Accompanied by a certificate issued by National Museum,
Manila, Philippines confirming the authenticity of this lot

Provenance:
Acquired directly from the artist by Mrs. Floy Aguenza

ABOUT THE WORK

Vicente Manansala's choice of subject matter is characterized as a unique synthesis of closely affiliated motifs, regardless of the style and medium he employs. For instance, roosters and cockfighting, also known as sabong in the vernacular language, are recurring themes in the artist's oeuvre. Manansala's affinity for such concepts stemmed from his experiences as a fisherman and a farmer during the Japanese occupation's depressing years. In this period, Manansala developed a penchant for depicting the folk culture, traditions, and lifestyle of the ordinary Filipinos, carrying on with a theme popularized by Fabian de la Rosa and Fernando Amorsolo. Beyond his strong instinct for depicting such subjects and his natural affection for the popular Filipino pastime, Manansala's affinity for these themes are seen as visual declarations of his Filipino sensibility. The artist once disclosed that the roosters in his works embody a creative zoomorphic version of himself. Manansala stated: "I like roosters very much. Did you know that when I was single, I used to join cockfights! I stopped when I got married. After all, fighting cocks and a wife don't go together." In this piece, the roosters are depicted in their usual native colors, accentuating their overall figure and distinguishing them from the rest of the composition. However, the juxtaposition of native colors with an abstract depiction of a cockpit rendered in his iconic Transparent Cubism brings to the foreground his mastery of merging figuration with abstraction.