Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo
Encyclopedia
Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo (August 27, 1924 – June 2, 1984), also known as Fernando Zóbel y Montojo, Fernando M. Zóbel and sometimes as Fernando M. Zóbel de Ayala, was a Spanish–Filipino Non-objective
modernist
painter
, businessman, and patron
of the arts
.
, Manila
in the Philippines
to the Zobels, a family of German Jewish immigrants who had settled in the Philippines. He was the son of Enrique Zobel (1877–1943) and Fermina Montojo y Torrontegui and was a member of the prominent Ayala family
. Zobel took up medical studies
at the University of Santo Tomas
in Manila. Later on, Zobel in 1942 had spinal deficiency
that forced him to him bedridden that year. Zobel to past the time sketched of anything that caught his eye. He finished studying in Santo Tomas and left for Harvard University
in 1946 to take up degrees in history
and literature
.
. It was at this time, he met American artists Hyman Bloom
, Reed Champion and Jim Pfeufer who helped him launch his career as an artist. His paintings were in style of the Boston artists and are considered his Boston-style works.
where he saw an exhibition by Mark Rothko
. Rothko's paintings made an impression on Zobel later to be done in his later works. When he returned to Manila, Zobel started in having interest in Chinese
and Japanese
art and took up calligraphy
classes until 1960. During this time, he joined the faculty of the Ateneo de Manila University
and later was given an honorary doctorate and was made honorary director of the Ateneo Art Gallery
for his contribution in education and as patron of the arts. To make a name for himself as a full-time painter, he later resigned from his position in the Ayala Corporation
and moved to Spain
.
sung in Holy Week in Spain
, they were developed for the most part in the Philippines. Zobel faced the technical problem of how to achieve the lines that his theme required, lines that were, in his own words, "long, fine, and controlled." The surgical syringe
was the solution which was his trademark in painting. The Saetas were Zobel's first artworks incorporating colors he saw in Rothko's works. After the Saetas, Zobel started painting his concept on black as a color in a series called Serie Negra or Series in Black influenced by East Asian calligraphy
. The Serie Negra was started in 1959 while he was in Madrid
which were done after four years.
s inspired by the river Júcar
. In his later years, Zobel created the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español at Casa Colgadas in the town of Cuenca, Spain
in 1963. Zobel was a tutor and helped in the careers of Spanish painters some of which were Antonio Lorenzo, Eusebio Sempere
, Martín Chirino López, Antonio Saura
and many others. Until his death, Zobel was working on a series called Dialogos which was reactions to art masters which he saw in the museums around Europe
. In 1983, King Juan Carlos of Spain bestowed upon Zobel the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes. Fernando Zobel died of a heart attack in Rome
, Italy
on June 2, 1984.
In 2003, a retrospective
traveling exhibit in honor of Zobel were held in Cuenca and Seville
. On May 21, 2006, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit by the Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
for his contributions in the arts. On May 24, 2008, Zobel's work titled Noche Clara was sold at Christie's
in Hong Kong
was sold for PHP
6,000,000, making it the most expensive Philippine artwork.
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
modernist
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, businessman, and patron
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
of the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
.
Early life
He was born in ErmitaErmita, Manila
Ermita is a district of Manila, Philippines located halfway between Intramuros and Malate.-History:Ermita was founded in the late 16th century...
, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
to the Zobels, a family of German Jewish immigrants who had settled in the Philippines. He was the son of Enrique Zobel (1877–1943) and Fermina Montojo y Torrontegui and was a member of the prominent Ayala family
Zobel de Ayala family
The Zóbel de Ayala clan is a Filipino business family of German-Spanish ancestry. Since the 19th century, they have created the Ayala Corporation, a holding company for a combination of businesses related to the heart of Philippines business, industry and finance.-History:The Ayala ancestors were...
. Zobel took up medical studies
Medical education
Medical education is education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner, either the initial training to become a doctor or additional training thereafter ....
at the University of Santo Tomas
University of Santo Tomas
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the...
in Manila. Later on, Zobel in 1942 had spinal deficiency
Spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...
that forced him to him bedridden that year. Zobel to past the time sketched of anything that caught his eye. He finished studying in Santo Tomas and left for Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1946 to take up degrees in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
.
Boston-style works
Zobel started painting without formal training while in Harvard. He graduated in 1949 as magna cum laude. He later stayed on as biographical researcher after finishing his bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
. It was at this time, he met American artists Hyman Bloom
Hyman Bloom
Hyman Bloom was a painter. His work is influenced by his Jewish heritage, Eastern religions as well as artists including Altdorfer, Grunewald, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, William Blake, Rudolph Bresdin, J.M.W...
, Reed Champion and Jim Pfeufer who helped him launch his career as an artist. His paintings were in style of the Boston artists and are considered his Boston-style works.
Modernism and abstract expressionism
He returned to the Philippines and became friends with contemporary Filipino modernist artists. As such, he collected modernist works and set up exhibits for them to be shown and noticed since modernist art was largely unappreciated. In 1954, he left Manila and enrolled in the Rhode Island School of DesignRhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
where he saw an exhibition by Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko, born Marcus Rothkowitz , was a Russian-born American painter. He is classified as an abstract expressionist, although he himself rejected this label, and even resisted classification as an "abstract painter".- Childhood :Mark Rothko was born in Dvinsk, Vitebsk Province, Russian...
. Rothko's paintings made an impression on Zobel later to be done in his later works. When he returned to Manila, Zobel started in having interest in Chinese
Chinese art
Chinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art...
and Japanese
Japanese art
Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture in wood and bronze, ink painting on silk and paper and more recently manga, cartoon, along with a myriad of other types of works of art...
art and took up calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
classes until 1960. During this time, he joined the faculty of the Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
and later was given an honorary doctorate and was made honorary director of the Ateneo Art Gallery
Ateneo Art Gallery
The Ateneo Art Gallery is a museum of modern art of the Ateneo de Manila University. It is the first of its kind in the Philippines. It is housed on the ground floor of the Rizal Library main building. It serves as an art resource for the university community and the general public as well. The...
for his contribution in education and as patron of the arts. To make a name for himself as a full-time painter, he later resigned from his position in the Ayala Corporation
Ayala Corporation
Ayala Corporation is a holding company for the diversified interests of the Ayala Group. Founded in the Philippines by the Spanish and German Ayala, Roxas, and Zobel families during colonial rule, it is the country's oldest and largest conglomerate...
and moved to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Saeta and Serie Negra series
Zobel is best known for his first artwork series called the Saetas. Named after the liturgical songSaeta (flamenco)
The Saeta is a revered Spanish religious song, whose form and style have evolved over many centuries. They evoke strong emotion and are sung most often during public processions.-Performance:...
sung in Holy Week in Spain
Holy Week in Spain
Spain is especially renowned for its Holy Week traditions or Semana Santa. Holy Week, the last week of Lent, which is the week immediately before Easter, sees its most glamorous celebrations in the region of Andalusia, particularly in Seville, while those of Castile see the more sombre and solemn...
, they were developed for the most part in the Philippines. Zobel faced the technical problem of how to achieve the lines that his theme required, lines that were, in his own words, "long, fine, and controlled." The surgical syringe
Syringe
A syringe is a simple pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly in a tube. The plunger can be pulled and pushed along inside a cylindrical tube , allowing the syringe to take in and expel a liquid or gas through an orifice at the open end of the tube...
was the solution which was his trademark in painting. The Saetas were Zobel's first artworks incorporating colors he saw in Rothko's works. After the Saetas, Zobel started painting his concept on black as a color in a series called Serie Negra or Series in Black influenced by East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China. There is a general standardization of the various styles of...
. The Serie Negra was started in 1959 while he was in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
which were done after four years.
Later life and death
After his first two definitive art series, Zobel began painting landscapeLandscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
s inspired by the river Júcar
Júcar
The Júcar or Xúquer is a river on the Iberian Peninsula of Spain. The river runs for approximately 509 km from its source at Ojuelos de Valdeminguete, on the eastern flank of the Montes Universales, Sistema Ibérico...
. In his later years, Zobel created the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español at Casa Colgadas in the town of Cuenca, Spain
Cuenca, Spain
-History:When the Iberian peninsula was part of the Roman Empire there were several important settlements in the province, such as Segóbriga, Ercávica and Gran Valeria...
in 1963. Zobel was a tutor and helped in the careers of Spanish painters some of which were Antonio Lorenzo, Eusebio Sempere
Eusebio Sempere
Eusebio Sempere was a Spanish sculptor, painter and graphic artist whose abstract geometric works make him the most representative artist of the Kinetic art movement in Spain and one of Spain's foremost artists...
, Martín Chirino López, Antonio Saura
Antonio Saura
Antonio Saura was a Spanish artist and writer, one of the major post-war painters to emerge in Spain in the fifties whose work has marked several generations of artists and whose critical voice is often remembered.-Biography:He began painting and writing in 1947 in Madrid while suffering from...
and many others. Until his death, Zobel was working on a series called Dialogos which was reactions to art masters which he saw in the museums around Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In 1983, King Juan Carlos of Spain bestowed upon Zobel the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes. Fernando Zobel died of a heart attack in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
on June 2, 1984.
In 2003, a retrospective
Retrospective
Retrospective generally means to take a look back at events that already have taken place. For example, the term is used in medicine, describing a look back at a patient's medical history or lifestyle.-Music:...
traveling exhibit in honor of Zobel were held in Cuenca and Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
. On May 21, 2006, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit by the Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
for his contributions in the arts. On May 24, 2008, Zobel's work titled Noche Clara was sold at Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
was sold for PHP
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
6,000,000, making it the most expensive Philippine artwork.