Romana Carillo

1870 / Oil on canvas / 73 x 56 cm / Artist: Justiniano Asuncion / Leandro V. Locsin collection

This masterpiece of portraiture by Asuncion reflects the social ascendance of the ilustrado (educated) as the principal beneficiaries of cash-crop agriculture, and their lifestyle of conspicuous consumption in the late 19th century.

The subject, Romana Carrillo, is shown in a resplendent costume of embroidered baro (blouse) and pañuelo or kerchief. What is particularly notable about this painting is that the subject has a strong total presence unsubmerged by the magnificence of her attire. She gazes steadily at the viewer with a self-confident yet modest demeanor, the severity of her hair tempered by the faint suggestion of a smile, while she plucks a bloom from the azucena plant beside her, symbol of chastity and purity. The face and the hands show the masterful modeling of the artist with the varying tones bringing out her distinct features—the deep-set and lidded eyes, strong nose, and resolute chin—with a remarkable sense of bone structure. The transparent jusi blouse, with its broad silky stripes and elaborate embroidery, is rendered in the miniaturist style; here the artist’s prodigious skill captures in sharp clarity the motifs of flowers and curling vines as well as the scalloped borders of the pañuelo and the sleeves, while the fine yet crisp texture of the piña cloth is contrasted with the white, pleated cotton undershirt. To complete the image of material prosperity, she wears a complete set of jewelry with as many as four gold rings on the hand holding a book, symbol of learning and piety.