Don't you wanna go back in time when life was really simple?
When I was young, we studied this painter named Fernando Amorsolo. I never knew that it would take me decades to fully appreciate his art. Now, isolated due to the pandemic at 25, I find comfort in his masterpieces.
Fernando Amorsolo is my country's first National Artist in Painting. He often paints scenes from the old countryside of the Philippines. One of my favorites is the Market Scene. The painting shows a woman holding her baby while selling fruits in the market.
The painting connects emotionally to me because I spent a huge part of my childhood in the market too. My mom was a vegetable vendor and I would often help her.
Right now, I'm looking at his paintings through my small laptop screen with misty eyes. Things have drastically changed in my life and his art sweeps me with a strong wave of nostalgia. His paintings depicted the simplicity of life back then; no internet, no depressed workers stuck in the rat race of the modern world.
I wish I could crawl into the screen and live in one of his paintings. There are just times when our soul craves to go back to the time when life was simple.
I'm stuck in my rented apartment for almost four months now, away from my family. I've missed Mother's day, Father's day, birthdays, and a lot of precious time with my loved ones.
But just like any storms, I know this too shall pass. For now, I will continue to find comfort in the sweet memories of the past, through Amorsolo's art.
