LESSON - 2

A Brief History of Philippine Art.

 PRE - CONQUEST
• In art historical terms, we refer art before the coming of the first
colonizers as "pre-conquest." In stylistic terms, we refer to it as
"indigenous" to emphasize the idea that our ancestors have been making
art even before colonization.
• Pre- colonial Filipino were hunter gatherers. They Imitated the movement
of animals and prey. They even have ritual, music, dance and literature.
• Ritual’s – Kanyaw, Kashawing, Tagbanwa.
 PRE - CONQUEST
• Ethnic Musical instruments: pipes, flutes, zithers, drums and various string
instruments like the kudyapi- a three stringed guitar, the kulintang - an array
of bossed gongs, the gansa or flat gong, bamboo percussion instruments and
the agong- a large bossed gong.
• Native dance forms: pangalay - mimetic of the movement of seabirds,
Mandayas'kinabua, the banog-banog of Higaonon and of the B'laan
communities and the man-manok of Bagobos. The talip dance of the
Ifugaos, the inamong of the Matigsalus, Kadaliwas of T'bolis and Tinikling.
Pipes
Flutes
Zithers
Drums
Kudyapi
Kulintang
Agong
 PRE - CONQUEST
• Ethnic Musical instruments: pipes, flutes, zithers, drums and various
string instruments like the kudyapi- a three stringed guitar, the kulintang -
an array of bossed gongs, the gansa or flat gong, bamboo percussion
instruments and the agong- a large bossed gong.
• Native dance forms: pangalay - mimetic of the movement of seabirds,
Mandayas'kinabua, the banog-banog of Higaonon and of the B'laan
communities and the man-manok of Bagobos. The talip dance of the
Ifugaos, the inamong of the Matigsalus, Kadaliwas of T'bolis and
Tinikling.
Native Dance Forms
 PRE - CONQUEST
• Carved Images: bulul and hagabi of Ifugaos. Santos or sculptures of saints
from Christianized communities in Laguna and Pampanga. Okir of
Southern Philippines, sarimanok, and sultan's house called the torogan.
• The Manunggul Jar, discovered at Manunggul Cave, Lipuun Point,
Palawan is dated to the late Neolithic period (890-710 BC).
• Weaving Tradition: Pis siyabit, malong, langkit. Tepo mat, Bubo.
• Illustrated Manuscript: Boxer Codex.
Bulul
Hagabi
Santo’s
Okir
Manunggul Jar
(890 – 710 BC)
 PRE - CONQUEST
• Carved Images: bulul and hagabi of Ifugaos. Santos or sculptures of saints
from Christianized communities in Laguna and Pampanga. Okir of
Southern Philippines, sarimanok, and sultan's house called the torogan.
• The Manunggul Jar, discovered at Manunggul Cave, Lipuun Point,
Palawan is dated to the late Neolithic period (890-710 BC).
• Weaving Tradition: Pis siyabit, malong, langkit. Tepo mat, Bubo.
• Illustrated Manuscript: Boxer Codex.
Pis Siyabit
Malong
Tepo Mat
Bubo
 PRE - CONQUEST
• Carved Images: bulul and hagabi of Ifugaos. Santos or sculptures of saints
from Christianized communities in Laguna and Pampanga. Okir of
Southern Philippines, sarimanok, and sultan's house called the torogan.
• The Manunggul Jar, discovered at Manunggul Cave, Lipuun Point,
Palawan is dated to the late Neolithic period (890-710 BC).
• Weaving Tradition: Pis siyabit, malong, langkit. Tepo mat, Bubo.
• Illustrated Manuscript: Boxer Codex.
Example of People
in Boxer Codex
Example of People
in Boxer Codex
 PRE - CONQUEST
• Jewelry and Ornament - Lost wax or cire perdue process which involves
the use of moulds filled with liquefied metal that eventually hardens.
• Kendi is a vessel used for pouring liquids. It has a round body with no
handle; while the gadur is a container with a tapered top, a round body,
and a flared base.
Kendi
Gadur
 ISLAMIC PERIOD
• Islam was said to have gained significant grounding in Sulu as early as the
13th century. However, it was in the arrival of Sayyid Abubakar of Arabia
in the 15th century that led to a significant turn of events. He married
Princess Piramisuli, daughter of Rajah Baguinda. Aside from introducing
holy texts via the holy book of Quran and building a house of prayer,
Abubakar was recognized for building a religious school, also known as
the madrasa that facilitated the teaching of Arabic writing in the 16th
century.
• Natives from Zamboanga and Yakans from Basilan were converted to
Islam.
 ISLAMIC PERIOD
• Filipino Muslims recognise that they belong to an ummah or a community
of believers. Central to the Islamic faith is the doctrine of Tawhid or unity
of God.
• According to Prof. Abraham Sakili, God is above and beyond all things. In
Islam divine unity expressed through abstract forms and patterns.
• Part of mosque like mihrab are oriented toward the west. For it is Mecca
where we find the “Greek Mosque of Mecca and its bulbous dome” which
characteristics of Islamic architecture.
Mihrab
 ISLAMIC PERIOD
• Ka’bah is a black shrine believed to be built by prophet Muhammad
Ka’bah is an Muslim architecture which serves as a reference point of the
Qiblah.
• Luhul or canopy features motifs from the Tree of Life.
• Aside from the mythical sarimanok, the Buraq, a horse with the head of a
woman, is also an important figure believed to carry the prophet in his
ascension to heaven.
Kaba’h
Luhul or
Canopy
Torogan
Panolong
Sarimanok
Buraq
 SPANISH COLONIAL
• Arts that developed during Spanish Colonization were:
• Painting and sculpting images of saints
• Literature in the form of catechism and prayer books
• Local theater
• Musical instruments and forms
 SPANISH COLONIAL
• In colonial churches, santos are displayed in a decorative altar niche called retablo.
• The Via Crucis is an important inclusion in colonial churches which are presented
either as a series of 14 paintings a relief sculptures depicting Christs crucifixion
and resurrection.
• With the coming of the Spaniards, who brought western musical instruments like:
Pipe Organ, Piano, Violin, and Guitar.
• Baybayin script used to compose short poems that tell of courtship and other
emotional concerns.
Retablo
 SPANISH COLONIAL
• In colonial churches, santos are displayed in a decorative altar niche called retablo.
• The Via Crucis is an important inclusion in colonial churches which are presented
either as a series of 14 paintings a relief sculptures depicting Christs crucifixion
and resurrection.
• With the coming of the Spaniards, who brought western musical instruments like:
Pipe Organ, Piano, Violin, and Guitar.
• Baybayin script used to compose short poems that tell of courtship and other
emotional concerns.
Via Crucis
 SPANISH COLONIAL
• In colonial churches, santos are displayed in a decorative altar niche called retablo.
• The Via Crucis is an important inclusion in colonial churches which are presented
either as a series of 14 paintings a relief sculptures depicting Christs crucifixion
and resurrection.
• With the coming of the Spaniards, who brought western musical instruments like:
Pipe Organ, Piano, Violin, and Guitar.
• Baybayin script used to compose short poems that tell of courtship and other
emotional concerns.
Pipe Organ
Piano
Violin
Guitar
 SPANISH COLONIAL
• In colonial churches, santos are displayed in a decorative altar niche called retablo.
• The Via Crucis is an important inclusion in colonial churches which are presented
either as a series of 14 paintings a relief sculptures depicting Christs crucifixion
and resurrection.
• With the coming of the Spaniards, who brought western musical instruments like:
Pipe Organ, Piano, Violin, and Guitar.
• Baybayin script used to compose short poems that tell of courtship and other
emotional concerns.
 SPANISH COLONIAL
• The zarzuela or sarswuwela was an operatta which features singing and
dancing interspersed with prose dialogue which allowed the story to be
carried but in song.
• The first senakulo or Passion play was written in 1704 by Gaspar Aquino
de Belen.
• Senakulo, its narrative was called entirely from the biblical account of
Christ’s passion and death on the cross. Local theater that perform during
lent.
Senakulo or Passion Play
Senakulo or Passion Play
 SPANISH COLONIAL
• Komedya is another local theater form that emerged during this period. It
depicts the conflict between the Muslims and Christians.
• Two types of KomedyaKomedya de Santo or Religious KomedyaSeculiar
Komedya
• In Nueva Ecija the senakulo is called araguio or arakyo.
 SPANISH COLONIAL
• In the visual arts, paintings served an instructive function through visual
interpretation of biblical texts central to catholic devotion. ( example is
Heaven, Earth and Hell (1850) ) a manual by Jose Dans in Paete Church,
Laguna.
Heaven, Earth,
and Hell (1850)
 SPANISH COLONIAL
• Doctrina is the first printed book in the Philippines compiling song lyrics,
commandments, sacraments, and other catechetical material.
• 1734, the Jesuit Priest Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde collaborated with
homegrown talents, the artist Francisco Suarez and the engraver Nicolas
De la Cruz Bagay to produce Canta Hydrographica Y Chorographica de
las Yslas Filipinas, the fist scientific map of the Philippines.
Doctrina
Canta Hydrographica
y Chorographica de
las Yslas Filipinas
(1734)
 SPANISH COLONIAL
• Famous arts during this period: Letras y Figuras, The water Carrier by
Lorenzo Gurrero, Primeras Letras by Simon Flores, Spoliarium and
España y Filipinas by Luna, Virgenes christianas expuestas al populacho
by Hidalgo.
Letras y Figuras
The Water
Carrier
Primeras Letras
Spoliarium
Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas Al Populacho
 AMERICAN COLONIAL
• Bound by the Treaty of Paris in 1898, Spain surrendered the Philippines to
the United States.
• From 1899-1913, the bloody Philippine-American War occurred.
• Plays that served as medium for political protest attacking the Americans:
Juan Abad’s Tanikalang Guinto or “Golden Chain“ 1902, Juan Matapang
Cruz’s Hindi Ako Patay or “ I am not Dead” 1903, Aurelio Tolentino’s
Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas or “Yesterday, Today and tomorrow” 1903.
 Tanikalang
Guinto (1902)
Kahapon, Ngayon,
at Bukas (1903)
 AMERICAN COLONIAL
• Drama Simbolico- one- act place that represent a deep and profound
yearning for freedom.
• In 1915, Lino Castillejo and Jesus Araullo authored A Modern Filipina,
the first Filipino play written in English.
• Vaudeville- originated from France-another form of theater which the
Americans introduced that became popular in the Philippines during the
1920’s. collection of slapstick, songs, dances, acrobatics, comedy skits,
chorus girls, magic acts and stand –up comic acts.
Zorilla Theatre
 AMERICAN COLOINIAL
• Daniel Burnham- an architect and urban planner who designed Manila and
Baguio together with Architect William Parsons.
• Building in Manila that exemplified neoclassic architecture include the
Post office and Legislative building (now the National Art Gallery).
• Tomas Mapua, Juan Arellano, Andres Luna de San Pedro, and Antonio
Toledo were among the Filipino architects who designed buildings during
the period. They received training in the US or in Europe.
 AMERICAN COLONIAL
• In 1909, a year after the establishment of the University of the Philippines,
its School of Fine Arts was open.
• Fabian de la Rosa succeeded the peninsulares Rafael Enriquez as
direction.
• Peninsulares- a term used particularly during the colonial period to refer
to Spanish-born residents of the Philippines.
 AMERICAN COLONIAL
• Fabian de la Rosa- a naturalist painter, his works include Planting Rice, 1921 and El
Kundiman, 1930.
• Fernando Amorsolo- known for his romantic paintings. He was also a graphic artist who
rendered drawings for the textbook series The Philippine Readers and illustrations for the
newspapers The Independent . -He is also a professor at the UP School of Fine Arts.-
Amorsolo was posthumously declared National Artist in 1972.
• Guillermo Tolentino- Amorsolo’s counterpart in sculpture.-He studied Fine Arts in Rome
and was influenced by its classical tradition.-He is credited for the iconic oblation (1935,
original/1958, bronze cast found at the UP oblation plaza) and Bonifacio Monuments,1933
in Caloocan.-He was proxclaimed National Artist in 1973.
Planting Rice (1921)
El Kundiman
(1930)
 AMERICAN COLONIAL
• Fabian de la Rosa- a naturalist painter, his works include Planting Rice, 1921 and El
Kundiman, 1930.
• Fernando Amorsolo- known for his romantic paintings. He was also a graphic artist who
rendered drawings for the textbook series The Philippine Readers and illustrations for the
newspapers The Independent . -He is also a professor at the UP School of Fine Arts.-
Amorsolo was posthumously declared National Artist in 1972.
• Guillermo Tolentino- Amorsolo’s counterpart in sculpture.-He studied Fine Arts in Rome
and was influenced by its classical tradition.-He is credited for the iconic oblation (1935,
original/1958, bronze cast found at the UP oblation plaza) and Bonifacio Monuments,1933
in Caloocan.-He was proxclaimed National Artist in 1973.
Bonifacio
Monument
 AMERICAN COLONIAL
• Academic art- a term referring to the kind of art that was influenced by
European academies.
• In sculpture, a later proponent of modern art was Tolentino’s student
National Artist Napoleon Abueva.
• Victorio Edades- most well- known proponent of Modern Art Painting.
 AMERICAN COLONIAL

• Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco- is known for his magisterial murals.-His work is

Filipino Struggles Through History, 1964- one of the largest and most ambitious
in scope, which he did for the Manila City Hall.
• Galo Ocampo- is recognized for indigenizing western icons, as seen in his works
Brown Madonna, 1938- which sets the mother and child in a native, tropical
environment.
• Edades, Francisco and Ocampo have been regarded as the “triumvirate” of
modern art. One of their work is Nature’s Bounty.
• Metropolitan Theater in Manila (1935) is an example of art Deco.
 AMERICAN COLONIAL
• Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco- is known for his magisterial murals.-His work is
Filipino Struggles Through History, 1964- one of the largest and most ambitious in
scope, which he did for the Manila City Hall.
• Galo Ocampo- is recognized for indigenizing western icons, as seen in his works
Brown Madonna, 1938- which sets the mother and child in a native, tropical
environment.
• Edades, Francisco and Ocampo have been regarded as the “triumvirate” of modern
art. One of their work is Nature’s Bounty.
• Metropolitan Theater in Manila (1935) is an example of art Deco.
 Brown
Madonna (1938)
 AMERICAN COLONIAL
• Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco- is known for his magisterial murals.-His work is
Filipino Struggles Through History, 1964- one of the largest and most ambitious in
scope, which he did for the Manila City Hall.
• Galo Ocampo- is recognized for indigenizing western icons, as seen in his works
Brown Madonna, 1938- which sets the mother and child in a native, tropical
environment.
• Edades, Francisco and Ocampo have been regarded as the “triumvirate” of modern
art. One of their work is Nature’s Bounty.
• Metropolitan Theater in Manila (1935) is an example of art Deco.
Nature’s Bounty
 AMERICAN COLONIAL
• Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco- is known for his magisterial murals.-His work is
Filipino Struggles Through History, 1964- one of the largest and most ambitious in
scope, which he did for the Manila City Hall.
• Galo Ocampo- is recognized for indigenizing western icons, as seen in his works
Brown Madonna, 1938- which sets the mother and child in a native, tropical
environment.
• Edades, Francisco and Ocampo have been regarded as the “triumvirate” of modern
art. One of their work is Nature’s Bounty.
• Metropolitan Theater in Manila (1935) is an example of art Deco.
Metropolitan Theater in Manila (1935)
 JAPANESE OCCUPATION
• Japanese sponsored publication such as Shin-Seiki-Newspapers and
magazines such as Liwayway and Tribune.
• Art’s During this Period:
• Amorsolo’s painting “Harvest Scene, 1942”and “Rice Planting, 1942”
• Sylvia La Torre’s hit song Sa Kabukiran written in Tagalog in the 1940’s
by the acclaimed composer Levi Celerio.
 JAPANESE OCCUPATION
• Japanese sponsored publication such as Shin-Seiki-Newspapers and
magazines such as Liwayway and Tribune.
• Arts During this Period:
• Amorsolo’s painting “Harvest Scene, 1942”and “Rice Planting, 1942”
• Sylvia La Torre’s hit song Sa Kabukiran written in Tagalog in the 1940’s
by the acclaimed composer Levi Celerio.
Harvest Scene (1942)
Rice Planting (1942)
 JAPANESE OCCUPATION
• “Study of an Aeta, 1943” by Crispin Lopez that Represents different ethnolinguistic group
• Amorsolo’s Bombing of the Intendencia 1942 ‘’and ‘’ Ruins of the Manila Cathedral, 1945 ‘’.
• Work’s which depicted horrors such as Diosdado Lorenzo’s ‘’Atrocities in Paco and
Dominador Castañedas Doomed Family in 1945’’.
• Neo Realism, Abstraction and other Modern Art Styles – Manansala’s The Beggars, and Tuba
Drinkers, Legaspi’s Gadgets II and Bar Girls, Ocampo’s The Contrast, and Genesis.
• The church's design of this period is a curious combination ofmodern architecture with a
minimalist character. As seen in Angry Christ by Alfonso Ossorio and Street musician’s by
Arturo Luz.
Study of an Aeta (1943)
Bombing of Intendencia (1942)
Ruins of the Manila
Cathedral (1945)
Atrocities in Paco
(1945)
Doomed Family
(1945)
 JAPANESE OCCUPATION
• “Study of an Aeta, 1943” by Crispin Lopez that Represents different ethnolinguistic group
• Amorsolo’s Bombing of the Intendencia 1942 ‘’and ‘’ Ruins of the Manila Cathedral, 1945 ‘’.
• Work’s which depicted horrors such as Diosdado Lorenzo’s ‘’Atrocities in Paco and
Dominador Castañedas Doomed Family in 1945’’.
• Neo Realism, Abstraction and other Modern Art Styles – Manansala’s The Beggars, and Tuba
Drinkers, Legaspi’s Gadgets II and Bar Girls, Ocampo’s The Contrast, and Genesis.
• The church's design of this period is a curious combination ofmodern architecture with a
minimalist character. As seen in Angry Christ by Alfonso Ossorio and Street musician’s by
Arturo Luz.
The Beggars
Tuba Drinker’s
Gadget’s II
Bar Girl’s
The Contrast
Genesis
 JAPANESE OCCUPATION
• “Study of an Aeta, 1943” by Crispin Lopez that Represents different ethnolinguistic group
• Amorsolo’s Bombing of the Intendencia 1942 ‘’and ‘’ Ruins of the Manila Cathedral, 1945 ‘’.
• Work’s which depicted horrors such as Diosdado Lorenzo’s ‘’Atrocities in Paco and
Dominador Castañedas Doomed Family in 1945’’.
• Neo Realism, Abstraction and other Modern Art Styles – Manansala’s The Beggars, and Tuba
Drinkers, Legaspi’s Gadgets II and Bar Girls, Ocampo’s The Contrast, and Genesis.
• The church's design of this period is a curious combination of modern architecture with a
minimalist character. As seen in Angry Christ by Alfonso Ossorio and Street musician’s by
Arturo Luz.
Angry Christ
 Street
Musician's
 70’s TO CONTEMPRARY
• Under the helm of Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Marcos beginning in 1965, many cultural
projects ensued amid the backdrop of poverty and volatile social conditions. Amidst claims of
national chaos of emergency proportions, Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972.
Under Martial Law, Marcos envisioned a New Society or Bagong Lipunan, which worked
toward the rebirth of a long lost civilization, on one hand, and aspiration to modernization and
development, on the other. The discourse of rebirth can also be discerned in the anthem or
songs the regime sponsored and circulated through the media and public education channels.
The optimism toward a new beginning was articulated for example, in Levi Celerio and Felipe
Padilla de Leon's composition for the New Society titled Bagong Pagsiglang.
• The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Serves as the Shrine for Arts.
Cultural Center Of the Philippines (CCP)
 70’s TO CONTEMPORARY
• Social Realism: a form of protest art that exposed the sociopolitical issues
and struggles of the times like Antipas Delotavo's Itak sa Puso ni Mang
Juan.
• The format of protest art is not just confined to painting on canvas but also
extended to other popular forms like Sculpture and Street art. One
example of this: Edgar Fernandez' Kinupot.
Itak sa Puso ni Mang Juan
 70’s TO CONTEMPORARY
• Social Realism: a form of protest art that exposed the sociopolitical issues
and struggles of the times like Antipas Delotavo's Itak sa Puso ni Mang
Juan.
• The format of protest art is not just confined to painting on canvas but also
extended to other popular forms like Sculpture and Street art. One
example of this: Edgar Fernandez' Kinupot.
Kinupot
 70’s TO CONTEMPORARY
• In sculpture, Eduardo Castrillo's gigantic metal work Pieta, 1969 evoked a
strong feeling of anguish and loss through the expressive poses of the
mary mother and the oversized body of christ which she support’s.
• In short The native or the folk, the self, the environment, the nation, the
past and the various variations of the Modern continue to be revisited by
artists as sources of inspiration in contemporary art.