BENEDICTO REYES CABRERA | Monumental Figure

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. All inconsistencies, such as the media accretion at the lower right quadrant of the work, are inherent to the artist's working method. Framed.
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“From out of the shadows and darkness emerged the thus christened Sabel, emanating since 1965, from numerous canvases and drawing boards. An while the subject inevitably turned into a metaphor and symbol for urban despair and existential anguish, the image itself, instantly recognizable at first sight and would not let go, was a triumph of artistic innovation and permutation, reflecting the passage of time, and expressive of the various isms of the art world, with their felicitous touches of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Minimalism.” – Patrick Flores, ed., Cid. P. Reyes, ‘Sabel’, BenCaB Filipino Artist, BenCab Art Foundation, Inc. 2019, p. 64Benedicto Cabrera, colloquially known as Bencab, is most celebrated for his figurative works that showcase his masterful ability to paint fabric in motion. Dynamic and powerful in its vitality, the present lot is a quintessential work from the artist’s vast and vibrant oeuvre. Akin to Greek sculptural ideals such as Aphrodite, the figure in the painting at hand is youthful, delicate and feminine, yet simultaneously “monumental”, as the title suggests. Though she coquettishly gazes away from the viewer, she commands the picture plane with a majestic sense of pride. The artist rejoices in depicting his subjects in various positions in order to explore the myriad ways of expressing moving fabric. Here, the subject stands within an ochre toned area of negative space, but her garb extends beyond it and into the red frame that flanks her, further emphasizing her expanding shoulders.

Garbed in cascading robe-like attire, she resembles a Greek goddess embellished in a motioning dress that at once conceals the body yet reveals its presence and its movement. The mantle clings and spirals around the body, harping back the flowing dynamism of Phidian style of drapery from the classical Greek era. The fabric is textural, with irregular pleating and folding. Art critic Cid Reyes says: "The impetus for Bencab's interest in drapery is the same as classical Greek sculptors - movement. With drapery clinging to the human body, and the propulsion induced by the body that has now been "stilled" in three-dimensional form, the viewer's eye follows the direction impelled by gesture or wind. In short, drapery becomes an instrument of energy." This elegantly lyrical masterpiece encapsulates the themes that preoccupied Bencab for decades.

In 2006, the Philippine Government conferred upon Bencab the Order of National Artist for Visual Arts. In 2009, the University of the Philippines conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.