The National Museum receives 4 Amorsolo paintings

Filipinos tired of going to malls or just looking for a different location to go to in Metro Manila should definitely consider the National Museum as the institution has further expanded its collection with the addition of four Fernando Amorsolo paintings.

In a post on its Facebook page, the National Museum of the Philippines announced that it received the four paintings from the Judge Guillermo B. Guevara Foundation. The four paintings are "Portrait of Judge Guillermo B. Guevara" (1950, oil on canvas), "Bataan" (1942, oil on canvas), "Assassination of Governor Bustamante" (1965, oil on canvas), and "Wakas ni Magallanes" (1963, oil on canvas). The four paintings were earlier lent to the museum by the foundation back in 2020.

"Portrait of Judge Guillermo B. Guevara" is currently exhibited at the Early 20th Century Philippine Portrait Hall at the National Museum of Fine Arts. The painting was the first one to be commissioned by Judge Guevara, along with a portrait of his wife, Asuncion Palma Guevara.

Meanwhile, "Bataan" was bought by Judge Guevara from Amorsolo in 1956. The painting shows a mother mourning the body of her dead son, and has been compared by Judge Guevara to the Pieta. It is currently displayed at Gallery VIII - Bulwagang Juan at Silvina Laya.

The "Assassination of Governor Bustamante" was finished by Amorsolo in 1965, and depicts the October 11, 1719 murder of the government official. The assassination has previously been interpreted by Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo.

Amorsolo finished "Wakas ni Magallanes" in 1963 and depicts the killing and death of Ferdinand Magellan in Mactan. It is currently on display at Galleries XXV at XXVI: The Longest Journey: The First Journey Around the World.

Aside from the Amorsolo paintings, the National Museum is also the home of an untitled painting of the Pasig River by made by Filipino master Fabian De La Rosa, who was a mentor to National Artist Fernando Amorsolo.

Several months ago, the National Museum also received a 2,000-year-old Catanauan dagger, which was revealed to the public last May.

The new additions to the museum's collection will probably see a boost to the institution's visitor numbers, which had already reached 4,142 visitors in the National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Anthropology, and the National Museum of Natural History back in March.

At the time, Elmer Borlongan's “The Battle of Mactan” was on display at the National Museum of Fine Arts alongside the Juan Luna masterpiece “Spoliarium.” The museum also hosted a short documentary film chronicling his creation of “The Battle of Mactan.”

IF YOU'VE VISITED BOTH INSTITUTIONS ALREADY, YOU CAN ALSO CHECK OUT THE MANILA CLOCK TOWER MUSEUM. CHECK OUT A PREVIEW IN THE GALLERY BELOW.