Chapter 3.

3
The Artworks

Introduction:

This lesson is properly interpret the political cartoon which is a cartoon that makes a point about
a political issue or event and the caricatures that is a satirical, exaggerated portrayal of person. That
paves the way to understand the situation of politics and of the society in American period.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Interpret properly the selected Political Cartoons and Paintings; and

2. Analyze the context behind each selected Political Cartoons, Caricature and other artworks.

Political Caricature

Such accounts in Philippine History need to be understand the politics and society and
understood not only through text but also cartoons or caricatures. Political cartoons and caricature
are a rather recent art form, which veered away from the classical art by exaggerating human features
and poking funs at its subjects. This is a graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing
opinions in every significant event in our history. This is a combination of artistic skill, hyperbole and
satire in order to question authority and draw attention to corruption, political violence and other
social ills that is worthy of historical examination.

In his book Philippine Cartoons: Political Caricature of the American Era (1900-1941). Alfred
McCoy, together with Alfred Roces, compiled political cartoons published in newspaper dailies and
periodicals in the aforementioned time period. For this part, we are going to look at selected cartoons
and explain the context of each one.

 Born June 8, 1945

 Professor of History at the University of

Wisconsin who specializes in S.E. Asia

 Graduated from the Kent School in 1964; earned

his B.A. from Columbia College and his Ph.D. in
Southeast Asian history from Yale University in
1977

Alfred McCoy  In 2001, was awarded the Grant Goodman Prize

for his career contributions to the study of the
(Author/Creator) Philippines by the Association for Asian Studies
  In October 2012, was awarded the Wilbur Lucius
Cross Medall by Yale University's Graduate
School Alumni Association.

 Born on April 29, 1932 (Sta. Cruz, Manila)

 Married Irene Pineda on May 24, 1958 and has

three daughters

 A gifted artist-writer

 Author of "Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo and the

Generation of 1972“, the National Book Award-
winning title

 Lost his job in 1972 when Manila Times closed

down but begged off jobs in Marcos’ papers

 Became editor-in-chief of the Filipino Heritage, a

ten-volume study on Philippine History and
Alfredo Roces Culture until 1978

(Contributor/Book Designer)  Currently a freelance artist and writer, Alfredo or

Ding, as he is fondly called, has been living in
Australia since 1977.

The first example is the Manila: The Corruption of a City. If the nationalism was the ideology of
the Manila press, then the city was its reality. The editors, artists and writers all lived and worked in
Manila, and so expressed their frustrations with its discomforts and decadence in some of the angriest
cartoons of the American period (1899-1941). Costumes and characters have changed in the half century
since their publication, but Mania’s constant urban problems – poverty, corruption and prostitution --
- give these cartoons an almost timeless quality.

This second cartoons is situated at the Distant Provinces that the provinces began at Manila
door’s step, but for the city press they were a world apart.

The third example is the Colonial Condition: that for Sophisticated Filipino nationalist,
colonialism was not a simple matter of who occupied the executive offices in Malacanang Palace. They
saw colonialism as a pervasive condition that had penetrated the whole of their social fabric –
influencing their culture, politics, economy, and class relations.
 The fourth example is the situation of Uncle Sam and Little Juan: During the decades of U.S.
colonial rule. Uncle Sam underwent a striking transformation in the pages of the Philippines press. In
the early years when Filipino nationalism was at its height, Uncle Sam often appeared crafty and
predatory in his relationship with the virginal maiden. Filipinos, During the Harisson administration,
however, Uncle Sam metamorphized into a wise, kindly looking man with a paternalistic concern for
the boyish figure of Juan de la Cruz, who had largely supplanted the maiden Filipinas as the nation’s
symbol. These images are thus a cameo of changing Filipino attitudes towards America and Americans.

The transition from the Spanish Colonial period to the American Occupation period
demonstrated different scenario of changes and shifts in culture, society, and politics. The selected
cartoons illustrate not only opinion of certain media outfits about the Philippine society during the
American period but also paint a broad image of society and politics under the United States.

Process Questions:

Analysis of the given selected Political Caricatures during the American Period. Identify the
symbols in a cartoon; think about what the cartoonist intends each symbol to stand for. Then, try to
decide what point the cartoonist was trying to make through exaggeration. Does the label make the
meaning of the object more clear? After you’ve studied a cartoon for a while, try to decide what the
cartoon’s main analogy is. What two situations does the cartoon compare? Once you understand the
main analogy, decide if this comparison makes the cartoonist’s point more clearly to you. If you can,
think about what point the irony might be intended to emphasize. Does the irony help the cartoonist
express his or her opinion more effectively?

Paintings

Juan Luna (1857 – 1899) is regarded for work done in the manner of the Spanish, Italian and
French academies of his time, Luna painted literary and historical scenes, some with an underscore of
political commentary. His allegorical works were inspired with classical balance, and often showed
figures in theatrical poses. He is best known for impressive rendition of classical subjects in his
academic works. These works include historical scenes and portraiture, however subsequently he
turned to realism depicting social inequalities. In this lesson, the “Spoliarium” and “The Parisian Life”
are Luna’s presented for the analysis of the students.

https://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/nationalmuseumbeta/Collections/spoliarium.jpg

SPOLIARIUM 19TH Century – Juan Luna

This image is the most valuable oil-on-canvass painting with a size of 4.22 meters x 7.675 meters,
making it the largest painting in the Philippines. It won First Gold Medal in 1884 as an entry to the
prestigious Exposition de Bellas Artses in Madrid.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/The_Parisian_Life_by_Juan_Luna.jpg
/800px-The_Parisian_Life_by_Juan_Luna.jpg
The Parisian Life,1892. French: Interior d’ un Cafi (Inside a Café) --Juan Luna

Fernando Amorsolo (1892 –1972) was one of the most important artists in the history of painting
in the Philippines. Amorsolo was a portraitist and painter of rural Philippine landscapes. He is
popularly known for his craftsmanship and mastery in the use of light. Delights people of his
impressionistic technique depicting idyllic country scene, beautiful maidens, and colorfully dressed
peasants planting or harvesting rice. The Paintings are significant in the development of the formation
of Filipino notions of self and identity. In this lesson, the “Antipolo Fiesta” and “Palay Maiden”
paintings are presented for analysis.

This oil painting on canvas depicts a rural scene where a group of people are shown celebrating a fiesta
in Antipolo.

(http://fernandocamorsolo.com/mfca_erratum/index.html)

Palay Maiden, 1920 (Dalagang Bukid) – Fernando Amorsolo

This painting portrayals a provincial Filipina beauty or dalagang bukid during a rice harvest and
dressed and in and enveloped by the colors of the Philippine flag.

Chapter 3.3

Learning Activities

Activity 1: Let’s Evaluate!

From the Political Caricature that we have study, evaluate them by filling the table by the necessary
data.

Name:__________________________________________Date:_______________________

Course&Year:___________________________________

Caricature Objectives/People that Meaning of each Important Clues Political or Social

Title you see symbol Issues presented
(objects/people)

#1

#2

#3

#4