Kaye Ayn Iona M.

Tan
BSA-3B

ACTIVITY 1
Title of the Work: “Mother and Child”

Name of the Artist: Vicente Silva Manansala

When was the work created: 1967

Where was the work created: Manila, Philippines

Kaye Ayn Iona M. Tan
BSA-3B

I. LITERAL DESCRIPTION

“Mother and Child”, a painting of Vicente Silva Manansala, a Filipino painter who garnered various
awards in the late 1900s for his works. In the painting we can see a mother with her back shown and
nurturing her child. The mother is wearing a black house dress, or what we Filipinos call in layman’s term
as a “Daster”. This type of house dress is pretty common for Filipino mothers to wear. Though we can only
see the child’s feet, the picture is still vivid enough for me to understand what was going on in the painting.
The painting had some forms of abstractness, judging by how geometric shapes and figures were used to
highlight the painting and to portray the image. In a sense, as we can mostly observe from most abstract
paintings is that this style of painting that the artist used had a clearer and a more vivid picture. I didn’t
need to tilt my head or look at it from a different angle and perspective since its elements can easily be
distinguished at first glance.

This painting had elements that showed what the artist was trying to portray or convey. And these
were a mother and child amidst hardships and poverty. The darker tone and colours used in the image
took away the vibrancy or the possibility of a lively picture which somewhat affirmed my thoughts. The
mother was sitting on the floor and beside her was an oil lamp, the only thing that could give light to the
dark room. I think that this image of a mother and child has a deeper meaning to what we can actually
see. The artist made an innovative image of what times were like in the Post War times in Manila, since
the painting was made right after the War. The Filipinos were in a dire state, poverty and hardships were
pretty common and rampant all across Manila. The war had taken its toll in the country and what better
image to portray the spoils and effects of such calamity was through a vivid picture of a Mother and Child
whom everyone can relate to. The artist used dark tones and colours like black, grey, and brown. Colours
that can easily be associated with hardships, discomfort, sorrow or anything of such negative impact on
the one looking at the painting. It also showed them abstractly an image of a Mother nurturing her child,
amidst all the chaos and hardships life throws, a Mother will always be there for her Child- to nurture, to
take care and to love her child more than anything in this world. It’s what Mothers do best. He portrayed
this figuratively. Manansala wanted to show this image of Motherly love to the people who would see his
art. He wanted to remind the Filipinos not to give into poverty and failures. There will always be that
loving hand that will hold us when things go south. A hand that has always been warm, familiar and no
matter how coarse it was because of working, it was a hand that lifted us up in our darkest moments.

The intention of the artist was pretty clear, he wanted to inform the people and the Government at
what a sorry state the Filipinos at that time were experiencing. Using a character where people can relate
to with sympathy, remorse or even might light a spark in them that would want them to make a move for
the current country’s state at that time to change. He wanted something to change through his painting
and to portray it figuratively, he did.
Kaye Ayn Iona M. Tan
BSA-3B

II. COMPREHENSIVE FEELING

A Mother is always there for her child, always caring, and ever so loving. She supports and guides her
child. She does it all, even though we might think that it’s impossible, she will always find a way to do so
and make it seem so natural and so effortless. There is nothing a mother cannot do for her child, that’s
why we call our Mother’s the “Wonder Woman” or “Super Mom” because she does things that only
mothers can do. And there’s only one true explanation why mothers do these things, why they always go
an extra mile for their kids. It’s because they truly love their child more than anything and anyone in this
world. They can endure all the hardships and trials in life because they love their children, they’ll put their
Child’s safety first instead of their own, their Child’s happiness and well-being as well.

Seeing the painting made me reminisce about the past and the times when I was younger and was
still very much dependent on my mother. She was always there when I was sick, and watched me all night
till I wake up in the morning in her loving embrace. She taught me what’s right from wrong, and guided
me when I was striding farther away from the path that I should take. The image that I pictured was so
nostalgic and very heart-warming indeed. No matter how much I’ve grown, I am still the Child she took
care of when I was sick, the child she guided every time I made a mistake. The Child she lifted up every
time I fell, I was and will always be that Child in the eyes of my mother, we all are.

No matter how much we’ve grown, our mothers will always be there for us. Hardships, trials and
problems in life can’t compare to how much they love us. I think Manansala’s Mother and Child was him
trying to interpret what Motherly Love is. In a time of poverty and post war chaos in Manila, he wanted
the Filipinos to not forget about the warmth we felt when we were kids, no matter where we are, what
state of living we were in. We all felt that warmth. It was a light that never dimmed and continued to do
so amidst all the chaos in life. He even portrayed it figuratively with the Oil lamp at the side of the mother
and child providing the so called light, but the thing is the Light that we saw never came from the Oil Lamp
or any forms of light that were present in the portrait. It came from the mother nurturing her child,
showing her child how much she cared, and loved her ,even though she doesn’t have the lavishes of life
she still tried her best to provide and that’s what mothers do best. It’s to always come through for their
child no matter how hard the climb, no matter big a task it is for them, they will always come through.

That’s why this painting made me appreciate my Mother, in all that she is even more. She is the
inspiration I have to keep my head held high no matter what challenges I may face in life. She’s the wall
that’s backing me up when I need someone to lean on. She’s the light in my life that keeps me moving
forward. It’s funny how a painting might seem so dull, simple, gloomy and sad at the same time heart-
warming and nostalgic. It took me aback and moved me because of how well portrayed the artist’s work
was.

With that said, I think the artist was trying to convey this message to the people who were viewing
his painting. The painting might not be something that catches your eyes at first glance because of the
darker tone and colours that the artist used, but taking time to appreciate the work we can see that it’s
rather vibrant and touches different aspects of our emotions based on our past memories of our childhood
with our mother, thus the title “Mother and Child”, a rather fitting title for something so simple yet hides
a lot of emotions and feelings.
Kaye Ayn Iona M. Tan
BSA-3B

ACTIVITY 1
Title of the Work: “Mother and Child”

Name of the Artist: Vicente Silva Manansala

When was the work created: 1967

Where was the work created: Manila, Philippines