic and sealed with tape. I asked permission to open it, but the sales aide hesitated.

Giving me a suspicious stare—I was in my standard shopping outfit: T-shirt, shorts and Islander tsinelas—he told me just to make sure to replace the book on the shelf when I am done with it. “But what if I wanted to buy it?” I asked the aide of this uppity book store (God, I miss National Bookstore!).

This time, he unwrapped the plastic cover for me, I flipped through the pages and recognized the book—and I told him that I will get it. The aide suddenly turned perky, directed me to the cashier and chirpily asked if I wanted to have the book covered with plastic—“it’s an expensive book, sir” (I know that, dum-dum!) , and besides, it’s free! (Thanks, ha?) . So much for uppity book stores and their bourgeoise-acting, fake English speaking staff. And now the book—Private Collections.

The title itself is self-explanatory—it is a coffee table book that features the finest and choices art collections of the most outstanding collectors in the country—classified as Early Career (Julius Babao, Charlie Conjuangco, Mikee and Sheila Romero, Patrick Reyno, etc), Mid-Career (Napoleon Abueva, Manny Zialcita, Gilbert Santos, Louie Ojeda, etc) and End Career Collectors (Washington Sycip, David Consunji, Hans Sy, Joey de Leon, etc.).

Hmm, I just wonder where Paulino and Hetty Que, Jaime Laya and Dr. Teyet Pascual are. I really don’t care much about the opening chapter ( “Collecting, Collectors and Collections”—Is definition of terms truly necessary? Nahhh! There is even a section on “Motivations and Rewards of Collecting”, which touches on our psychological need to collect—read: a sense of pride and ownership. Huh? ).

But once past that, the book engages the eye, each page a virtual gallery of masterpieces, beautifully photographed and with interesting background write-ups about the collector, his collecting interests, accounts of how he started and how his collection was built over time. There is not a single piece of artwork I did not like in the book, even if I am partial to mid-century genre paintings.

But I went agog over the collection of Jose Maria Esteban, which includes an eclectic mix of period and modern pieces, realist paintings as well as abstracts. Julius Babao’s contemporary art collection was also awesome, with the works of Mark Justiniani and Ronald Ventura as highlights.

The Romero couple has outstanding Amorsolos in their collection, plus Simon Flores sacred paintings, Juan Arellanos, Jorge Pinedas, Domingo Celis and Isidro Anchetas—my cup of tea! Oh, to be young and rich—that’s what the Romeros are. Of course, I will never laugh at Joey de Leon again (Kiukoks galore!) and giggle at Orestes Ojeda—I never knew him as an art connoisseur but as a hunky star of sexy movies back in the late 70s.

I still have to try the interactive CD because I am not even done with the book yet—I have about 150 pages to go. In my lifetime, I don’t think I can even get to one tenth of the level reached by these passionate and, more importantly, moneyed collectors (I think you can buy taste with money, no?). For now I will be content with what I have, and will continue to drool over these private collections, happy and hopeful with the thought that in my next trip to Bangkal, I will find the one masterpiece that will become the jewel of my own private collection!

46. HIDDEN TREASURES: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture

Category: Books 
Genre: Arts & Photography 
Author: Leigh Keno and Leslie Keno 

Since childhood, these identical twins have been antiquing like crazy--going to flea markets as teens and re-selling their finds for a profit. It was but natural that as adults, they went into the antique business, and have now become even more familiar with their appearances on the "Antiques Roadshow", a popular U.S. TV show. In this book, they recount their early fascinations for old things, and from there, as they acquired sophisticated knowledge about American antiques, they narrate their fabulous finds--from a pair of 18th c. chairs found in a chicken coop...to a stunning silver-mounted secretary-bookcase uncovered in Paris, to the small mahogany card table bought at a yard sale for 25$ that turned out to be a masterpiece of American furniture worth hundred of thousands of dollars!

Lots of great color pictures, "before and after" restorations and personal archival documents from the authors. Though the examples shown are American (not exactly my taste), the stories resonate with the same feeling of excitement brought about by the thrill of a serendipitous find that any antique collector can relate to. Why, I even see a lot of myself in the Keno brothers (except that they both are blond, blue-eyed and have more greenbucks). Get a copy of "Hidden Treasures" today! Where? At your nearest Book Sale, of course!

(15 July 2009)

45. WHERE HAVE ALL MY PHOTOS GONE? part II

Some of my photos have also seen print in other publications like magazines, school journals as well as other writers' blogs. Presentations have also been enriched through my photos, to illustrate or visualize a topic.

MAGAZINES:

METRO SOCIETY, "All Hail the Queen", by Bettina Rodriguez-Olmedo, photos by Alex R. Castro. Article on past Manila Carnival queens. July-Aug. 2009 issue.

SINGSING, Official Magazine of the Center for Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University, Angeles City, Pampanga.

 BLOGS: 

Na Mi Puebo, a blog about Zamboanga City, maintained by Rossini Almonte - Picture and article of Carmen Fargas 

Dan Cuyonon, a blog about Cuyo, Palawan, maintained by Dan Oliver Tan - picture and article of Trinidad Fernandez 

Ang Aming Angkan, a family genealogy site, -Picture of Iluminada Tuason, Miss Philippines 1939 and reference to my Manila Carnival blogsite 

THESIS: 

 The Philippine International Fair of 1953, doctoral thesis of Edson Roy Cabalfin, Asst. Professor, School of Architecture & Interior Design, University of Cincinnati. - pictures of 1953 pavilions and booths

 Cultural History of the Sto. Domingo Church, Masteral thesis by Romeo Galang, approved for publication by UST Publishing, 

  
 UP Visual Communication Thesis-Exhibit, March 2010 -pictures of Manila Carnival 

43. 'TIQUES TRIPPING, part I

I knew this one day holiday was coming, so, as early as last week, I reserved May 1 as my LWL day (read: LiWaLiw, a code my friends in the office use when we want to do a bit of gallivanting, yes—even during office hours.) Heck, I need this break; I’ve been under tremendous stress lately, coping with work while dealing with sickness and death in the family.

What better way to recharge than to go antiquing, a hobby that I’ve put on hold for the last few months? I have not made the rounds of Manila shops lately, and so, on this day dedicated to workers, I decided to work the antique circuit and see what’s in stock (or what’s new, but then that would have been inappropriate).

Mind you, the intent of this trip was to de-stress, which, in my case, could be accomplished by feasting my eyes on objects of history, beauty and value (read: santos), nothing more. But of course, I am always noted for uttering those famous lost words. More often than not, after filling up my senses, I end up filling a bag with an antique purchase.

On this hot sweltering day, I took a cab and found myself in Manila’s antique enclave: the streets of Mabini, M.H. del Pilar, Padre Faura. It was just past 10 a.m. when I entered DEUS—it was open! Immediately, santos attack my senses and my heart palpitates..

 I was in luck. Noted director and owner Floy Quintos, an acquaintance, was around! He was rushing to Iloilo that day but still found time to show me interesting santos of all shapes and sizes. But the one that caught my eye was a seldom-seen antique Sta. Ines—our barrio patroness! Hmm, there was a sense of familiarity when I beheld this image. It’s chapel size, the body definitely old, the carving folksy—in fact, a tad too folksy for my taste.

  Next to it was a not-too-old, not-too-new ivory Del Rosario. Yours to bring home for PhP 200K! Any takers?

 On top a nearby altar table is this Raffy Lopez restored ivory Crucifixion scene in its original virina. Nice! Nice price too.

 So, okay, to the wooden santos then. This polychromed San Roque is a good piece. Heavy wood. Now if only it had a dog and angel…

 Floy also showed me an unusual miniscule all-ivory Nino sitting on a media luna (half moon) and dated 7-17-1959. A vintage piece, but still a rare representation of the Child Jesus. In my excitement, I forgot to take a photo. Sayang. I think, though, it will go to his private vault.

Next door to Floy is the shop of Nellie Enriquez, who sells more bagong luma (reproductions) now than genuine antique pieces. Nellie’s shop had always been here; I would go to her to buy new santo bases and for santo vestments repair. I found several items here that piqued my fancy: First, a complete 2 footer San Roque (albeit undressed), with a silver pukpok base, that unfortunately does not show in the picture.

 There's a repro San Sebastian, which also caught my eye:

 The glass escaparates yielded these small ivory Ninos, just around 3 inches long. One looked like a Nino Inocente for a Virgen Desamparados. The tag? PhP 4,500 each.

My heart skipped a beat when Nellie brought out a cardboard box where this well-carved head of a processional Veronica emerged! It was in great condition, encarna and glass tears intact, and well-carved. The only problem was that it was fairly new (dated 1982 incised at the nape, too recent for me!). The other bigger problem was the price (25K!—arrggh!, 5K more and I can have Nick Lugue carve a whole complete santo)..

I found out that this head was consigned by Nora Ignacio of SINAG TALA ANTIQUES, which explained why the price is so—impossible. I must go to Atsing Nora! But wait, BERNALES ANTIQUES nearby may have something worth seeing too. No santos, but I was shown these embroidered altar cloth pieces with Agnus Dei and floral motifs that offer a lot of possibilities.

The asking price of PhP70K was just too much for these frayed pieces that are threatening to disintegrate at a touch. Oh, well. Perhaps, it's really time to go to Atsing Nora, it's almost lunchtime anyway.

I’ve known Atsing Nora for over 20 years, back when I was a fresh graduate in my first job. She was the first to offer installment payments on santos I wanted to buy, and some of my initial pieces came from her shop.

But upon reaching Casa Tesoro, her shop was nowhere to be found! In fact, all the other antique shops housed in Casa Tesoro are gone!

(1 May 2007)