Bombing of Intendencia
signed and dated Manila January 1, 1942 (lower left)
oil on canvas
18" x 28" (46 cm x 71 cm)
Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazoconfirming the authenticity of this lot
PROVENANCE:Private Collection, Japan


The secured transition of the Philippines from a Commonwealth government to a sovereign republic was curtailed by the commencement of the Second World War in the Pacific. Ten hours after the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Japanese imperial forces launched an aggression on the Philippines. On December 8, 1941, the Japanese military ferociously besieged Manila and its outskirts. To save the city from further destruction, General Douglas MacArthur declared Manila an 'open city.' Notwithstanding the withdrawal of all military defenses from the city, the Japanese contravened MacArthur's declaration and continued their savage attack. This resulted in the destruction of many structures and possessions, including the Santo Domingo Church, the colleges of Santa Catalina and San Juan de Letran, and various newspaper offices such as El Debate, Mabuhay, Philippines Herald, and Monday Mail. On January 2, 1942, the Japanese finally established their control over the city. The Intendencia (known as La Aduana during the Spanish colonial period) was among the architectural casualties in the bombing of Manila by the Japanese toward the end of 1941. Prior to its destruction, the Intendencia had served numerous purposes and had housed several offices over the course of its then century-old existence. Designed in the neoclassical style, its construction was spearheaded by the Spanish engineer Tomas Cortes from 1823 to 1829. It was first used as the customs house during the Spanish colonial period. As our country's history progressed to the American colonization, the Intendencia first housed the Office of Archives, the predecessor to the National Archives. Then in 1916, the Intendencia became the first home of the Philippine Senate after the enactment of the Jones Law that same year. In 1935, it would revert to its original purpose as a customs house after the completion of the Old Legislative Building in 1926. The Intendencia would later be repurposed as the main headquarters of the country's mint and the offices of the Central Administration, where it got its present name. As of this writing, restoration works for the Intendencia have been transpiring through the joint partnership of the National Archives and the Intramuros Administration in an effort to rehabilitate the building as the former's future office. In this gripping, rare wartime piece, Fernando Amorsolo depicts that ill-fated day when the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Manila and wreaked havoc on its inhabitants and several of its built heritage. Amorsolo created this piece a month after the Japanese invasion of Manila. Here, the maestro shows the Intendencia being engulfed in flames after its bombing by the Japanese. The mighty Pasig River can be seen on the right, with fires spreading rapidly above its once tranquil waters. Other historic structures can be seen. To the left of the burning Intendencia are the bombed Santo Domingo Church, the old University of Santo Tomas, the Manila Cathedral, and the Ayuntamiento de Manila (the latter three would all be destroyed in the coming years). Fort Santiago hauntingly looms in the background, a foreshadowing of its tragic fate as a silent witness to Japanese brutality. In the foreground, people from all walks of life scramble for their lives. The rose-colored sunset very much contrasts with the main scene. The optimism brought by the promise of independence would have characterized that decade. But with the war, it was as if God had abandoned humanity, and all hope had been "engulfed in flames." In this work, Amorsolo paints a harrowing image of violence, bloodshed, and destruction, a poignant reminder of the savagery and atrocities of an imperial power in its ruthless quest for tyrannical hegemony. (A.M.)