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While a student, Amorsolo lived in a rented accesoria and,
in order to survive, joined competitions and did illustrations
for publications, like Severino Reyes' first novel, Parusa ng Diyos
(God's Punishment). He also designed chairs for the Bureau of Public
Works. Upon graduation, he became an instructor at the UP, while
continuing as a draftsman at the Public Works and chief artist of
the Pacific Commercial. For 38 years he taught at the UP School of
Fine Arts, and served as its director, 1938-1952. He was such a formidable
influence that a younger brother Pablo had to make a conscious effort not
to imitate him. In 1916 entrepreneur Enrique Zobel de Ayala gave him a grant
to visit Spain, Europe, and the United States. In 1922 Amorsolo made his first important painting, Rice Planting, which became one of the most popular images of the Commonwealth period, appearing in several versions in calendars, posters, and tourist brochures. During his peak years in the 1930s, 1940s, and the 1950s, he widely exhibited both in the Philippines and abroad, including New York and Belgium. His works covered a wide range which included portraits, landscapes, and genre. He also did illustrations for children's textbooks and novels, commercial designs, cartoons for the magazine The Independent, and illustrations for Philippine Magazine and Telembang, Renacimiento Filipino, and Excelsior. |
 
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