The Last Painting of Pedro D. Villadolid

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Pedro D. Villadolid, Waterfalls, 1979, Oil on Masonite, 24"x42",  Private  Collection

 

Pedro D. Villadolid (6 October 1916- 7 August 1980) loved nature. He was a self taught painter who  worked with actual subjects but added elements from his fertile and wild imagination. In this painting we see lush autumn tree colors not seen in our country and two deers with long antlers, non-existent in Bantayan island, Cebu. He loved birds in flock-of-seven and here, we see them perched on a branch (right tree), on a rock (beside middle tree) and in flight (left tree). 

This flock-of-seven bird pattern can also be seen in his 1953 Farm scene, 1976 Forest, and in this painting. His trees appear crooked and asymmetrical, the rock formations unrealistic.  "He paints with apparent disregard for proportion or natural coloration.  His subjects architecture were free, loose with bright gay colored patterns", writes Manuel Duldulao in his famous 1982 book, A Century of Realism in Philippine Art.

"This 1979 artwork was the last painting my father created", his equally talented son Jose "Pepe" Villadolid disclosed, The year after, on August 1980, Pedro died. Some buyers were interested in acquiring the painting, even offering him a substantial amount of money.  But every time they looked closely at the painting, they all went home empty-handed.

Look closely and you will see why.  Have you seen it? (zoom in the picture) 

Standing a few feet away, the painting looks  perfectly normal.  But on closer inspection, one can see several long, linear, scrape marks from the upper left corner to the middle part of the painting.  What happened to this painting? 

Balsicas Villadolid 

The Villadolids were a family of four talented painters from Bantayan island, Cebu- Pedro, his two sons, Jose and Balsicas and his brother, Diosdado. Pedro's younger son Balsicas, would watch his father paint this everyday. He loved this painting and became somewhat obsessed with it. Jose, the older son of Pedro, now 77 and is still a notable Cebuano painter residing in Talisay City, shared this with me: "My uncle Diosdado, who taught me the rudiments of painting  used to say that in a few years Balsicas will be better than me and my father". Then one day, when Diosdado saw one of Balsicas' work - a seascape - he gasped and declared, "hands down, he is now the best amongst us!"

When Pedro decided it was time to sell the painting, Balsicas, who suffered from emotional instability, suddenly became upset, screamed and lacerated the upper parts of the painting  using a kitchen knife.

"Potential buyers requested us to do some restorative work on the abraded part of the painting,  but I refused.  I have my reasons", the pragmatic Jose Villadolid sternly declared.


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