FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ (b. 1932)

Federico Aguilar Alcuaz is highly recognized for his deft, gestural brushwork and visually captivating compositions that range from abstracts to landscapes, to most notably his acclaimed Tres Marias salon scenes depicting beautiful women in Spanish-influenced gowns amidst elegant, languorous settings. Inspired by the time he spent residing at the Manila Hotel, where high society women and their daughters would come to model for him, Alcuaz's lush Tres Marias works evoke an almost Parisian sense of the demi-monde. Self Portrait of the Artist Painting, with Four Women is exceptionally rare as Alcuaz has incorporated himself, the artist, into the frame. As he portrays one of the sitters on his easel, other Alcuaz nudes and portraits can be seen in the background, creating an interesting 'paintings within a painting' effect. As much as portrait of himself and his work, as of the sitters, Alcuaz offers an intimate glimpse into an artist's life and his creative process.