HOW PHILIPPINE IS

PHILIPPINE ART? A
SURVEY ON THE MARKERS
OF OUR ARTISTIC
CULTURE
Lesson 5
FILIPINO ARTISTS
 1. Fernando Amorsolo interpreted the
“Philippine Light”
He developed the use of light—actually, backlight—which is his greatest contribution to Philippine painting.
Characteristically, an Amorsolo painting contains a glow against which the figures are outlined, and at one
point of the canvas there is generally a burst of light that highlights the smallest detail.

Amorsolo was noted for his portraits. He made oils of all the Philippine presidents, including the
revolutionary leader Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, and other noted Philippine figures. He also painted many
wartime scenes, including Bataan, Corner of Hell, and One Casualty.

Amorsolo, who died in 1972, is said to have painted more than 10,000 pieces. He continued to paint even in
his late 70s, despite arthritis in his hands. Even his late works feature the classic Amorsolo tropical sunlight.
He said he hated "sad and gloomy" paintings, and he executed only one painting in which rain appears.
 2. Vicente Manansala developed his rendition
of transparent cubism technique

The end of World War II had brought about significant social awareness of cultural identities, which Vicente
began to reflect in his own work with the necessary amount of delicacy. His canvases employed repetition
of shape and form to depict everyday iconic moments of life in the city and the slums, and the intrinsic
connection between members of family and society. His unique approach to cubism utilizing translucent
color would be coined as “transparent cubism”. Though he went through a black-and-white phase for a
time, primarily for crucifixes and Madonna and child paintings, he found a huge advantage in color
manipulation which would become a vital element of his art.
 3. Hernando R. Ocampo’s style was considered
by some critics as the most Filipino

HR Ocampo is a Filipino National Artist in the visual arts. He is also fictionist, a playwright and editor.
Ocampo was a leading radical modernist artist in the Philippines. He was a member of the Saturday Group
of artists (also known as the Taza de Oro Group), and was one of the pre-war Thirteen Moderns, a group of
modernist artists founded by Victorio C. Edades in 1938. Famously known for his triumvirate of with
neo-realists Vicente S. Manansala and Cesar Legaspi, he did works which reflected the harsh realities of his
country after the Second World War. However, many of his works, through his skillful use of fierce and bold
colors, depicted lush sceneries and beautiful Philippine landscapes.
 4. Napoleon Abueva’s modernist but
Filipino-themed sculptures

His long and fruitful career as a sculptor has lent him the official title of the National Artist of the
Philippines, and the unofficial recognition of being the father of contemporary Filipino sculpture. Abueva’s
influence on Filipino art has been immense, and his skill as a sculptor spans material as varied as wood,
bronze, coral, and stone. We explore the life and work of the Philippines’ most talented and recognized
modern sculptor.
WHAT’S HAPPENING? A
BITE OF VISUAL ARTS
HISTORY OF THE
COUNTRY
Lesson 6
 TIMELINE OF PHILIPPINE ARTS
CHARACTERISTIC
ERA TIME DISTINCT FEATURES
S
Arts for ritual purposes or for everyday
use. As local communities become
established, art starts to go beyond mere
ETHNIC ART Pre-13 AD Integral to life
craft, i.e. stone weapons or jewelry but
starts to have decorative elements,
meaning and context.
 TIMELINE OF PHILIPPINE ARTS
CHARACTERISTI
ERA TIME DISTINCT FEATURES
CS
Characterized by geometric designs and patterns
ISLAMIC ART 13 AD Geometric designs
eliciting focus from believers

When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in

1521, the colonizers used art as a tool to propagate
the Catholic faith through beautiful images. With
SPANISH ERA 1521-1898 Faith and Catechism communication as problem, the friars used images
to explain the concepts behind Catholicism, and to
tell the stories of Christ’s life and passion.
 TIMELINE OF PHILIPPINE ARTS
CHARACTERISTI
ERA TIME DISTINCT FEATURES
CS
From one colonizer to another – after more than
three centuries of Spanish rule, the Americans
came. They set out to conquer the Filipinos
through education and governance – the public
school system and a system of government.
AMERICAN
1898 Secular Art Forms Classicism: Fabian dela Rosa (1869 – 1937) was
ERA
the first painter of note for the 20th century. He
was noted for his realistic portraits, genre, and
landscapes in subdued colors. He was enrolled at
the Escuela de Bellas Artes y Dibujo and took
lessons from Lorenzo Guerrero.
 TIMELINE OF PHILIPPINE ARTS
CHARACTERISTI
ERA TIME DISTINCT FEATURES
CS
Modernism would have its seeds planted in the
1890’s with Miguel Zaragosa’s two pointillist
works. Emilio Alvero later produced several
Impressionist still life paintings. But it would take
an architect to give modernism its needed boost in
AMERICAN the country. Juan Arellano would be known as an
1898 Secular Art Forms
ERA architect but his Impressionist landscapes are as
impressive as his buildings.
Carlos “Botong” Francisco, (1913 – 1969),
Angono-based painter, depicted Philippine history
in his “History of Manila” mural at the Manila
City Hall.
 TIMELINE OF PHILIPPINE ARTS
CHARACTERISTIC
ERA TIME DISTINCT FEATURES
S
The arrival of the Japanese caused
tremendous fear, hardships and suffering
among the Filipinos. The Filipino way of
JAPANESE ERA 1941 Orientalizing life was greatly affected during the
Japanese period. The Filipinos lost their
freedom of speech and expression. The
development of art was also stopped.
 TIMELINE OF PHILIPPINE ARTS
CHARACTERISTIC
ERA TIME DISTINCT FEATURES
S
Modern era in Philippine Art began after
World War 2 and the granting of
Independence. Writers and artists posed
the question of national identity as the
main theme of various art forms. Modern
MODERN ERA 1960-1969 National Identity art is characterized by the artist's intent to
portray a subject as it exists in the world,
according to his or her unique
perspective and is typified by a rejection
of accepted or traditional styles and
values.
 TIMELINE OF PHILIPPINE ARTS
CHARACTERISTIC
ERA TIME DISTINCT FEATURES
S
Contemporary art as the work of artists
who are living in the 21st century.
Contemporary art mirrors contemporary
culture and society, offering the general
audiences a rich resource through which
CONTEMPORARY 1970 up to present Social Realism to consider current ideas and rethink the
familiar. The work of contemporary
artists is a dynamic combination of
materials, methods, concepts, and
subjects that challenges traditional
boundaries and defies easy definition.