Fernando Amorsolo was the first-ever to be recognized as a National Artist of the Philippines. He was recognized as such for his "pioneering use of impressionistic technique" as well as his skill in the use of lighting and backlighting in his paintings, "significant not only in the development of Philippine art but also in the formation of Filipino notions of self and identity."

CATEGORY ARTIST: Portraitist and Painter  - VISUAL ART

His parents were Pedro Amorsolo and Bonifacia Cueto. His father quickly found work in Daet, Camarines Norte months after Fernando's birth, and the family lived there until his father died when Amorsolo was 11. While he studied in a public school in Daet, his parents taught him to read and write Spanish at home. After his father's death, the family moved back to Manila, where they stayed with one of his uncles, Don Fabián de la Rosa, his mother's cousin, who was also a Filipino painter. At the age of 13, Amorsolo became an apprentice to De la Rosa, who would eventually become the advocate and guide to Amorsolo's painting career. During this time, Amorsolo's mother did embroidery to earn money, while Amorsolo helped by selling water color postcards to a local bookstore for 10 centavos each. His younger brother, Pablo Amorsolo, also became a painter. 

FUNFACT!!!💡

Did you know that Paolo Ballesteros from Eat Bulaga is also related to Fernando Amorsolo?

It is because during his lifetime, Amorsolo had a total of 20 children from two marriages and a common-law-wife. In 1916, he married Salud Tolentino Jorge, with whom he had six children; Salud died in 1931. He then met and lived with common-law wife, Virginia Guevarra Santos, with whom he had three children, namely Manuel (who followed in his father's footstep, with a degree in Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines), Jorge and Norma before he met his would-be second wife, Maria del Carmen. While they were still together, Virginia found an engagement ring in one of Amorsolo's drawers; she knew the ring was for Maria, that prompted her to leave his house with her three children. 

In 1935, Fernando married Maria del Carmen who gave him eight more children. Among her daughters with her are Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo and Luz. But while they were married and Maria was giving birth to his children, Fernando had three more children with Virginia. His reputation was growing as fast as his brood and his work was more than enough to provide for his rather large family. Six of Amorsolo's children became artists themselves. His descendants include Eula Valdez and Paolo Ballesteros. 

For short Paolo is the great-grandson of Fernando; Paolo's paternal grandmother is his daughter. Interestingly, that same grandmother is the sister of Eula Valdez's mother, so Eula is his aunt. 

Amorsolo's first success as a young painter came in 1908, when his painting Leyendo el periódicotook second place at the Bazar Escolta, a contest organized by the Asociacion Internacional de Artistas. Between 1909 and 1914, he enrolled at the Art School of the Liceo de Manila. His most notable work as a student at the Liceo was his painting of a young man and a young woman in a garden, which won him the first prize in the art school exhibition during his graduation year. 

After graduating from the Liceo, he entered the University of the Philippines' School of Fine Arts. During college, Fernando Amorsolo's primary influences were the Portuguese people court painters. To make money during school, Amorsolo joined competitions and did illustrations for various Philippine publications, including the first novel in Tagalog language, Parusa ng Diyos ("Punishment of God") and Madaling Araw ("Dawn"), as well as illustrations for editions of the Pasyon. Amorsolo graduated with medals from the University of the Philippines in 1914.

After graduating from the University of the Philippines, Amorsolo worked as a draftsman for the Bureau of Public Works as a chief artist at the Pacific Commercial Company and as a part-time instructor at the University of the Philippines. He taught at the University for 38 years, including 14 years as director of the Art Department.

Amorsolo set up his own studio upon his return to Manila and painted during the 1920s and the 1930s. His Rice Planting (1922), which appeared on posters and tourist brochures became one of the most popular images of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Beginning in the 1930s, Amorsolo's work was exhibited widely in the Philippines and abroad. 

Amorsolo was sought after by influential Filipinos including Luis Araneta, Antonio Araneta and Jorge B. Vargas. Due to his popularity, Amorsolo had to resort to photographing his works, sticking and mounting them in an album allowing patrons to choose from this catalog of his work. Amorsolo avoided creating exact replicas of his trademark themes by recreating the paintings by varying some elements.

His works later appeared on the cover and pages of children textbooks, in novels, in commercial designs, in cartoons and illustrations for Philippine publications such The Independent, Philippine Magazine, Telembang, El Renacimiento Filipino, and Excelsior. He served as the director of the University of the Philippine's College of Fine Arts from 1938 to 1952.

• 1908 – 2nd Prize, Bazar Escolta (Asocacion Internacional de Artistas), for Levendo Periodico

• 1922 – 1st Prize, Commercial and Industrial Fair in the Manila Carnival

• 1929 – 1st Prize, New York's World Fair, for Afternoon Meal of Rice Workers (also known as Noonday Meal of the Rice Workers)

• 1940 – Outstanding University of the Philippines Alumnus Award

• 1959 – Gold Medal, UNESCO National Commission[8]

• 1961 – Rizal Pro Patria Award[8]

• 1961 – Honorary Doctorate in the Humanities, from the Far Eastern University

• 1963 – Diploma of Merit from the University of the Philippines

• 1963 – Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award, from the City of Manila

• 1963 – Republic Cultural Heritage Award

• 1972 – Gawad CCP para sa Sining, from the Cultural Center of the Philippines