Drawings and paintings of the Philippines featured in London Art Week

Charles W. Andrews’ watercolor painting, A View of Manila from the Pasig River, no. 1, was on exhibit at Martyn Gregory on London Art Week. (London Philippine Embassy Photo)

Drawings and paintings of various Philippine scenes from the 19^th and 20^th centuries were exhibited at Martyn Gregory Gallery from June 28 to 05 July 5, 2019 for London Art Week.

The exhibit, “The Philippines and South-East Asia” cover the period from 1800 to 1950. Of the 69 artworks on display, 26 depicted scenes from the Philippines.

According to the gallery, the featured works include those done by early Western artists who travelled to the East, as well as by Eastern artists who worked in the ‘Western manner’ to cater for the tastes of Westerners in the Orient.

Justiniano Asuncion’s Portrait of a Mestiza in a Red Shawl was on exhibit at Martyn Gregory on London Art Week. Mr. Asuncion was a prolific and talented portrait artist who was well known for his ‘Tipos del Pais’ illustrations depicting various inhabitants of the Philippines in their traditional attire. (London Philippine Embassy Photo)

Among the artists whose works were featured are of British portrait and miniature painter Charles W. Andrews, French artist Auguste Borget who is famous for his sketches of various Asian destinations, as well as Filipino artist Justiniano Asuncion, one of the leading Filipino portrait artists of the 19^th century.

“It is an honor for the Philippines to be featured prominently in a major exhibition by one of the world’s most prestigious art galleries,” said Ambassador to the United Kingdom Antonio M. Lagdameo. “The range of artwork on display shows how the Philippines served as a wellspring of inspiration among some of the 19^th century’s most talented artists and most intrepid explorers.”

Martyn Gregory is one of the world’s leading authorities in topographical artwork depicting various sceneries across Asia. In addition to this, the gallery named after him is also an authority on British painting and watercolours from the 18^th and 19^th centuries, handling the works of artists who have shaped British art such as Thomas Gainsborough, John Linnel, Richard Parkes Bonington, and John Sell Cotman, among others.

Some of the gallery’s collections may be viewed in artistic institutions around the globe such as the National Maritime Museum, The Hong Kong Maritime Museum; The Hong Kong Museum of Art, The Guangdong Museum of Art; The Singapore Museum of Art, The Peabody Essex Museum; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston and The Yale Center for British Art.

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For more information, visit https://www.londonpe.dfa.gov.ph or
https://www.facebook.com/pg/PHLinUK or https://twitter.com/philippinesinuk.