Who is the oil painting artist j David?

Answer 1

If you are referring to the Filipino painter, Jose B. David hails from San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines.

He obtained a degree in Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines. His class was the first Fine Arts class to graduate from U.P. Among his professors were Dela Rosa and Amorsolo.

After the war he was hired as an art instructor at the Hobby Shop in Clark Field located in Pampanga, Philippines. There he taught many, perhaps hundreds, of service men, their wives and children fine arts until he retired.

He drew and painted in different media, from charcoal, pastel, watercolor, etc., but his specialty was portrait in oil on canvass.

Many times, the different Chiefs of Staff and generals of the US would visit Clark Field. He was commissioned by the current base commander to make a portrait of the visiting dignitary to serve as a welcome gift.

Once, prior to the 9/11 incident, his sister in law joined a guided tour of Pentagon. In one of the halls, the tourist guide was telling the visitors who were the successive chiefs of staff of the US. The sister in law noticed that a long line of portraits hanging on the wall were the works of Jose B. David.

Another painting was of astronaut Neil Armstrong when he visited Clark Field. The picture of the astronaut and the painter, with the portrait of course , were printed in the Philippine Flyer.

He was also awarded "Honorary Citizen of New Orleans" by the mayor and city council. The mayor of New Orleans visited Clark. The gift of the base commander was a portrait of the honorable mayor of course. (I can't be specific of the year but I have seen the certificate and other documents.)

Another portrait he did was that of his holiness Pope John Paul.

The bishop of Pampanga came by his house for a visit. He saw the painting and asked Jose for it, intending to give it to the Pope as a gift. He (the bishop) was to see his holiness. According to the bishop when he returned from Rome, upon receiving the portrait the Pope was so elated that he instructed his aide to immediately hang it on the wall of the receiving room they were in. A picture of his holiness, the portrait, and the bishop was given to Jose.

Many of his paintings were family portraits commissioned by the many American servicemen stationed in Clark Field but he did a lot of landscape paintings mostly, if not all, one of a kind.

The only portrait I know he did twice was a scene of the Death March commissioned by and American officer who was a veteran of the march. He wanted something to remember his experiences and he described to Jose the scene. To help him with further details, Jose asked his brother who was also a veteran of the march for more details. When the officer came back he asked a few more scenes be added to the picture. Rather than over painting, Jose made another painting incorporating the additional info. The original was later retouched and was kept as a family heirloom. The scene was an American soldier, haggard looking, receiving a packet of food from a woman with her child standing on the road side. Behind and in front of the American was a long line of haggard looking men, some prostrate on the ground, a Japanese soldier shooting a couple of runaways, another one stabbing those who cannot walk and a dogfight.