Fernando Amorsolo y Cueto was born in Paco, Manila on May 30, 1892. Recognized as the “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art,” Amorsolo is best known for his illuminated landscapes that portrayed traditional Filipino customs and culture. Sunlight was a constant feature in his works, as well as the recurring subject of the provincial Filipina maiden and idyllic rural scenes—widely known to be among Amorsolo’s most iconic subject matters.

He began his artistic practice under his uncle and prominent Filipino painter Fabian de la Rosa. In 1909, he graduated with honors from the Art School of the Liceo De Manila, then enrolled at the University of the Philippines (UP), where he graduated in 1916. His artistic education would reach further heights after Spanish businessman Enrique Zóbel de Ayala granted him a sponsorship to study at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, Spain. He returned to Manila after seven months, establishing his own studio and a prolific career in the arts, with works touching on pre-Colonial and Spanish colonial events, the Second World War, and vibrant society portraits.

Amorsolo served as a teacher to many artists, among them Ateneo Art Gallery founding donor Fernando Zóbel. He was also the Director of the UP School of Fine Arts from 1938 to 1952. Throughout his life, he received multiple accolades, including a UNESCO Gold Medal of Recognition, a Rizal-Pro Patria Award from the Far Eastern University, and a Gawad CCP para sa Sining Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines. After his death in 1972, he was posthumously honored as the first National Artist of the Philippines. His legacy lives on through the Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation, established in his honor by his children in 2003.

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