After spending several years in various countries exhibiting his pieces, Fabian dela Rosa returned to the Philippines as one of the fi rst instructors of the UP School of Fine Arts and soon rose to become its fi rst director. During his time abroad, he was able to hone diff erent styles and techniques, and this piece - with bold strokes used to render the boats and the sea - is an example of the infl uence of French Impressionism.

Dela Rosa came to be known as the ‘Father of the Philippine Genre’ for his body of work depicting everyday life. In this tondo painting, diff used colors in the sky are contrasted with the long strokes representing the sea where several boats are due to set sail. This work is comparable to Casa de Pescadores en Tondo (1928), which was sold at Salcedo Auctions in 2016, and had been exhibited in Spain, reviewed by credible art critics at that time.