PREFACE
T HE YEAR 2000, the Ayala Mu e um ex hibited for the first time its e ntire co ll ec ti on of work by Fernando Amorsolo (1892-19 72) and Fe rna ndo Zobel (19241984). In the la t four years ince, we have expa nded our co ll ecti on in a consc ious effort to refi ne and fi ll gaps whe re they ex i t, uch a importa nt periods a nd significant turning poin t in their a rti ti c deve lopme nt. While \ e a re fa r from achi ev ing our longte nn goal of as embling the tronge t pu bli c coll ec tion of works by these two artists in the country, it i our pleasure to unve il new acquis iti ons in thi ina ugural ex hibition
Pioneers of Philippine Art: Luna, Amor 010, Zobel - each a rtist a trailbl azer in his own way. in his own time. The museum's Ferna ndo Amorso lo a nd Fern a ndo Zobe l coIl ecti ons are greatly e nhanced by an importan.) co ll ell ti on of painti ng by th e 19th centu ry artist, Ju a n Luna (1857-1899) on long- term loan from th
Ba nk of th e Phili ppin e Is lands . Luna's
impres ive artistic range i e ident in severa l unfi nished studies for a seri es of pa inting call ed People and Kings, and grand ouvres s uc h a
the two pectac ular paintings
(Untitled) donated by Mercede McMic king, one portray ing a n elegantly a ttired lady a t the racetrack, and the other depicting a lady outside the Museo del Prado in Madrid "ith her back towru路d the viewer, d isplay ing to best adva ntage a frin ged shawl dra ped grace full) over her shou lde rs .
We gratefu ll y acknow led ge three rece nt dona ti ons to th e mu seum ' Fe rna ndo Amor
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coll ec tion - name ly, two la ndsca pes (Fire/ree in Intramuros, 1941 and Trees
Around a Pond, 1947)) from Li sa a nd Rola nd Amm a nn - Irminger, a coupl e from Switzerland whose ti es to th e Philip pines go back to the ea rly 19 00s; a nd a pastoral S('ene depicting Victoria Zobe l de Aya la (1948) dona ted by J aime a nd Bea tri z Zobe l de I\)al a. In our endeavor to stre ngth en the Zobel co ll ection, the museum ha e nj oyed the enthusia ti c support of Ja ime Zobel de Aya la, who e donati ons in the la t four year inc lude pai nting from hi private coIl ection uch a Luz Palida If a nd seve ral Saetas from the 19505. In 2000, th e mu e um acquired its fir t Zobel painting from the 19705,
El Lago (197 1) a nd shortl y th e rea fte r, two major works from the same pe riod joined the
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