Pontifical and Royal

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
España, Manila

CALUYA, Javin Alan F. January 30, 2023

4AR-8 Art Appreciation

1. What is your observation about their styles and method of art? How do these arts identify

as a Filipino representation?

The style of art that was presented in the video entitled Philippine History in Art and

Botong Francisco’s A Nation Imagined has some certain similarities and differences when you

compare the two videos together. The art of Carlos “Botong” Francisco exhibits a colorful

depiction of the people and its surroundings in his work. On the other hand, some of the exhibits

present in the Gateway Gallery show unique styles. One example was the monochromatic style

of a certain exhibit which was different from the typical colorful exhibits within the gallery

which in a way stole the spotlight from others. What makes all of these art similar is the way

they depicted the history and way of life of the Filipino people which gave them the “Filipino

representation” that is being asked in the question. For Carlos “Botong” Francisco, his art

provided his perspective based on his memories and transformed all of it into his craft for other

generations to see. He exhibited iconic events in our history such as the Spanish arrival in the

Philippines, introduction of Christianity, Jose Rizal’s execution, World War 2, and more. In

addition, our way of being Filipino was also shown through our daily way of life that made us

unique from other nations such as the different festivals held in our country, the spirit of

‘Bayanihan’ and patriotism which transcends over time.

 Pontifical and Royal
UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
España, Manila

Lastly, Filipino representation through art can also be shown through the depiction of significant

historical figures in the Philippines starting from Lapu-Lapu, Jose Rizal, Manuel Quezon,

General McArthur, and more. Through art, people will be able to learn more about our history

and how we came to be as one nation despite being a hotpot of different ethnicities and cultures.

2. What makes it different and distinct from other cultures?

The first distinction is the historical depiction since each nation has their own history

from the past. The second difference is the emphasis of themes. In our case, the Filipino

representation of art was based on our patriotism, spirit of teamwork and “Bayanihan”, iconic

events in our history, and significant historical figures. For other cultures, it may be emphasized

more on their religion and other interests that they may have that they want to exhibit for other

people to appreciate and experience. While we may have some similarities from other cultures it

is impossible to have very identical themes and emphasis from two different cultures. Lastly is

the method and style from how art is created. Each culture has their own way of transforming

their imagination and memory into life. That’s why art is very diverse from each part of the

world. It may vary from the availability of material present in a region, to the technique that is

implemented and acquired.