Carlos Modesto "Botong" Villaluz Francisco (November 4, 1912 – March 31, 1969) was a Filipino

muralist A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

from

Angono, Rizal Angono ( or ), officially the Municipality of Angono ( tgl, Bayan ng Angono), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 130,494 people. It is best known as the "Art ...

Early life

Francisco was a most distinguished practitioner of mural painting for many decades and best known for his historical pieces. He was one of the first

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

modernists along with Galo Ocampo and Victorio C. Edades who broke away from

Fernando Amorsolo Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (born Fernando Amorsolo y Cueto; May 30, 1892 – April 24, 1972) was a portraitist and painter of rural Philippine landscapes. Nicknamed the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Art," he was the first-ever to be recognized as a N ...

romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

of Philippine scenes. According to restorer Helmuth Josef Zotter, Francisco's art "is a prime example of linear painting where lines and contours appear like cutouts."Alex Y. Vergara (July 24, 2000) "How to Save a Botong Francisco," ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'

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Later career

Francisco served as the production designer for the Noli Me Tángere (1961 film), 1961 film adaptation of José Rizal's '' Noli Me Tángere''. He was responsible for the discovery of the now famous Angono Petroglyphs in 1965. He was also involved in Costume Design in

Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

. His great works include portrayals of the

Blood Compact Blood compact (Spanish: ''Pacto de sangre''; Filipino: ''Sanduguan'') was an ancient ritual in the Philippines intended to seal a friendship or treaty, or to validate an agreement. The contracting parties would cut their hands and pour their blood ...

, First Mass at Limasawa, The Martyrdom of Rizal,

Bayanihan Communal work is a gathering for mutually accomplishing a task or for communal fundraising. Communal work provided manual labour to others, especially for major projects such as barn raising, "bees" of various kinds (see below), log rolling, and ...

, Magpupukot, Fiesta, Bayanihan sa Bukid,

Sandugo The Sandugo was a blood compact, performed in the island of Bohol in the Philippines, between the Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna the chieftain of Bohol on March 16, 1565, to seal their friendship as part of the triba ...

, Portrait of Purita, The Invasion of

Limahong Limahong, Lim Hong, or Lin Feng (; March 7, 1499 – ?), well known as Ah Hong () or Lim-A-Hong or Limahon (), was a Chinese pirate and warlord who invaded the northern Philippine Islands in 1574. He built up a reputation for his constant rai ...

, Serenade, and Muslim Betrothal. Some of his murals have suffered big damage over the years. The "Pageant of Commerce" emerged from several years of restoration in 2000. His murals, The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines, was restored for the 3rd time in 2007 and is currently residing in the National Art Gallery of the Philippines. A high-quality replica of the mural is also located at its previous location at the lobby of the

Philippine General Hospital The Philippine General Hospital (also known as University of the Philippines–Philippine General Hospital or UP–Philippine General Hospital), simply referred to as UP–PGH or PGH, is a tertiary state-owned hospital administered and operated ...

.Allison Lopez (August 30, 2007
"Art docs work on ‘dying’ Botong murals in PGH,"
''Inquirer'' Nikki Francisco (September 26, 2017
"10 Must-See Masterpieces at the National Museum of the Philippines"
''Spot.ph'' Francisco's last work is the '' Camote Diggers'' which was left unfinished.

Death

Botong died on March 31, 1969, in Angono, Rizal, Philippines.

Gallery

File:FvfMuseum6691 21.JPG, ''First Mass at Limasawa'' File:FvrMuseuj6650 32.JPG, '' The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines''

References

1912 births 1969 deaths 20th-century Filipino painters Burials at the Libingan ng mga Bayani Artists from Rizal Filipino portrait painters Modern artists Muralists National Artists of the Philippines {{Philippines-painter-stub