About the Emilio Alvero
by Martin Imperial Tinio
Emilio de Vera Alvero (1886-1955) studied painting privately under Lorenzo Ma. Guerrero and was trained by Cesare Alberoni, one of the Italian artists who did the trompe l’oeil murals of San Agustin Church in Intramuros. He was taught sculpture by Romualdo Teodoro de Jesus, a good friend of Jose Rizal and the model for Pilosopong Tasyo in the Noli. De Jesus, who served as Gobernadorcillo of Tondo and was the honorary sculptor of the Ayuntamiento de Manila. Alvero was also a glass artist, one of the very few in the country at that time. A Maestro de Obras or Master of Works at a time, when there were no registered architects in the country, Alvero could design and build houses. Since he was also an interior decorator, he designed the furniture for the rooms and painted the walls, the ceilings and even the curtains, as well.
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Alvero was a contemporary of Fernando Amorsolo at the UP School of Fine Arts, and is known for realistic still lifes and rural scenes like this particular piece with fine traditional brushwork and approach.
He was he father of renowned poet and art critic Aurelio Alvero, whose pen name is Magtanggol Asa. His wife was Rosa Sevilla y Tolentino, was a writer, social worker, and educator who founded the Instituto de Mujeres, among the oldest schools for women in the country. The artist was also one of Alfonso Ongpin’s artist friends. Ongpin was the art patron is noted as a “godfather” to Filipino artists during the 1920s and 1930s.
Despite hailing from the boisterous Quiapo district in Manila, Emilio Alvero skillfully captures the essence of countryside life and landscapes in his paintings. He was celebrated for his sculptures and realistic still-life works. With his classical sensibilities, Alvero brings to life the abundant coastal life in his 1948 work, Tabing Dagat.
In view is a makeshift bamboo table, topped with a large banana leaf and filled with fresh seafood, fruits, and drinks—a seaside picnic—set against the serene backdrop of the calm sea and clear skies. This oil painting is not just a reflection of the Filipinos’ rich cultural heritage but also a celebration of their close communal relationships, inviting the audience to feel a sense of belonging and unity. (Jessica Magno)
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