1973 / Pen-and-ink on paper / 94.7 x 179.2 cm / Artist: Manuel Baldemor / Private collection

This is one of Baldemor’s series of pen-and-ink works on the subject of his hometown, Paete. In its lively folk spirit and richness of design, it proves without doubt that a masterpiece can be done in the highly accessible medium of pen-and-ink.

The panoramic view of the Laguna town has the Sierra Madre range in the background against which is seen the church at the center. On both sides the town spreads out in narrow, intersecting streets lined with neat, modest houses, their balconies and windows ornamented with plants. At the center foreground, the large head of Christ and the finely detailed statue of Veronica displaying her veil thrice imprinted with the holy face indicate the folk art of wood carving and making santos for which the town is famous. On the left, a couple of horses and a carabao allude to fiestas and the taka (papier mâché) figures, while on the right a komedya is being performed on a stage. Paete wealth is symbolized by the bunch of lanzones fruit, the fish from the lake, and the rice fields at the foot of the mountains. All the figures are done in meticulous and detailed style, with some influence of synthetic cubism creating a multifaceted appearance.