Before he rose to prominence as a pioneering neo-realist painter, Cesar had been stricken with several diseases, but was cheered on and taken care of by the love of his life. A sickly mestizo boy, Cesar was studying fine arts in college when he found out that he was color blind - a disability that shattered him but did not deter him from pursuing his dreams to become an artist. In the 1930s, he met the woman who would become his life's greatest supporter, Betty, but together they would brave challenges in order for their love to flourish. A mestizo with Spanish roots, Cesar was not immediately accepted by the family of Betty, whose grandfather was a Katipunero. Betty's family eventually agreed to the young lovers' marriage, which would become tumultuous as Cesar got sick with emphysema and became bedridden. He eventually worked at a promotions company making art for advertisements, putting his own art on hold to provide for his family.
