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Lot Essay
Candle Vendors (Lot 150) is an exceptional, early work from leading modernist painter Arturo Luz. Best known for his later geometric figurations from the 1960s and after, Candle Vendors is a rare glimpse of Luz's earliest influences and his strong socio-political sentiments within the compositions from this period. In 1950, around the time of Luz's first solo exhibition, he became closely associated with a group of artists known as the Neo-Realists, who included Vicente Manansala, Romeo Tabuena, HR Ocampo and Cesar Legaspi; and were influenced by Fauvism, Cubism, and other modern theorists. The Neo-Realists painted excerpts from everyday life in the Philippines: marketplace scenes, sabungeros, jeepneys, and barong-barong - or squatter shanties - a favourite subject amongst them.
From this period, Luz developed a series of acclaimed and prize-winning works; revolving around characters he observed from his daily activities and representing the social spirit of working class Filipinos. The earliest of these works were Los Barrachos, depicting neighbours affably carrying home a drunken compatriot; and this present lot, Candle Vendors depicting three candle-selling women in the marketplace engaged in an afternoon of gossip and each other's company. Candle Vendors appears to be only one of two Luz works dating from 1952 which still retains stronger elements of figural detail. In spite of the elongated limbs; the blocky, geometrical forms through which the physiques of the women and their candle-bearing utensils have been composed; as well as the shallow visual plane employed by Luz; Candle Vendors nonetheless displays distinguishable facial features, clothing, and minor details such as the candle wicks and grain of the wooden table.
By the time of other works such as Skipping Rome or Flower Vendor (painted in the same year), Luz had disposed of this sense of recording detail. Instead his paintings now sought to efface superfluous additions and focused primarily on shape, form, and space. Figures became increasingly stylized and modernist, losing all sense of individuality or frisson between people. The camaraderie seen within the Candle Vendors was replaced instead with objective juxtaposition to create artistic effect.
Luz worked on Candle Vendors for another two years until 1954 before deeming it complete, although by this time he had moved on completely to a new artistic vocabulary. Candle Vendors remains an outstanding legacy from the early days of Luz's career, revealing the society he enjoyed and his intention to immortalize it within his works.
From this period, Luz developed a series of acclaimed and prize-winning works; revolving around characters he observed from his daily activities and representing the social spirit of working class Filipinos. The earliest of these works were Los Barrachos, depicting neighbours affably carrying home a drunken compatriot; and this present lot, Candle Vendors depicting three candle-selling women in the marketplace engaged in an afternoon of gossip and each other's company. Candle Vendors appears to be only one of two Luz works dating from 1952 which still retains stronger elements of figural detail. In spite of the elongated limbs; the blocky, geometrical forms through which the physiques of the women and their candle-bearing utensils have been composed; as well as the shallow visual plane employed by Luz; Candle Vendors nonetheless displays distinguishable facial features, clothing, and minor details such as the candle wicks and grain of the wooden table.
By the time of other works such as Skipping Rome or Flower Vendor (painted in the same year), Luz had disposed of this sense of recording detail. Instead his paintings now sought to efface superfluous additions and focused primarily on shape, form, and space. Figures became increasingly stylized and modernist, losing all sense of individuality or frisson between people. The camaraderie seen within the Candle Vendors was replaced instead with objective juxtaposition to create artistic effect.
Luz worked on Candle Vendors for another two years until 1954 before deeming it complete, although by this time he had moved on completely to a new artistic vocabulary. Candle Vendors remains an outstanding legacy from the early days of Luz's career, revealing the society he enjoyed and his intention to immortalize it within his works.