a.) Female Nude 1
signed (lower right)
pastel on paper
21” x 14” (53 cm x 36 cm)

b.) Female Nude 2
signed and dated 1993 (upper left)
pastel on paper
19” x 12” (48 cm x 30 cm)

Provenance:
Private Collection, Manila

The nude figure, mainly a tradition in western art, has been used to express ideals of beauty and other human qualities. This classical theme has been taken on by many modernists, but with a more abstract approach — one of the most noteworthy artists of which, Cesar Legaspi.

Legaspi’s technical prowess, mixed with his understanding of light and cubistic elements, has allowed him to give a revitalized essence to his subjects, as if to empower them. The capturing of the human form is then transformed from a heavily technical display, to a more emotional one — the focus is the same, however, as the use of the subjects’ physique, in various poses, are expressive of basic and complex emotions and suggestive of context.