Buying Lorenzo Guerrero paintings – Highest Prices Paid: Artist Bio & images follow:
LORENZO LEOGARDO GUERRERO
(b. Ermita, Manila, November 4, 1835 d, April 8, 1904)
Painter Lorenzo L. Guerrero was one of the fourteen children of of Leon Jorge Guerrero and Clara Leogardo. His father, Leon was a warehouse keeper who worked for the Spanish government.
Belonging to a well known ilustrado family of writers, artists, and scientists, he had early exposure to the arts. He studied at the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura under the Spanish art teachers Cortina and Valdes, and later Saez, In 1858 he became assistant at the Academia located on Cabildo st, Intramuros, ca 1858. Aside from teaching painting in the homes of prominent Manila families, he also gave lessons in drawing at the Colegio de Santa Isabel, La Concordia, and Instituto de Mujeres. Among his pupils were Juan Arellano and Juan Luna whom he advised to pursue studies abroad as the Academia had nothing more to teach them.
He married Clemencia Ramirez, one of his artistically gifted students. They had nine children only three of whom survived to adulthood. Two of the children, Fernando Ma. Guerrero and Manuel Guerrero became writers.
As an art teacher, Guerrero’s influence was considerable. His house was the scene of many tertulias which welcomed such scholarly and artistic personalities as Fabian de la Rosa, Vicente Rivera y Mir, and Toribio Antillon. Epifanio de Los Santos Cristobal described him as “a most appreciative critic of the literary and musical arts.” In addition to painting, Guerrero also wrote verses and lyrics for songs.
Working in the transition period from the religious to the secular, he did paintings on religious subjects, as well as landscapes and genre. Among his religious works are “Santa Filomena,” (St Filomena), “San Juan Bautista” (St John the Baptist) and “Nuestra Senora de Guia” (Our Lady of Guidance) for the Ermita Church.
Other religious paintings are “Dolorosa” (Soulful Mother), “Santa Veronica de Julianus” (St Veronica of Julianus), “San Felix de Cantalicio” (St Felix of Cantalicio), and “La transverberacion, de Santa Teresa de Jesus” (The Transfixion of St Therese of Jesus) which won the gold medal in the tercentenary celebration of Santa Teresa de Jesus in 1882.
His secular works include a series depicting weather including “The Fire,” “The Flood,” and “The Storm.” He also painted localized genre scenes including “Taking Water,” “Cockfighting,” “The Chinese Vendor of Tsin Tsao,” “River’s Bend,” and “Scene at a Brook.” The latter three were exhibited at the St. Louis Exposition of 1904.
Other landscape paintings included “Chorillo de Mariquina” (Water well in Marikina), and “Mariquina Landscape.” Of his genre paintings “Vistiendo la Novia,” (Dressing the Bride) is considered his most outstanding.
Guerrero died of acute asthma on April 8th, 1904. His remains are buried at Ermita Church, which he had designed and decorated when it was rebuilt in 1885.
Do you have a piece by this artist that you are interested in evaluating or selling?
INQUIRE ABOUT YOUR PIECE