Manansala, Vicente (1910-1981), was an important Filipino painter and illustrator. He was a member of the Thirteen Moderns, a group of Filipino artists formed about 1940 who painted in modern styles. Manansala primarily painted figurative (realistic) pictures in a style he developed called “transparent Cubism.” In this style, the artist divided the space in a painting into transparent planes to show different aspects of the subject. However, unlike other Cubists, Manansala rarely broke down his figures into geometric shapes. His figures remained recognizable.
Manansala’s works reflect his interest in national identity and culture. He often reinterpreted urban subject matter, especially in the capital city of Manila, from a folk viewpoint. One of Manansala’s best-known paintings is Madonna of the Slums (1950), a mother-and-child scene that portrays the poverty of postwar Manila.
Manansala’s most common subjects include the mother-and-child theme, shanty houses called barong-barong, colorfully decorated public transportation vehicles called jeepneys, cockfighting, families gathering for a modest meal, women street vendors, and other scenes from the streets of Manila. He generally painted in vibrant colors that bring the subjects to life. Such paintings as Jumping Over Thorns (1973) and The Bird Seller (1976) illustrate his ability to combine bright colors and local scenes with the Cubist style. Manansala’s blend of folk elements and modern urban themes influenced a number of Filipino painters, including Mauro Malang Santos, Antonio Austria, Angelito Antonio, and Mario Parial.
Vicente Silva Manansala was born on Jan. 22, 1910, in Macabebe in the province of Pampanga. As a child he showed artistic talent, designing kites, making charcoal sketches, and painting signboards. Manansala studied at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts from 1926 until he graduated in 1930. During the 1930’s, he earned his living as an illustrator and layout artist for Filipino newspapers and magazines. A layout artist arranges text and illustrations on a page. Manansala also studied art in a number of cities overseas, including Los Angeles, California, in the United States; Montreal, Quebec, in Canada; and Paris in France. He held his first solo exhibition in Manila in 1951. Manansala died on Aug. 22, 1981. The year of his death, the government of the Philippines granted Manansala the title of National Artist for Painting. The award is considered “the highest national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts.”
