Provenance: Private Collection, USA

ABOUT THE WORK

More than any other artist who has since been associated with the Philippine Art Gallery, Romeo V. Tabuena may be described as the quintessential PAG painter. He was at ground zero when PAG was first known as Philippine Promotions Inc., working as its resident artist when it first began in 1950 and moving on to PAG when it was in turn established in 1951. It was his works that would be first exhibited — and thence after, on a regular basis — on the Philippine Art Gallery’s innovation, the “Feature Wall”, that would focus on a single artist for a whole month. His ability to multi-task and create several works of consistent quality simultaneously made him one of the most visible PAG artists. The work at hand, Cena Campesina (The Countrywoman’s Repast), is a glorious work that captures the light from a flickering campfire. It illuminates the farmer’s wife bent over the cooking pot, the reflections from the flames dance on her face and hands, the tree branches above her, and even fancifully, her home in the distance. Because Tabuena’s works — whereever they may be painted — resonate with both Filipino and Asian sensibilities, he is a much pursued artist. (Lisa Guerrero Nakpil)