Amorsolo, Fernando (1892-1972), was one of the greatest Filipino artists. He is best known for his paintings of everyday life in the Philippines. Amorsolo’s rural landscapes include scenes of young women washing clothes in a stream.
Influences on Amorsolo’s work include the Spanish painters Francisco Goya, El Greco, and Diego Velazquez. The Dutch painter Rembrandt and the Flemish artist Sir Anthony Van Dyck were also important to him.
Amorsolo was born on May 20, 1892, in Manila. In 1914, he graduated from the School of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines. Enrique Zobel, a rich businessman, gave him a grant to study at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid. Amorsolo later studied modern American art in New York City. Amorsolo returned to Manila in 1920 and became assistant professor of landscape and drawing at the School of Fine Arts. He was director of the school from 1939 until 1952. He died on April 24, 1972.
