SIMON DE LA ROSA FLORES (1839-1902)
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Underrated and relatively unknown outside of his birth country, nineteenth century Filipino master artist Simon De La Rosa Flores, was a man of “firsts” for the Philippines. He attended the first art school in the Philippines—the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura—and was also the first native Filipino painter to receive an international award. His painting La Musica del Pueblo (“The Music of the Town”) won the silver medal at the Philadelphia Universal Exposition in 1876. Flores has been labeled by some as the first “homegrown master [painter]” of the Philippines.
Flores was born in 1839 to a family rich in artisan traditions in San Fernando de Dilao (now Paco), Manila. His family originally descended from Balayan, Batangas. Under the supervision of his uncle Pio de la Rosa, Flores’ first education in art was informal and basic. After completing his studies at the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura under Lorenzo Guerrero and Lorenzo Rocha he set up his own studio. Through family connections within the local art community, Flores secured commissions to paint church murals as well as portraits and religious paintings for the rich in the province of Pampanga. During this time he also taught art, gave private art lessons, and married a woman named Simplicia, the daughter of a local religious leader.
Flores’ popularity increased around 1871, the reasons for which were twofold. For one, the colonial government was extremely pleased with Amadeo I, a portrait Flores was commissioned to paint that is believed to represent Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Another characteristic of Flores’ work that gained recognition was his attention to detail in painting the costumes and jewelry of his portrait subjects, especially traditional Filipino attire sewn from piña cloth, such as barongs, baro’t saya, and terno. For this skill, he is known as a master of miniaturismo. The themes of Flores’ paintings include culture, domesticity, personality, social and family roles, and wealth. The subjects of his paintings do not communicate the themes so much as the small and intricate details of embroidery design, stitching, and the personal household items in the subjects’ homes.
An exhibition showcasing twenty-one pieces, of the only fifty in existence (including the permanent church murals), of Flores’ work was featured at the Ayala Museum in Makati, Philippines in 2008. Other pieces are with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Collection and private collectors, such as Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco Sr.
Flores’ death was tragic. He died in 1902 due to gangrene that developed from an infected wound that incidentally was inflicted by an emotionally distressed niece during a therapeutic art session. He died without having had the opportunity to travel abroad, however some of his works won international awards. He won top awards in 1891 for Despues de la Ultima Cena (After the Last Supper) and El Prendimiento (The Arrest) in an art contest to celebrate the three hundred year anniversary of San Juan de la Cruz. He won a silver medal for La Expulsion (The Expulsion) at the Exposicion Regional de Filipinas in 1891. Portrait paintings by Simon Flores are highly sought after today and considered among some collectors as priceless since so few of them remain. Before his death, Flores submitted paintings for the Universal Exposition of St. Louis, Missouri, including a portrait of Andrew Carnegie.
Flores was born in 1839 to a family rich in artisan traditions in San Fernando de Dilao (now Paco), Manila. His family originally descended from Balayan, Batangas. Under the supervision of his uncle Pio de la Rosa, Flores’ first education in art was informal and basic. After completing his studies at the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura under Lorenzo Guerrero and Lorenzo Rocha he set up his own studio. Through family connections within the local art community, Flores secured commissions to paint church murals as well as portraits and religious paintings for the rich in the province of Pampanga. During this time he also taught art, gave private art lessons, and married a woman named Simplicia, the daughter of a local religious leader.
Flores’ popularity increased around 1871, the reasons for which were twofold. For one, the colonial government was extremely pleased with Amadeo I, a portrait Flores was commissioned to paint that is believed to represent Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Another characteristic of Flores’ work that gained recognition was his attention to detail in painting the costumes and jewelry of his portrait subjects, especially traditional Filipino attire sewn from piña cloth, such as barongs, baro’t saya, and terno. For this skill, he is known as a master of miniaturismo. The themes of Flores’ paintings include culture, domesticity, personality, social and family roles, and wealth. The subjects of his paintings do not communicate the themes so much as the small and intricate details of embroidery design, stitching, and the personal household items in the subjects’ homes.
An exhibition showcasing twenty-one pieces, of the only fifty in existence (including the permanent church murals), of Flores’ work was featured at the Ayala Museum in Makati, Philippines in 2008. Other pieces are with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Collection and private collectors, such as Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco Sr.
Flores’ death was tragic. He died in 1902 due to gangrene that developed from an infected wound that incidentally was inflicted by an emotionally distressed niece during a therapeutic art session. He died without having had the opportunity to travel abroad, however some of his works won international awards. He won top awards in 1891 for Despues de la Ultima Cena (After the Last Supper) and El Prendimiento (The Arrest) in an art contest to celebrate the three hundred year anniversary of San Juan de la Cruz. He won a silver medal for La Expulsion (The Expulsion) at the Exposicion Regional de Filipinas in 1891. Portrait paintings by Simon Flores are highly sought after today and considered among some collectors as priceless since so few of them remain. Before his death, Flores submitted paintings for the Universal Exposition of St. Louis, Missouri, including a portrait of Andrew Carnegie.
