Want an Amorsolo but don’t have P46 million lying around? Then go to Rustan’s

WANT an Amorsolo for your home but don’t have the millions to spare for an original? How about an Amorsolo on a plate instead? Rustan’s in partnership with the Amorsolo family has launched a limited-edition home collection inspired by National Artist for Painting Fernardo Amorsolo’s works.
“Papa made thousands of paintings so we chose paintings that show the customs and traditions of the Philippines — something he’s well-known for — and those with his trademark lighting. There were so many so we chose the best,” Sylvia Amorsolo Lazo, Mr. Amorsolo’s daughter, told BusinessWorld during the launch of the home line on June 26 at Rustan’s Makati.
The home collection comes a year after Rustan’s re-launched Amorsolo: Love and Passion, a coffee table book in celebration of the artist’s 125th birthday, co-authored by Ms. Amorsolo Lazo.
“[P]eople still want to have his work. This is good because while most people can’t get an Amorsolo because of its value, some of his works are now in a form of merchandise everyone can get,” she said.
Fernardo Amorsolo was named the country’s first National Artist for Painting in 1972. Known for his illuminated landscapes and depictions of rural life, Mr. Amorsolo was also called the “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art.”
Some of his famous works include Rice Planting (1922) which became one of the most popular images in the Philippines. Most recently, his The Peracampos Amorsolo (Under the Mango Tree), created in 1939, fetched P46,720,000 (including buyer’s premium) at Leon Gallery’s Spectacular Midyear Auction 2018, a world record for the artist.
“It’s good for the young ones to see what Papa had done before and why he was called a National Artist,” Ms. Amorsolo Lazo said.
For this collaboration with Rustan’s, three of Amorsolo’s works are featured in the line which includes T-shirts, coasters, and limited edition 13-inch plates. These works are Harvesting (1951), Planting Rice (1954), and Under the Mango Tree (1939).
The plates come in limited editions of 300 pieces of each painting. The plates cost P8,950.
Aside from paintings, Mr. Amorsolo’s signature is emblazoned on merchandise such as canvas tote bags, cushions, and pouches.
“It’s a tribute to the legacy and culture of the Filipinos,” Dina Arroyo-Tantoco, marketing communications manager for Rustan’s Commercial Corp., told BusinessWorld shortly before the event.
This isn’t the first time Rustan’s has collaborated with an artist (or their family). Last year, the company partnered with Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, another National Artist for Painting, to introduce a line of home goods bearing his signature and works. — Zsarlene B. Chua