Victorio Edades (1895 - 1985)
Poinsettia Girl
signed and dated 1976 (lower right)
oil on wood board
28" x 24" (71 cm x 61 cm)

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN

PROVENANCE:Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner
EXHIBITED:The Museum of Philippine Art, Edades in Retrospect: 1927 to 1980,Manila, April - June 1980
LITERATURE:Kalaw-Ledesma, Purita, and Amadis Ma. Guerrero. Edades:National Artist. Filipinas Foundation, Inc. Makati City. 1979.Full-color illustration on page 172.Duldulao, Manuel D. The Philippine Art Scene. Maber Books, Inc.Manila. 1977. Full-color illustration on page 112.Edades in Retrospect: 1927 to 1980. The Museum of Philippine Art.Manila. 1980. Exhibition Catalog. Black-and-white illustration onpage 3.

Edades was one of a long line of OFWs — Filipino Overseas Workers who had immigrated to the United States to work, to can fish in particular, settling in Seattle where he found the climate relatively mild. And then something happened : he discovered Cezanne, Gauguin and Diego Rivera — then decided to come home. He was stunned that Filipino art at the time was dominated by Fernando Amorsolo and his tribe and in 1928, put together what was thought to be the first exhibition of modern art. It was nothing short of remarkable although Edades said that it did not make a ripple. The art cognoscenti did not know exactly what to think: There were no brightly lit landscapes, no lithe women nor smiling dalaga. Instead, Edades painted solid, substantial figures, in dour colors, browns, tans and earth colors. It would take him nearly 8 years to make a dent, when the winds of change would blow into the country; A new constitution in 1935, the inauguration of the commonwealth in the following year, and the prospect of self-governance, suffrage granted to women. These were exciting times indeed. He was given in 1936 his first commission by the architect Juan Nakpil for the Rufino’s film palace, the Capitol Theater. He would recruit for it, a protege, Carlos Botong Francisco and his best friend, Galo Ocampo. It was called, suitably, “Rising Philippines.” It would establish them as a triumvirate of modern art, voices to be reckoned with and their platform was the most-visited location in Manila. Edades would eventually settle in at the University of Santo Tomas where he established not only the Department of Architecture but also the College of Fine Arts, recruiting likeminded individuals for the faculty — Manansala, for one — and teaching many other future stars including Nena Saguil, Anita Magsaysay Ho, he would become the art world’s beloved and eternal mentor — at one point, even becoming the president of the Philippine Art Gallery, the country’s first gallery dedicated to the cause of abstract art. In 1976, on March 4, 1976 to be exact, he would have his 5th solo show — and “only his fifth” considering that his very first had been almost 50 years or half a century before — held at the Metro Gallery in Makati. It was an auspicious date since on opening night he received word that he would be named the fifth National Artist for the Visual Arts. It has also remained in a single collector’s hands until fairly recently : That of Mr. Vicente Puyat. Poinsettia Girl has become one of Edades’ most iconic works: It has been documented in multiple works and was the star of the ‘Edades in Retrospect” at the Museum of Philippine Art in 1980. It features an unsmiling woman who is however festooned, impervious, to the flowers of Christmas, also known as the pascua, that surround her. The intense ruby color is repeated in her frock and maquillage. The poinsettia, which came to the Philippines like Edades from across the seas, is originally from Mexico and traveled here on the Manila galleons. The legend goes that it was an offering of a poor boy to the Child Jesus on Christmas day, not finding a suitable gift, he cut a branch of a plant on his way to church. As he laid it at the feet of the Child, the plant’s leaves turned bright red, the stars twinkled and lit up the entire village. The same can be said for Edades’ gift to Philippine modern art. Through his teachings and mentorships, he would “create the environment for Modern Art, pre-figuring in theory as well as in practice the “reigning ‘international style’ of contemporary Philippine painting.” His citation for National Artist reads further, “ending decisively the isolation of Philippine art from the currents of International culture;” he would put together a group that he called the Thirteen Moderns… he would be the hub that connected the spokes of the wheel of modern Philippine art — and “would live to see Philippine painting transformed through his teachings.” That group would inspire Robert Chabet, the next-gen mentor who would found the 13 Artist Awards for the CCP and blaze new trails and forge new visions. It was after all, Edades greatest contribution — like the poinsettia brought light to that birth, was his emphasis on new perceptions as the true spirit of art.