MODULE 4: Lesson 1-

LESSON 1-2:
HISTORICAL Felisa D.
Priego
DEVELOPMENT OF Instructor

PHILIPPINE ARTS
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of the lesson, you should be able

to:

1. identify the characteristics of Philippine art;

2. Trace the development of Philippine art; and
3. explain how art can be a key element in the
formation of a society’s culture.
 INTRODUCTION

The Philippines has a larger and more

vigorous artistic community than any other
Southeast Asian nations because it has four
cultural heritages-Asian, European, Mexican
and American. With the foreign infl uences and
the vibrant diversity of diff erent ethnic and
linguistic groups from diff erent parts of the
country, it has become diffi cult to defi ne
Philippine Art or the extent of Philippine art
derivative from Western art.
 INTRODUCTION

The people of the Philippines are heirs of an

artistic tradition long before the fi rst European
stepped foot on Philippine island. The earliest
examples of Philippine art include wood carvings,
weaving, ceremonial masks, artifacts and stylish body
tattoos worn by the Visayans in Tacloban known as
“Pintados”. Other art form includes traditional music
and folk dances. Many of these ancient arts are still
being practiced today but some have extended over
time to include more “Western” practices, in both
classical and modern styles. These combinations of
diff erent cultures cultivate a fl ourishing art scene in
the Philippines. Hence, this lesson will help you trace
the development of Philippine art.
Encounter in
the Land of
Gold Fernando
Amorsolo,
1959
ENGAGE
FERNANDO AMORSOLO (1892-1972)

 Amorsolo is the fi rst

National Artist
 “Grand Old Man of
PhilippineArt”
 The Spanish-trained
realist developed a
backlighting
technique, where his
colorful depictions of
local people refl ect the
radiance of the
Philippine sun.

The Fruit Gatherer (1950)

 JOSE JOYA (1931-1995)

 A Fili pin o p ion e e r of Ab s tract

ex p re s s ion is m , m ulti-m e d ia
p ainte r Jos é Joy a us e s bold
an d v ib ran t colour s with a
v ar ie ty of pai ntin g
te chn iq u e s , lay e rin g, loos e
im p as to s troke s and
con trolle d d rip s .
 H is h arm on iou s colou rs are
in fl u e n ce d b y Ph ili pp in e
lan ds cap e s and trop ical
wild life .
 H is m as te ry lie s in g e s tu ral
p aintin gs , w he re the p aint is
ap pli e d s p on tan e ous ly on
‘Granadean Arabesque’, 1958 can v as , s om e tim e s di re ctly
ou t of th e tu be or throu gh
th e us e of broad s troke s with
b rus h e s .
 PACITA ABAD (1946-2004)

 the internationally
revered artist fi rst
obtained a degree in
Political Science at the
University of the Philipp
ines
 She is noted to have
worked on more than
5,000 pieces of art –
her masterwork
being Alkaff Bridge,
Singapore, a 55-meter
bridge covered in over
2,000 colourful circles.
It was completed a few
months before she
Alkaff bridge by Pacita Abad passed away from lung
cancer in 2004.
 ANG KIUKOK (1935-2005)

 Ang Kiukok is the

pioneer of Philippine
modern fi gurative
expressionism
 rewarded as the
country’s National
Artist in 2001
 His notable works are
represented in the
Cultural Center of the
Philippines, the
National Historical
Museum of Taipei and
the National Museum
in Singapore.
‘The Fishermen’, 1981
 BENEDICTO CABRERA (1942-
PRESENT)
 ‘BenCab’ in the
Philippines
 Cabrera is the best-
selling commercial
painter of his
generation and a
prominent head of
the local
contemporary art
scene.
 established his own
four-level BenCab
Museum in Baguio
where he resides,
‘Sabel in Blue(2006)”
KIDLAT TAHIMIK (1942-PRESENT)

 critically acclaimed
director Kidlat
Tahimik.
 known as the father of
Philippine
independent fi lmIf you
happen to be in
Baguio, drop by his
artist café and
vegetarian restaurant
Oh My Gulay, which
rests in the heart of
Session Road on the
fi fth fl oor of the La
Azotea Building.
EXPLORE
 PRE-HISTORIC PERIOD

Prior to Magellan’s arrival in 1521, accounts on

pre-Hispanic Philippines were formerly unknown to the
historians. It is only in recent years that history’s facts
have been revealed through discoveries of the earliest
documents and artifacts. The known history of the
Philippines is marked by the creation of the Laguna
Copperplate inscription, the fi rst written document
found in the Philippine language . This earliest record of
the Philippine islands corresponded with the records of
Ferdinand Magellan’s arrival to the Philippines in 1521.
LAGUNA COPPERPLATE
INSCRIPTION
 PRE-HISTORIC PERIOD

Evidences of the earliest Filipino civilization can

be traced in the prehistoric relics and artifacts
unearthed from diff erent part of the Philippines. This
includes fossils, secondary burial jars, body ornaments
and artifacts. One of the fi nest Philippine pre-colonial
artifacts is the Manunggul Jar. At the top handle of its
cover are two prominent fi gures representing two souls
on a voyage to the afterlife. This signifi es that early
Filipinos believed that each individual has an immortal
soul that travels to the other world.
PRE-HISTORIC PERIOD
 PRE-HISTORIC PERIOD

• A new wave of changes took place in the Philippines

at about A.D. 1000 marked by the appearance in
archaeological site of high-fired ceramics.
• This gave proof of the increased marine trade with
the mainland of Asia and the land farther west.
• The increase in contact and trade with areas outside
of the Philippine islands is shown not only by the
artifacts dating to this period that could only have
come from other place, but is also suggested by the
ability of local peoples in reaching outlying areas
through the use of seagoing crafts (Sher, 2012).
 1.1 EARLY PHILIPPINE MUSIC

Being innately musical, the Filipinos, from the

earliest to contemporary times, have imbibed these
traditions and have woven their musical creations
along these mainstreams of musical thought. Through
time, Philippine society has witnessed to evolution of
music expressed in diff erent forms and stylistic
nuances. Indigenous music before the colonial era was
largely functional. Expressed either instrumentally or
vocally or a combination of both, music was deeply
integrated with the activities of the natives (Hila,
2012). Filipino music is quite diverse, composed of 140
ethnic groups spread across thousands of islands which
vary from region to region and has been used
practically for every phase of life, from birth to death.
 1.1 EARLY PHILIPPINE MUSIC

Philippine Indigenous Instruments are grouped into:

• Aerophones (wind instruments)

• Chordophones (stringed Instruments)
• Idiophones (percussion instruments)
WIND INSTRUMENT
 1.1 EARLY PHILIPPINE MUSIC

Examples of Philippine Indigenous Instruments:

1. Tungali (Aerphone instrument), Kalinga nose fl ute.
Played by men to court a lady of their liking.
2. Kaltsang (Chordophone instrument), half tube either
played by the Ibaloi of the Northern Luzon.
3. Kulintang (Idiophone instrument), Set of 8 gongs
made of bronze, on a wooden Sarimanok stand
4. Dadakan (Membranophone instrument), a single-
headed Philippine drum, is normally played while
standing with player holding two sticks made either
out of rattan or bamboo.
 1.1 EARLY PHILIPPINE MUSIC

Examples of Philippine Indigenous Instruments:

1. Tungali (Aerphone instrument), Kalinga nose fl ute.
Played by men to court a lady of their liking.
2. Kaltsang (Chordophone instrument), half tube either
played by the Ibaloi of the Northern Luzon.
3. Kulintang (Idiophone instrument), Set of 8 gongs
made of bronze, on a wooden Sarimanok stand
4. Dadakan (Membranophone instrument), a single-
headed Philippine drum, is normally played while
standing with player holding two sticks made either
out of rattan or bamboo.
 1.1 EARLY PHILIPPINE MUSIC

Examples of Philippine Indigenous Instruments:

1. Tungali (Aerphone instrument), Kalinga nose fl ute.
Played by men to court a lady of their liking.
2. Kaltsang (Chordophone instrument), half tube either
played by the Ibaloi of the Northern Luzon.
3. Kulintang (Idiophone instrument), Set of 8 gongs
made of bronze, on a wooden Sarimanok stand
4. Dadakan (Membranophone instrument), a single-
headed Philippine drum, is normally played while
standing with player holding two sticks made either
out of rattan or bamboo.
1.1 EARLY PHILIPPINE MUSIC
CHORDOPHONES (STRINGED
INSTRUMENTS)
 2. HISPANIC PERIOD (1521-1898)

 The arrival of Spanish colonizers in 1521 and the

colonization of the Philippines from 1565 to 1898
brought about profound changes in the life and art of
the Filipinos.
 Spanish colonial government passed laws placing the
arts under the supervision of the friars.
 Therefore, most of the art created in the Philippines
during the Colonial period was created to adorn
churches and other centers of worship (Wikipedia).
 Through arts, like religious paintings, engravings and
sculpture and colonizers propagate the Catholic faith,
explain the concepts behind Catholicism, and tell the
stories of Christ’s life and passion.
 2.1 SCULPTURE

 There were known paintings in Philippines prior to the arrival

of Spanish in 1521.
 Sculpture was the man art form in the beginning of pre-
Historic period.
 With the arrival of Spaniards and the introduction of
Christianity, carving of anitos was then replaced by the
carvings of saints. The carving of anito, images of the native
religion, was replaced by the carving of santos, images of
Christ and the saints.
 At fi rst the making of santos was under strict supervision by
church authorities to prevent the natives from adding pagan
elements into the prescribe iconography of the church. The
transition may not have been too diffi cult, as the Filipino
carvers had grown familiar with the Christian subjects, but
adjustment had to be made on proportion and style.
2.1 SCULPTURE
 2.2 PAINTING

 During the Spanish regime, painting was exclusively for the

churches and for the religious purposes.
 Since painting was not a usual practice of the Filipinos,
friars have to hire Chinese immigrants to paint religious
illustrations.
 Filipinos eventually learned this skill and inherited both
Chinese and Western technique.
 Paintings were introduced by the Spaniards to the Filipinos
in the 16th century to be used as religious propaganda to
spread Catholicism throughout the country. Most of these
paintings appeared mostly on the walls of the churches and
religious doctrines. The church became the center of arts
and learning on the purpose of aiding the Catholic faith.
Among the earliest collections are religious in themes and
composed of 8th century icons and images created by local
artisans under the tutelage of the friars.
 2.2 PAINTING

• During the late Spanish colonial period, the school of

Academism or “salon” painting emerged and produced good
Filipino painters.
• With the establishment of the academy, many Filipino artists
were also sent to Europe to perfect their skill. Among them
were Juan Novicio Luna and Felix Resureccion Hidalgo who
became the first international Filipino artists when they won
the gold and silver medals in 1884 Madrid Exposition.
• Luan and Hidalgo represented the highest development of
Philippine Art in the Western traditions and their
accomplishments fortified the self- esteem of Filipino artists.
Historically, their names are inseparable and their paintings
are the measure of Filipino artistic excellence in the
nineteenth century.
2.2 PAINTING
 2.3 ARCHITECTURE

 There are many residences preserved in our cities and

towns which date back to the Spanish times. They are
often referred to as Spanish colonial houses (Ibid, 286).
 In the early part of Spanish regime, houses stills used
light materials. Later on, it uses stronger materials like
stone, brick and tile in the construction.
 Basically, the concept Spanish colonial is that of the
native hut, the diff erence being that the former employed
new materials. The interior of the Spanish colonial houses
is very spacious. An anteroom (lobby) just above the
massive and very wide staircase leads to the main living
room; staircases, like the fl ooring of the house, is made
of hard-wood planks. The ceiling of the entire house is
high; some ceilings are painted with scroll-like forms and
other baroque motifs.
2.3 ARCHITECTURE
 2.4 FIESTA DECOR

Every major fi esta in the Philippines has its roots in

the pre-colonial period and appreciation if Filipino colonial art
is incomplete without the mention of the decorations created
especially for fi estas. Spanish missionaries who entered
Philippines found that the fi esta was a convenient tool to win
Filipinos to the new faith. They use the colourful processions
and religious drama to attract and draw people to
participate.
 2.5 PRINT

Alongside sculpture and painting, the art of

printmaking also reached its height in the eighteenth
century that it is even considered as the golden age of the
Philippine printmaking. The fi rst book printed in the
Philippines was in 1593 the “Ang Doctrina Christiana”
written by Fr. Juan Placencia and Fr. Domingo Nieva. Both
written in Tagalog and Spanish. It contained various prayers.
The Ten Commandments, Seven Mortal Sins, How to Confess
and Catechism.

The oldest method of printmaking was woodcut

printing which involved cutting the reverse of an image on a
plaque of wood. Printing from woodcuts was a popular
practice until the 18th century, when copper-plate engraving
became more widely used. In this method, the reverse image
was etched in acid on a copper plate (Pigafetta).
 2.6 LITERACY

When Miguel de Legazpi came to Manila, he

found that almost everybody could read and write. This
was documented by Pedro Chirino, a Jesuit historian,
who wrote in his 1604 Relacion de las Islas Filipinas.
This prompted the friars to publish a book in the native
script in 1593, forty-seven years before the fi rst book
was published in the United States. However, within
the century of the Spaniards’ arrival, literacy in the
Tagalog script that they came upon was gone. It was
not until the end of Spanish reign that it became known
that remote mountain groups had maintained their
literacy in scripts similar to the Tagalog script. They
are still in use today (Santos).
 2.6 LITERACY

Although use of the Philippine script was

customary and widespread in the early days of the
Spanish regime, but by the end of the 17th century, its
use slowly disappeared, relegated mainly to signing
documents that were written in the Latin alphabet. The
ability to read and write is the mark of civilization and,
according to many early Spanish accounts, the early
Filipinos had already been writing for at least a
century, unfortunately not much of this script survived
now.
 3. AMERICAN PERIOD (1898-1946)

Like the Spaniards, the Americans brought many

changes in their forty-fi ve years of reign in the country
and these infl uences can still be seen in the arts and
culture of the Filipino people. The American
government gave priority to education and value
formation, both the “American way of life.” The spread
of democracy and the formation of good citizens,
including the rights and responsibilities of the people,
were the focus of American education in the country.
 3. AMERICAN PERIOD (1898-1946)

During the Spanish period, the Spaniards had

given enormous land properties to Catholic Church.
One of the things the Americans did was to dis-
establish the Catholic Church by purchasing an
extensive amount of church land and redistributing
these land properties. To do so, they fi rst had to pay an
amount of US $7.2 million to the Vatican in 1904. Arts
and learning were no longer the center of the church
and religious theme. Focus shifted to the demand of
the new patrons-American patrons who sought tropical
scenes for their new colony favoured genre, still life’s
and landscape subjects. Also, the merchants and
tourists sought variety of themes and so the range of
subjects for art also expanded considerably.
 3.1 ARCHITECTURE

The architecture of the American colonial period was

patterned after civic buildings of the neoclassical style.
The New York design infl uence is strongly refl ective in this
style (Mahanan, 2005:40). These infl uences can be seen in
the use of new materials such as reinforced concrete,
glass and steel.
With the Americans taking over the Philippines,
urban planning was introduced and new buildings are
needed to be constructed to house various government
services as well as school buildings, hospitals, commercial
buildings and residential houses. Several Filipino
architects who studied from the States were employed to
plan for a neo-classical style government building. Several
of these examples are the Congress, Post Offi ce, Supreme
Court, Philippine General Hospital and the Manila Hall.
3.1 ARCHITECTURE
 3.2 PAINTING

In painting, artist like Fabian de la Rosa worked on realistic

subjects and a soft, cool palette of colors, it was he who fi rst
defi ned Philippine landscape in art, the fi rst to be sensitive to space
as v ital element interacting with the forms of the land, and the fi rst
to discov er the diff erent tones of green in forests and fi elds. Fabian
de la Rosa was the brightest name in Philippine painting after Luna
and certainly the leading master of genre in the fi rst quarter of the
century. Another popular artist who got his start during the
American era was Fernando Amorsolo, the nephew of Fabian de la
Rosa. Fernando Amorsolo was the fi rst artist to ev er be awarded the
Order of National Artist in 1972. Amorsolo is renowned for his
artworks romantically depicting Philippine rural scenes and sun-
drenched country side scenery. H is work and his leadership as a
professor and the dean of the Univ ersity of the Philippines school of
fi ne arts (1952- 1955) inspired of the dev elopment of the “Amorsolo
School” of painting. This school based in the Univ ersity of the
Philippines (UP) School of Fine Arts, functioned as the local
Academy that set the standards and dominated the rural art scene.
3.2 PAINTING

"master of genre" in Philippine

art
 3.3 SCULPTURE

In 1903, just a year after their success in the

Philippine –American War, the Americans ordered the
erection of monuments to Jose Rizal in all the plazas of the
country. It was only in 1913, however, that the prototype
of these monuments was built by a Swiss national showing
Rizal in topcoat with a book in the left hand (Ortiz, et al.
1970:294).
Where Amorsolo remained the dominant fi gure in
painting, Guillermo Tolentino was the dominant fi gure in
sculpture. Having studied in the academy in Rome, he set
the ground for classical sculpture in the country. But while
his fi gures observed the classical norms, he made them
recognizably Filipino. “Tolentino’s masterpieces include the
Oblation in the University of the Philippines and the
Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan.
3.3 SCULPTURE
 3.3 SCULPTURE

The 45 feet tall monument of Andres Bonifacio was completed

in 1933 and now stands at the end of Avenida and the
beginning on Manila North Road. It is composed of 23 fi gures
depicting scenes of injustice, suff ering and resistance of the
Filipino masses. His Oblation , has become the symbol of the
country’s premiere State University, refl ects the classical
ideas-discipline, order, symmetry, and restraint. The naked
fi gure of a young man in a symbolic gesture of sacrifi cial
off ering of service to country and humanity has become a
landmark in every campus of the University. This piece was
commissioned by the fi rst Filipino president of the University
to translate the second stanza of Jose Rizal’s “Mi Ultimo
Adios” into a visual form which would become the identifying
landmark of the University. In 1973 , Tolentino was named as a
National Artist for Sculpture several sculptors followed the
standards set by Tolentino, such as Anastacio Caedo and his
son Florentino.
 4.MODERNISM TO CONTEMPORARY

 The fi rst three decades of the 20th century in the Philippines

were dominated by painter Fernando Amorsolo and sculptor
Guillermo Tolentino , until Victorio Edades returned to the
Philippines and introduced modernism to local artists .
 His fi rst art exhibit after his return from the United States in
1928 caused quite a controversy, particularly his work, “The
Builders”.
 Contrary to Amorsolo’s ever-smiling dalagang Filipina.
Edades showed the hardship of life for the working class.
Instead of the smiling farmers and fi sher folks of Amorsolo,
it depicted distorted, naked working men covered in sweat
and shirt.
 This exhibit was the fi rst public’s exposure to modern art in
the Philippines that it was met with “shock and disdain” to
the audience that there was not a single painting sold.
4.MODERNISM TO CONTEMPORARY
 4.MODERNISM TO CONTEMPORARY

 In time, Edades group expanded into the “Thirteen

Moderns”, considered the pioneers of modern art in the
Philippines. This group was led by Victorio Edades with
Diosdado Lorenzo, Vicente Manansala, Cesar Legaspi, Anita
Magsaysay-Ho, Hernando R. Ocampo, Demetrio Diego,
Arsenio Capili, Ricarte Purungganan, Bonifacio Cristobal,
and Jose Pardo as members.
 The support system for modern art was laid down with the
founding of the Art Association of the Philippines (A AP) and
its annual painting competition which welcomed both
modernist and conservative works.
 Similarly, the Philippine Art Gallery (PAG) provided a venue
for the exhibits of fl edging modernists. Central to these
projects were two women: Purita Kalaw-Ledesma who
founded the A AP, and Lydia Villanueva-Arguilla who opened
the pioneering PAG in Ermita in 1948 (CCP Encyclopedia).
4.MODERNISM TO CONTEMPORARY
 4.MODERNISM TO CONTEMPORARY

• The influences of international style in Philippine

modern painting, as well as the other aspects of
culture raise the question of Filipino identity in the
Art.
• Some artists sought an answer to this concern by
representing in their works the existing condition
and aspirations of the Filipino masses.
• Although much modern art in the Philippines reflects
the trends in the international art scene, a number
of artists continued to search for national identity by
using local subject matter while others explore in
the use of indigenous motifs as in the works of
Abdulmari Imao.
• Others find an answer in the review or
 4.MODERNISM TO CONTEMPORARY

• In the area of Sculpture, experimentation with the

new materials and new sculptural concepts are the
manifestations of development of modern sculpture
in the Philippines.
• It is both a reaction against the classical-
conservative tradition and a dedication to the latest
trends in the international school of sculpture.
• Napoleon Abueva, the first modern Filipino sculptor,
regards national identity in the sculpture as
necessary, believing instead that “pure from and
good design” alone should be the consideration in
appraising their works (Ortiz et al. 1976:303). Other
sculptors like Abdulao Imao, Solomon Saprid and
Eduardo Castrillo have done public sculptures like
4.MODERNISM TO CONTEMPORARY
 5. FUTURE OF PHILIPPINE ART

Many forces have aff ected and will aff ect the
development of Philippine Art and have
stirred a dazzling variety of forms, styles, and
expressions.
Along with the fascination of following the
international trend of trying new way and
creating new forms, a growing national
consciousness is also awakened and inspires
many artists to express nationalistic
sentiments and serve the goals for freedom,
democracy and progress that it eff ect
contributes to the benefi t of the national art.
 5. FUTURE OF PHILIPPINE ART

Many of the contemporary artists also gain

experience with the new imaging and multi-
media tools and internet.
With lots of information and more access to the
resources, the works of the new generation of
Filipino artists are displaying constant change
and exploration and in varieties of innovations.
Their performance in the coming years together
will largely determine the future of Philippine
art. With this, the next generation of young
artists, in any case, are the true heirs of the
Philippine contemporary Art movement.
ELABORATE
EVALUATE
THANK YOU Have a nice
day!