Foto-óleo: A Portrait and The Lost Art Form

I stumbled upon the exhibit (link below) of the National Museum of the Philippines titled "Larawan at Litrato: Foto-óleo and Picture Portraits of the Philippines (1891-1953) (see link below) and realized that I have seen recently this kind of a portrait somewhere at home.

National Museum - Foto-oleo exhibit

So, I inspected the 'portrait' by following the description of a foto-óleo provided by the National Museum of the Philippines. The 'portrait' is foto-óleo!😄

It's a portrait of Don Felix Montinola, former mayor of Victorias in the 1934-1940. It was during his term that the município of Victorias was built (read blog here).

His foto-óleo portrait was made by Tinsay Art Studio in Manila before World War II broke out and was brought by the family to their old home in their hacienda in Manapla when they evacuated in the early months of 1942. Before the Japanese Imperial Army arrived in Victorias on May 27, 1942, the Montinola family already brought their belongings, including family portraits and furniture, to the hacienda. 

Their original mansion in Victorias standing in front of the public plaza, like all big houses then, was eventually burned down by the Filipino guerillas to prevent the Japanese from using them. Even if the mansion was spared by the guerillas, it would still have been burned down by the Japanese soldiers themselves when they had to flee Victorias to retreat to the mountains of Silay in order to escape the US Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE).(read blog about Victorias during World War II here).

This foto-óleo portrait was done around 1939-1941, a few years before World War II, to celebrate Don Felix Montinola's mayorship in Victorias. It must have been 'ordered' by her second eldest daughter, Salud Montinola, in Manila, and their relatives there must have recommended the Tinsay Art Studio, among other studios that made the same foto-óleo art then. (Read blog about Salud Montinola here).

According to the National Museum of the Philippines, "foto-óleo is an art form popular during the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, prior to the invention of color photography. It was executed by applying oil paint directly on black and white photographs to make it more life-like and visually-pleasing.

While the practice may be traced in Europe and the Americas, foto-óleo artmaking was adopted by artists in the Philippines and made them their own, turning unique portraits that highlighted jewelry, rosary beads and medals. Artists in Negros may have invented the decoupage style of portraiture, on which painted headshot photographs were fixed on the shaped wood and framed and glazed on both sides. In the course of our research, we found that foto-óleos were especially popular among prominent Filipino families. These were mainly kept by succeeding generations in family homes, serving as memento of loved ones. Among the photographic studios in which they were produced were Filipino, Hollywood Art, Luz, Luzon, Sabater, Tinsay Art, United Portrait Artists, Venus and X'or Studio." 

Don Felix Montinola did not have to travel to Manila for this foto-óleo portrait. Tinsay Art Studio only needed his black and white photo which the studio then turned into foto-óleo.

The portrait's size is 17 inches by 23 inches and is encased in a glass frame with heavy wood panels. The width of the panel is 3 inches, and the size is 23 inches by 29 inches. The back shows that the panel was closed by nails and has an eye hook for hanging. It was a surreal experience for me to run my hands on and around the wooden frame as I feel the artistry and the craftsmanship of the artisan who created this foto-óleo portrait that has since become a family heirloom.😎

In the exhibit of the National Museum, there are portraits from homes around the country, including the beautiful foto-óleo portraits borrowed from the Balay ni Tana Dicang Museum in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. 

Don Felix Montinola's foto-óleo portrait was left behind in their hacienda in Manapla when the family went back to Victorias after the war ended and was kept there until recently. 

The foto-óleo art form has been lost forever when color photography was introduced in the Philippines, which means these portraits are rare, and must be properly cared for and treasured.

Do you have an foto-óleo portrait hanging in your living  room?😊   

         (A painting of Don Felix Montinola y Lozada)

#nationalmuseum #Philippines #art #fotooleo #Tinsayartstudio #donfelixmontinola #history #historian #portrait #museum #heritage