One December Morning

Ricarte Puruganan, as one of the 13 Moderns who broke away from the classical Amorsolo school, already has a hallowed place in Philippine art history. He studied at the University of the Philippines from 1931-1936 and was a co-founder of the University of Santo Tomas’ Fine Art School. He won several national prizes from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s, even beating his peers Anita Magsaysay-Ho and Vicente Manansala and fellow 13 Moderns in a national landscape painting competition in 1935. The painting belongs to this productive time period where he received significant recognition in competitions.He was appointed chairman of the National Museum panel authentication board, and four works were chosen to hang in the Hall of Filipino Masters at the National Museum, although the title of National Artist continues to elude him.Executed in a realist manner, the painting is theatrical and of high drama.One December Morning depicts the execution of PHilippines hero, Jose Rizal on December 30, 1896. Rizal's 1896 military trial and execution made him a martyr of the Philippine Revolution, hence the three angel figures representing Philippines and justice looking over Rizal.