03/07/2025
My Lolo Felix Hidalgo in his studio in Paris
Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo (1855-1913), from the time he was awarded a silver medal in the 1884 Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts, has always played second fiddle to Juan Luna who took home the gold. His hazy serene seascapes obscured by Luna's aggressive brush and tragic life. It is always good to connect a name to a face, and art historians are fortunate Felix had a camera, and long before smartphones took these two selfies in his Paris studio. At the time of his death, his life in Paris was longer than the time he lived in Manila. From the photo album of Alfonso T. Ongpin.
