On Severino Fabie's "Man With a Newspaper": Art review

Monday, July 02, 2012

I veered away from the delusion of the “Man With a Newspaper” calling out to me because I have a tinge of fear that a delusion is not so much of a basis for writing about a venerable painting.

The perfect prelude to a migraine is choosing a painting that is not popular and writing a review about it. As if writing a piece on art is not daunting enough for an informal writer such as myself, I chose the one that, I discovered, was not well-documented, in fact rather obscure. I realized, as I began my research, that even the omnipotence of the internet is challenged by the obscurity of Severino Fabie and his “Man With a Newspaper” (1925). The very little information available about the artist would deprive my article of the ideal discussion on the background of the artist, and elements that constitute form, shape, texture, line, composition of space and things as such, as mentioned by Dr. Alice Guillermo in her lecture. But then again, I thought that even if I had all these bits of information screaming at me, I still would not be able to write a conclusive piece using those I mentioned as a guide simply because I lack the formal training to do so. Coercing myself to write with feigned ability would only lead to a write-up so alien to me that I could even deny writing it myself afterwards. So I go back to the question of why; why of all the paintings at the Vargas Museum was I drawn to this specific painting by Fabie. I veered away from the delusion of the “Man With a Newspaper” calling out to me because I have a tinge of fear that a delusion is not so much of a basis for writing about a venerable painting.

I found myself going back to Severino Fabie’s painting several times and concluded that perhaps it is my own life experiences, the knowledge that I gained from the academe and my acquaintance with the universe that allowed me to appreciate what I was looking at. For instance, “Man With a Newspaper” is a powerful acknowledgment of the literacy of the Filipinos. Although the man in the painting is not reading the newspaper, and even has it lain over his right arm, his pensive look unarguably speaks for itself. If he was the “Man ‘Reading’ the Newspaper” it would have lessened the impact on the image of the Filipino as a discerning race. He is also clutching the side of the paper, an expression of defiance over what he might have discovered in the news. Although the 1920’s marked the beginning of the country’s liberation from foreign rule, the political, economic and social situation was still clouded with confusion, fear, and anger.

Contradicting emotions are expressed in the way Fabie imbued the physique of his character. The man’s left shoulder is arched down, which is an indication of insecurity, while his right shoulder in contrast appears to be leveled, juxtaposing the feeling of uncertainty with hope. I unintentionally rested my eyes on his slightly elongated neck and my eyes were led up to a thin face of a man ripened by a life of tribulation. His face, as I see it, set the dismal feel of the painting.

There is no part in the painting which led me to perceive illumination, so to me, lighting was put to minimal use by Fabie in “Man With a Newspaper”. At first glance, I had the impression that the painting was a classic because of the rich, dark colors that were used.

To my understanding, the man, the newspaper, the whole dismal affair of the painting, was Fabie’s lense through which part of Philippine history was explained.