A 19th Century Painter

The image used on the cover of Vassals of the Valley was made by James Hrkach. It is a composite of paintings by Filipino artist José Honorato Lozano.

Lozano is the pioneering artist behind the popular Letras y Figuras which illustrates a person’s body in a manner resembling a letter. If you are familiar with the store Papemelroti in the Philippines, you have probably seen some similar pieces being sold by their store.

Many of Lozano’s paintings showcase the local, everyday life of Filipinos during the time of Hispanic Manila, and it was said that his works were sold as souvenirs to foreign visitors of Manila. 

While the paintings were made hundreds of years before Vassals of the Valley, the scenery and colors seem to perfectly encompass the time and characters of the novel and made for a wonderful visual for the story.