The exhibition by the entrada was simple — a life-sized black and white austere image of Fernando Zóbel, which whispered an even simpler caption: Zóbel: The Future of the Past. And that was it!

Blindsided by its unpretentiousness, I was absolutely unprepared. But after a few steps forward and a series of neck-stretching gazes, I was completely yet pleasantly overwhelmed by the sheer number of paintings and sketches gathered from discerning collectors from all corners of the world, and journals and photographs all meticulously preserved through the numerous decades.

A scion of the prestigious Zóbel de Ayala clan, Fernando Zóbel was raised with a keen sense of patriotism to both his Filipino and Spanish heritages. After World War II, he had to leave the war-torn Manila to study at Harvard University. While in America, he soon connected with the communities of artists, where he likewise discovered and developed his calling to the visual arts. He was influenced by the Boston School, an expressionist movement characterized by dark humor, social and spiritual, and emotional direct themes. He linked up with some Bauhaus creators, arguably the most influential arts school for the 20th century, and eventually met up with the leading expressionists of New York. His sojourn overseas became his artistic awakening.

Upon his return to the Philippines, he dedicated time to his chosen craft, as he explored the movement with Filipino modernists. While he even dabbled in other genres, he immersed himself to the identification of the trademark Filipino artistic expression.

In later years, Zóbel singularly pursued art and was a sterling and supportive patron of such a scene through the preservation of Filipino modern art. Most of the collection is part of the Ateneo Art Gallery, a depository he founded.

Back at the more-than-just-an-exhibit, I was surrounded — make it engulfed — by well-treasured paintings, never-seen-before sketches, personal scribbles on notebooks, and priceless photographs of old.

We were touched by the Rural Philippine Hut, Manila (1951), a colored ink and watercolor sketch of one of our traditional homes, for Zobel was not one to forget his roots. Another interesting sketch was The dancer by Degas (1973), which reflected his studies on ballerinas through the masterpieces of the old master. We noticed he poured effort into the anatomy and angles of a singular pose to ensure he could portray it from any possible view.

A curious piece was Still Life, Variation II (1953), one of his first forays into the field, where he familiarized himself with the creation of an old master, Juan Sanchez Cotan, whose works are still exhibited at the San Diego Museum of Art.

Six paintings in a series, The Futbol was abstract depictions of the sport, where blurred forms took to the pitch. The artist did away with harsh, bold strokes and opted for a softer approach. Football is considered as Spain’s national sport, and its popularity is evident. We were blessed to be touring Asturias during the Euro 2024 season. And every time the national team played, it felt like a Pacquiao boxing match here in our country, the streets were entirely empty!

Other points of interest included Study for Carroza (1953), La Carroza I (1952-1953), and Penitentes (1954), which were all religious in nature.

Large pieces entitled Self-Portrait on the Red Wall (1954) and Oriental Rug with Paul Haldeman (1955) both utilized red and yellow colors on huge canvasses, to shocking effect.

Meanwhile, Bronce IV (1959) was a thought-provoking piece of thin strips of oil paint strewn around a bronze backdrop.

We were mesmerized by La Vista XXVI (The View XXVI) (1974), considered one of Zóbel’s most ambitious compositions, captured stark reality and the passage of time, together with his artistic woes. We soon learned his main inspiration for this distinct yet haunting piece were the hills and the environs of Cuenca la ciudad de las casas colgadas. Speechless!

What caught my eye was El Cristo de Lepanto (1964), the first public exposure. This was considered as one of his most ambitious works, which was a response and a dialogue to Juan Luna’s version.

A long hallway highlighted Zóbel’s life in an easy-to-follow timeline, with milestones of his well-lived and long-lived accomplished career.

As a gentleman widely exposed to Asia, Europe, and America, the artist understood the value of fostering the arts and culture. This was encapsulated in a subsection entitled Routes of the Cosmopolitan, which contained original documents and materials. Supplemented by a documentary on his sketchbooks, it was directed by Sonia Prior and produced by La Máquina de Luz in Madrid and The Charitable Friends of Digamma Building in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The most-awaited, much-talked about exhibition was previously mounted at the prestigious Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. This is only the second time the exhibit has been unveiled to the general public and the first in Asia.

“For an artist with his deep and dazzling knowledge of the artistic and literary traditions both of the West and of Asia, modernism entailed not a break with figuration and the history of painting, but rather their rediscovery; not a forgetting of the past, but rather the revealing of a future embedded in the work of the great masters,” said Felipe Pereda and Manuel Fontan del Junco in their curatorial notes.

This exhibit celebrates Zóbel’s birth centennial, the 50th anniversary of the Ayala Museum, and the 190th anniversary of the Ayala Corporation.