Mark Chester D.

Ballesteros
AB ELS 1-2
Readings in Philippine History

Response Paper 2

Introduction

The end of the Spanish regime in the Philippines was seen by the Filipinos as a step ahead to
their longed independency. Little did they know that ending the reign of the brutal Spaniard colonizers
will just open an opportunity to other colonizing nations to take control of the Philippines. After the
defeat of Spain in Spanish-American war, they already gave up the Philippines to United States in the
Treaty of Paris. Despite being free from the hands of Spaniards, Filipino nationalists that was led by
Emilio Aguinaldo, waged another war but this time, it is against the Americans. The battle between the
two resulted to countless deaths of Filipinos and in the lines of American soldiers. At the end, Americans
still managed to establish their colonial rule in the whole archipelago but this ruling period of them did
not take long. Shortly after, Japan invaded the Philippines in 1941 and with just a year, they already took
control of the whole country. Americans resisted in the said battle but end up notwithstanding the
power that Japan incurred. The numerous wars brought a great calamity to the Filipino people. Many
have died because of violence, famine and several inhumane acts done by the Japanese soldiers whom
we consider the last colonizers to rule the Philippines.

The Japanese colonial period was ruthless killing innocent children, sexually abusing women,
and even causing massacres. Despite the Philippines being ruled by a partisan nation, certain works of
arts still managed to emerge and awaken Filipinos to their martyr slumber. One of the known artists
during the Japanese regime was Fernando Amorsolo. Amorsolo is the first National Artist of the
Philippines for painting and he really did contribute a lot in his field. Before, his works were countryside
themed because that is where he lives. When World War II happened, his works were greatly influenced
by the crisis. Still using vibrant colors and illuminations yet the narratives of his crafts reflect the misery
of the Filipinos in that time. Fernando Amorsolo’s extravagant crafts became famous later giving him the
title “Painter of the Philippines Sunlight”.

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 In this paper, three of Fernando Amorsolo’s painting will be thoroughly analyzed. This paper will
also decrypt the narratives and insights he put in his famous paintings that were created during the
Japanese colonial period.

Description of the Sources

Defence of a Filipina Woman's Honour (1945). Oil on canvas

Defence of a Filipina woman's honour was one of Amorsolo’s work of art in 1945 during the
World War II. This work of art shows the afflictions faced by the Filipinos’ particularly symbolizing how
Filipinas were being used as an outlet of the Japanese soldier’s sexual desires. In this painting, there is a
man holding a piece of bolo showing a defensive gesture and as his posture suggests, he is protecting
the woman beside him from an unseen threat. Considering that this painting was done during the
Japanese period, it only portrays what was the condition of Filipinas during that time in which they were
being abducted and raped by the Japanese soldiers. Women were treated nothing more but a toy by
these colonizers. The man’s gesture here portrays that Filipinas during the Japanese occupation really
needs a protection from the Japanese who has a motive of raping them. This painting reflects misery

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and malicious acts done to Filipina women in time of Japanese colonization and Fernando Amorsolo did
a great job on this work of him because the symbolisms that he used are all clear and speaks on itself.

The Maid of Bataan (1942). Oil on Canvas

During the years of battling, Fernando Amorsolo’s captivating bright countryside paintings have
vanished and was replaced by paintings which themes depicts sorrow, despair, and death. This painting
was titled “The Maiden of Bataan” and was created in 1942 during the World War II. In this painting,
there is a woman enveloped with an ethereal aura while she was kneeling with a dead body. The
scenery is emitting a sorrowful vibe and that is because of the costs of war since this painting was

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created the same year when thousands of people was killed. The peak of the battle between Americans,
Filipinos and Japanese happened in 1942 and it is also when this painting was created.

The dead man in the foreground portrays the death of many guerilla Filipino soldiers in the
hands of the Japanese invaders. The Maiden with a glowing aura on the other hand, symbolizes the
resilience of Filipinos to be controlled again and represents the power of good over evil. It is said that in
this painting, Amorsolo compared the misery of war to hell by adding such dark symbolism in the
painting such as the burning inferno in the background that is flowing into the dark unknown place. The
painting was also created same year when the Bataan Death March happened which is one of the tragic
histories that happened in the Philippines.

Returning Fisherman (1943). Oil on Canvas

This work of Fernando Amorsolo was titled “Returning Fisherman” dated way back 1943. Also,
this painting of Amorsolo showcased how artistic he is when it comes to the creation of sceneries. The
techniques that he used was very evident in this craft such as how he captures the drama with the
changes in the lighting of the scenery in this painting, a sunset over the seashore. Particularly, this

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painting shows the setting of seascapes in the Philippines based on the type of clothes that the
characters in the painting wore and how he created the structure of the scenery itself. The title of the
painting lived on itself because of the elements that Amorsolo incorporated. Watch how he played the
light in the painting, it is dim with a little shimmer of light that was visible in the seam, the ashen clouds
that shrouded the peak of the mountain, and the balanced silhouette applied in every subject in the
painting. All of these shows the life of an ordinary fisherman in the Philippines, going out before the sun
touches the tides and going back at twilight at the end of the day. The sentiment of nature was an
essential ingredient in Amorsolo’s works. It gives him the ambiance and atmosphere that he considered
an important element of creating sceneries such as seascapes. Therefore, mostly of his works was
engulfed with an ambience of tranquility, serenity, and calmness rather than a strong overly dramatic
event.

Analysis
The first painting which is Defence of a Filipina’s Woman Honour, speaks truly to its title. This
painting is the portrayal of the state of the Filipinas during the Japanese occupation here in the
Philippines. There is a significant feel that this painting is emitting and that is protection. Protection that
must be imbued to all the women that lived in the era of World War II because their body are being
used by the Japanese men for the fulfillment of their dark desires. Also, considering that there is a man
that is trying to protect the woman in the painting, it also suggests that due to the poor resilience of the
Philippines against the colonizers because of lack of military power, this kind of fiendish acts of Japanese
colonizers was done frankly and publicly. These women were being raped just in front of their relatives
or other people. The terrified face in the woman’s face in the painting says it all, that women in those
days lived in fear because no one knew they might be the next victim of these soldiers. Even in the
clothes of the woman that is slightly stripped, you can tell that she was about to be raped but saved
immediately in no time. The threat may not be seen in the painting but visually analyzing it, you can see
a Japanese soldier’s headcap in front of the man’s foot and that I think is another evidence that the
antagonist behind this specific painting is a Japanese soldier aside from the date where it was created.

Looking at the man holding a bolo, it does symbolize something that we Filipinos still possess up
to this day, and that is our high appreciation towards women. The face of the man is full of braveness
and fortitude as if he will do anything just to save the lady that was nearly raped. Fearsome enough to

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fight back with just a bolo with a soldier that might have a possession of a firearm, that is a true
courageousness.

On the other hand, The Maiden of Bataan conveys the same context about the misery of
Filipinos during the Japanese occupation. This painting shows the condition of Guerilla soldiers during
the era of World War II where they fought hard to stop the cruelty of the persisting colonizers during
their time and for their beloved nation. Since the title includes Bataan, it also suggests that the scenery
in the painting is connected in Bataan Death March where thousands of Filipinos and Americans were
captured and forced to march 65 miles for the next seven days without giving them food nor a drop of
water. It was called a Death march because it is the Japanese’s way of mercilessly killing those people
that is in the side of opposition. If you stop marching, they will shoot or behead you, if you need to
defecate, they will kill you. Even if you survived the march, diseases would do the work and take a toll in
your life. Therefore, the dead man in the painting was not just only a guerilla soldier but a captured one
who was included to the Bataan Death March. He symbolizes courage and self-sacrifice. This work of
Amorsolo pays a homage to the deaths of many of his fellowman who fought bravely to get the liberty
that they once had.

Lastly, The Returning Fisherman shows a different ambience from the two previous painting.
The other paintings conveyed the most tragic and dramatic events happened during their manufactured
dates, but this last piece was created differently. It shows tranquility that cannot be associated with the
happenings in that era. It does not make sense since it was created in 1943 before the manufactured
date of Defence of Filipina’s Women Honour in 1945. That only means that the year 1943, the nation
was still amid of war because scenarios like rape still persists in 1945. The context of this specific craft
may be associated with the establishing of Second Philippine independence in 1943 declared by Premier
Hideki Tojo. He promised to give the independence that the Filipinos longed for. This painting portrays
the scenes that might be seen back then when the Philippines was once free from the hands of
colonizers. It embodies two symbolisms, hope and longing. Hope that after so many years of cruelty,
finally there is a promise, a word that they can hold on to but at the same time longing for what has
been taken to them. The old times where they do not fear of going out to the sun, the love ones that
have been lost.

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Conclusion

In my conclusion, I can say that these three masterpieces of Fernando Amorsolo served as an
outlet of him to show what happened to the Filipinos and their experiences amidst of war. Each one of
the paintings has their own stories but all of them are portraying an incident that brought resentment to
every Filipino who witnessed that melancholic incident, the World War II. Amorsolo’s creativity brought
life to his paintings as if those paintings are speaking and describing itself. The Defence of Filipina’s
Woman Honour which portrays the condition of women to the hands of Japanese soldiers, the Maiden
of Bataan which portrays the horror that Filipino soldiers experienced during the Japanese occupation,
and the Returning Fisherman which shows hope in the middle of war.

Despite the negative contexts that has been bestowed to the paintings, there are still
symbolisms of virtues such as the preservation of femininity that has been shown to his Defence of
Filipina’s Woman Honour. It is shown on the painting based on how the man was trying to protect his
beloved wife. Another one was shown in the Maiden of Bataan, and that is having faith. As the mother
grieved with the death of her son, she was looking up in the sky while being enveloped by an ominous
light. The face of the mother is full of faith. With her looking at the sky and with the light that surrounds
her, I can say that the faith she has is for the God above. This pays a tribute to all Filipino soldiers who
sacrificed themselves to attain the betterment of their nation especially those who was captured and
died in the death march at Bataan. Same with the Returning Fisherman. This painting might possess
tranquility but looking at its date of creation, you can see that it was created during the peak of the
World War II. For me, it shows hope in a place full of hopelessness, that the cost of war has already been
too much for them but despite of that, hope still glimmers through their minds because of the promise
that has been told to them, that one day, the war will come to its end just like how the fisherman in the
painting returned to his family after a long exhausting day of sailing.

The Japanese occupation has changed Fernando Amorsolo’s remarkable vibrant coloring
techniques to something that shows dark experiences in that era. His artworks during that time became
a representation of the misery that the war inflicted to Filipinos. Crafts like this is like a fragment of the
history of the Philippines and it cannot be done without the artists that made these masterpieces.

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 Limos, Mario Alvaro. “The Life and Career of Fernando Amorsolo, The Philippines' First National
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 Margoism. “Margoism.” oh no, i'm in my 30s, August 27, 2010.

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