Vicente Silva Manansala

Sotheby's Singapore, October 22 2006, Lot 63
Acquired by the Present Owner from the Above Sale
Private Collection, Taiwan

The work is in good condition overall, as is the canvas, which is clear and taut. There is indication of light wear and handling around the edges of the painting, along with minuscule media accretion located on the top center section, which is only visible upon close observation. Examination under ultraviolet light shows a thin line along the top right margin (approximately 9 inches long), but not visible to the naked eye. Framed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Victorio Edades, the great founding father of Philippines Modern Art, included Vicente Manansala into his circle of Thirteen Moderns in 1941. It was a distinction that marked Manansala’s success as a professional artist. With solid academic qualifications under his belt—the youngest in his class to graduate from the University of Philippines’ School of Fine Arts, trained at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Banff, Canada and Paris, France in addition to a stint at the Paris atelierof Fernand Leger—Manansala became a teacher at the University of Santo Tomas in 1958. He resigned from his post, however, when his occupation did not allow him to concentrate solely on painting.

His early retirement brought about creative experimentations, including those with Cubism, which he was liberally exposed to during his sojourns abroad. By the late fifties, the artist had fully developed works that are Cubist in style yet Filipino in spirit. As demonstrated by the present Lot, the still lives are partially fragmented into geometric forms. The superimposed planes are given a translucent quality so that the facets of colours harmoniously blend together with the subject matter’s internal and external features. These elements characterise Manansala’s unique style of cubism known as ‘transparent cubism.’

Still Life, dated 1966, exemplifies a mature work by the artist and is a perfect representation of the artist’s signature style. The painting’s composition is quite simple with a definite focus on the arrangement of still life in the right register. The background is strikingly stark white, which provides a dramatic setting for the interplay of multi-hued facets that overlap with one another to produce a delicate layering of diaphanous planes. Manansala used the relationship between line, colour, shape and space to create a texture that emphasises the play of light which in turn gives the painting a multidimensional quality while retaining a sense of balance. Unlike the analytical cubism of Picasso and Braque, however, Manansala’s remained aesthetically figurative and beautiful, a characteristic that is inherently Filipino, thus demonstrating his unflinching nationalistic spirit even in the face of artistic development.