Constancio Ma. Anastacio Bernardo (CMaB) characterized his artistic development in the 1940s as having "A Touch of Spanish Impressionism." This influence stemmed from his time at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts (UPSFA), which was initially headed by Classical Realist Fabian de la Rosa. De la Rosa heavily influenced his nephew, Fernando Amorsolo, who later became Director and, along with his brother Pablo, leaned towards Spanish Impressionism. Despite popular belief, CMaB clarified that Amorsolo was an impressionist, not a conservative realist. The "Amorsolo school" was forming in the early 1940s, becoming a dominant influence at UPSFA. For CMaB, this period of Spanish Impressionist influence ended by the close of the 1940s, though UPSFA itself became increasingly associated with Conservatism in Art.