Specialist in fine art Sofie Normann Christensen talking here about the Filipino painter Fernando Amorsolo, “Java-Bach”, who acquired these colourful works in 1935, and highlighting details of their motifs. Bid on Amorsolo’s artworks at our upcoming live auction.

Fernando Amorsolo – the light of the sun

Fernando Amorsolo stands as a pivotal figure in Philippine art, known especially for his evocative, light-filled portrayals of the Philippine landscape, rural life, the distinctive nature and cultural traditions. Three colourful works by the artist, which belonged to the plantation owner “Java-Bach”, will be going under the hammer at our Live Auction on 2 December.

Fernando Amorsolo (1892–1972) achieved great national and international recognition in his time. Considered the epitome of Philippine culture, his works were a key part in establishing the national identity of the Philippines as an independent nation. The three Amorsolo works were acquired in the Philippines in 1935 by Niels Bach (1885–1973) thence by descent in the family. Having completed his degree in chemical engineering, Niels Breinholt Bach set off for Java just before the outbreak of World War I, where he secured a position at a Dutch sugar factory, hence his nickname, “Java-Bach”. In 1923, Bach acquired a vast sugarcane plantation in the Philippines and established the company “Bach’s Cane Sugar Co A/S, 1923”.

“Bathing women are one of Amorsolo’s most beloved motifs. He has painted several of these idyllic scenes depicting women washing themselves in a river surrounded by lush nature. His masterful technique often captures the dance of sunlight.”

 Sofie Normann Christensen

Specialist in Fine Art at Bruun Rasmussen

Sunny fields, Filipino beauties and delicious fruit

Amorsolo was an artist during a period of major change in the Philippines. The island state, which had previously been a Spanish colony, transitioned to American governance in 1898, for example. Amorsolo was drawn to the rural lifestyle he had known during his childhood yet untouched by the influence of American culture.. While Amorsolo drew inspiration from the art of the Western world, the Philippine landscape, traditional culture, customs and trades remained his primary focus. He painted bright, sun-drenched vignettes of everyday life in the Philippine countryside, such as peasants harvesting rice, cooking, picking mangoes, doing the laundry in the river, at festive gatherings and at markets. Amorsolo also focused on Philippine beauty ideals, developing an archetype known as the “dalagang Filipina” – a woman embodying his vision of quintessential Filipino beauty, which appeared in many of his works.

Fernando Amorsolo: Harvesters in the field. Stormy weather approaching. Signed Oil on canvas. 33 x 48. Estimate: DKK 200,000–300,000.
Fernando Amorsolo: A young girl sitting by a riverbank. Signed F. Amorsolo Manila 1935. Oil on canvas mounted on board. 51 x 66. Estimate: DKK 300,000–400,000.
Fernando Amorsolo: Still life. Signed F. Amorsolo Manila 1935. Oil on canvas mounted on board. 49 x 66. Still life with mangoes, sugar apples and langsat. Estimate: DKK 300,000–400,000.

A unique radiance

Amorsolo is known for his ability to capture the interplay between light and shade in his paintings. He drew artistic inspiration from many of Europe’s greatest artists, including Baroque master Diego Velázquez (1599–1660), French Realists and Impressionists such as Édouard Manet (1832–1883) and Claude Monet (1840–1926), and contemporary Spanish artists such as Ignacio Zuloaga (1870–1945) and Joaquín Sorolla (1863–1923). He was particularly influenced by Sorolla’s use of sunlight to create dramatic effects and contrasts. Amorsolo used light to accentuate his figures, bathing them in a special glow. These techniques are what particularly set Amorsolo apart from his Filipino contemporaries and are widely regarded as one of his greatest contributions to Philippine painting. 
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Live auction

Fine art

2 December

View the entire selection

For further information, please contact

Julie Arendse Voss Portrait

Julie Arendse Voss

Julie Arendse Voss

Head of department / 19th Century & Old Master Paintings / København
Sofie Normann Christensen Portrait

Sofie Normann Christensen

Sofie Normann Christensen

Specialist / 19th Century & Old Master Paintings / København

Items for sale

Fernando Amorsolo