MANILA – Artworks by National Artists Fernando Amorsolo and Juan Luna from the private art collection of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) are among the masterpieces on display at "Historia," which opened at the Ayala Museum on Monday.

"Historia" is the part of the OBRA Art Series launched by the BPI Foundation in celebration of its 40th anniversary.

The art series kicked off last March with "Pagpugay," which highlighted Filipino family values in 27 featured paintings and sculptures.

"Historia" features 54 artworks, which include maps and prints used as visual records during the Spanish colonial period, Luna’s paintings of urban life in Europe, and Amorsolo’s romantic landscapes.

It also features works by glass sculptor Ramon Orlina, and pre-Modernist era painter Jaime de Guzman, among others.

“Recognizing our unique place in history, BPI and BPI Foundation have embraced a calling to serve as stewards of what the country values, both the tangible and intangible,” said Maricris San Diego, executive director of BPI Foundation.

“Each masterpiece in 'Historia' is fashioned to express these values and as a whole, pays tribute to the enduring resilience of the Filipino spirit,” she added.

The largest section in "Historia" is devoted to Philippine modern art, showing iconic images such as mother-and-child, farmers, fishermen, landscapes, and cityscapes "rendered in bright color, semi-abstract figuration, and noble stature."

Ayala Museum, BPI Foundation’s partner in selecting the artworks, emphasized that the pieces in the exhibition offer glimpses of the Filipino story.

“We curated the collection to show the parallel growth and development of Philippine art and of BPI as a financial institution,” explained Mariles Gustilo, Ayala Museum’s senior director.

The exhibit runs until August 12 at the ground floor exhibit hall of Ayala Museum.