Professional Documents
Culture Documents
History of Philippine Art
History of Philippine Art
0 AD 1000 2000
Events
LITERATURE - It can be in written and oral form. Cave drawings and writings are
the earliest forms of written literature, and rituals, chants, and storytelling are the
earliest forms of oral literature.
VISUAL ARTS - Sculpture, paintings, and pottery were the widely known forms of
visual arts in the Pre-Colonial Period, such as the tattoos from the pintados in
Panay, the Bulul that is a wooden sculpture of the rice God of Ifugaos, and the
Manunggul burial jar that was found in Palawan.
In the 13th century, traders and missionaries introduced Islam religion in the
Philippines, specifically, Sayyid Abubakar of Arabia. Islamic art meshed with ethnic
culture and produced a Filipino Muslim art that reflects the ethnic background and
Islamic identity.
LITERATURE - Quran reading was introduced, and the Arabic language and writing
were taught.
ARCHITECTURE - Early mosques were built made of light materials such as wood,
bamboo, and cogon grass.
SCULPTURE - The traditional art form of this era was known as Ukkil/Okki. It uses
geometric and floral artwork. One popular motif of this art form is the use of
imagery of a dragon or serpent.
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 communication
as a problem, the friars used images to explain the concepts behind Catholicism
and to tell the stories of Christ’s life and passion.
LITERATURE - Baybayin from Mangyans of Mindoro was one of the only preserved
traditional writings of the Filipinos, and the Doctrina Christiana (the teachings of
Christianity) was introduced by the Spaniards.
VISUAL ARTS - Most of the artworks express a hidden desire for rebellion against
Spain, such as the Basi Revolt that is a series of 14 paintings by Esteban
Villanueva; the Carta Hydrograpica y Chorographica de Ias Yslas Filipinas that is
the first scientific map of the Philippines by Francisco Suarez and Nicolas deal
Cruz Bagay; the Spolarium of Juan Luna that won as the Gold Medalist in Spain;
and the Virgenes Christianas expuestas al Populacho of Felix Resurreccion
Hidalgo that won as a Silver Medalist in Madrid, Spain.
SCULPTURE - Santos are made of ivory or wood; relleves are known to be the
facade of churches; and the Carroza or the plateria that is a pedestal used in
religious Catholic procession where an image is loaded.
MUSIC AND DANCE - Pasyon or Pabasa that narrates about the passion of Christ
is introduced in 1742; the kundiman Filipino love song flourish; and the Opening of
the Suez Canal -
Galleon Trade was performed with the dances Pandanggo, tango, polka, dansa,
rigodon, habanera, and jota.
The American Colonial Period was classical in nature, and the artworks are in neo-
classical and modern form. One of their greatest contributions to the Philippines is
the educational system.
VISUAL ARTS - Fernando Amorsolo became famous during the American Period
because of his paintings that depict Filipino culture and Guillermo Tolentino with
his famous sculptures, the UP Oblation (1935) and the Bonifacio Monument (1933).
The arrival of the Japanese caused tremendous fear, hardships, and suffering
among the Filipinos. The Filipino way of life was greatly affected during the
Japanese period. The Filipinos lost their freedom of speech and expression. The
development of art was also stopped resulting in being the dark period of
Philippine history. It is also during this period where modern art slowly penetrating
the art world. Most of the artworks depict the sentiments of artists during the war.
Modern
artists emerged, such as Victorio Edades together with Carlos "Botong" Francisco
and Galo Hernandes who were considered as the "'Triumvirates" that pioneered
modern arts in the country.
Contemporary art mirrors contemporary culture and society, offering the general
audiences rich resources 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. Diverse and eclectic, contemporary art is distinguished by the very lack
of a uniform organizing principle, ideology, or -ism.
In this time, culture and art became highlighted during the Marcos regime when
Imelda Marcos thought of having a home for the arts, and the Cultural Center of
the Philippines was built.