The Life and Works of Felix Pardo de Tavera: Triumph and Tragedy

Honest and brave, a talented artistic genius, a devoted doctor of medicine, a good husband, and an excellent parent, Dr. Félix Pardo de Tavera is the quintessential Renaissance man.

Felix is the most decorated Filipino sculptor throughout Philippine history. He won a gold medal at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, three sivertiedals at the 1887 Exposición Generalde las Isrs Filipinas in Madrid. Fsilvir medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelfe in Paris, a bronze medal at the 1891 Primera Exposición Gencralde Bellas Artes in Barcelona, as well as several awards in Argentina. He also founded the Society of Decorative Arts in Buenos Aires, with his monumental works in various plazas and government buildings in the capital. And as a friend to many illustrious artists and writers in Paris, the world's art capital, he honed his skills with mentoring from the best, including Felipe Roxas, Tony Robert-Fleury, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Mariano Belliure, and Auguste Rodin. A versatile artist. he was an excellent sculptor and an accomplished painter. And yet, in the Philippines, the land of his birth, only a few know of his greatness.

A humanitarian, he was a medical doctor in France and Argentina, specializing in the treatment of infant mortality. And because of his contributions to the health services program of Argentina, he was given the position of Director of the French Hospital in Buenos Aires.

This book about Felix Pardo de Tavera is but a feeble effort to correct this relegation of him to the far recesses of the memories of a people constantly challenged by historical revisionism. His life and his works, his triumphs and the tragedies chat befell him, and most importantly, his courageous recoveries are lessons in humanity and the human condition that all generations can learn from.

Published in 2022 by Foreign Service Institute

195 pages / Hardcover