Félix Resurrección Hidalgo

Born in Manila in 1855, he initially studied law but turned to art, moving to Madrid in 1879 on a scholarship to study at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.¹

Winning the silver medal at the 1884 Madrid Exposition alongside Juan Luna's gold, he proved Filipino equality to Spaniards, inspiring reformists like José Rizal.¹

As seen in 'Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho', he painted classical themes in a grand romantic manner, often contrasted with Juan Luna's vigorous style.¹

He established international fame by winning a gold medal in Madrid (1887) and a silver medal at the Paris Exposition Universelle (1889) for 'La barca de Aqueronte'.¹

Spending much of his life in Paris, he exhibited works like 'Oedipus y Antigone' at the Salon at Champs-Élysées in 1895, securing his status in the European art world.¹

At the 1904 St. Louis Universal Exposition, he received a gold medal for overall participation, with 'El violinista' individually winning a gold medal.¹

In his later years, as seen in his 1909 Normandy cliff paintings, his style expanded from genre and history painting to landscapes showing Impressionist influences.¹

After a brief 1912 visit to Manila, he died in Barcelona in 1913 while returning to Paris. His remains were brought back to the Philippines for burial in Manila.¹

In 2019, his painting 'La Pintura' sold for a record 78.256 million PHP, cementing his status as one of the most valuable and significant artists in Philippine history.¹