History

of
Philippin
e Arts
 Art draws inspiration from
the society and at the same
time it is honed by the
specific conditions that
engendered its production.
In the Philippine art history, since Filipinos
were influenced by different colonizers, it
gave us an opportunity to learn many art
forms during the different eras. Our
forefathers and artists might have been
cranky along their journey on these eras but
nevertheless it inspired and motivated them
to pursue their passion in arts, thus it gives
us a clear explanation how and why we have
the so called – contemporary arts.
 PRE-
COLONIAL
ERA /
ETHNIC ARTS
 “
In Pre – colonial Philippines, arts were for
ritual purposes or for everyday use. Art of
the ancient Filipinos were woven into the
fabric of everyday life. They did not refer to
art as we do today. That is, as an
expression of an individual, and seen
largely in galleries and concert halls. They
do not distinguish forms into different
categories like music, theatre, visual arts,
etc.
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 Everyday expressions were all
integrated within rituals that
marked significant moments in a
community’s life, like planting,
harvesting, rites passage,
funerary, ceremonies, weddings,
among others.
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Our ancestors, just like others in the
world during those times, were
hunters. The forefathers hunted food
and game that were shared among
members of a community in a
gathering where they told stories
about the hunt. They imitated the
movement of animals and prey, and
the sounds that they made. 7
In this simple activity alone evolved ritual,
music, dance, theatre and even literature.
When they told stories about the hunt, this
form of oral story telling marked the
beginnings of the literature. When they
imitated movements of the animals they
hunted, this marked the early beginnings of
theatre or play acting. When they learned to
add drum beating and attached rhythm to
their movements, they have given birth to
music and dance. 8
The following are the native dance forms
imitated from the movements of the
animals:

1. Pangalay dance (Sulu)

- is mimetic dance of
the movements of the sea
birds.

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2. Talip dance (Ifugao)
- used for courtship is mimetic of the
movements of wild fowls.

3. Inamo dance (Matigsalugs) and Kadaliwas

dance (T’Boli) represent the comedic
movement of the monkey
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4. Tinikling dance
- evocative of the movements of the
crane, balancing itself on stilt – like legs or
flirting away from the clutches of bamboo
traps.

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Famous artworks during pre –
colonial era

1. Carving

• Bulul (Cordillera) - a granary god

that plays an important role in
rituals

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● Hagabi (Ifugao) - a wooden bench

● Okir (Tausug / Samal / Badjao) - mythical

sarimanok, the naga or serpent.

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● Manunggul Jar - discovered at Manunggul
cave of Palawan
- it serves as a container for
secondary burial of the deceased love ones.

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2. Weaving

A. Textile weaving
● Pis siyabit (Tausug of Sulu) a woven
headpiece
● Malong (Maranao of Lanao del Sur)

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B. Mat and basket weaving

● Tepo mat (Sama of Tawi-Tawi)

- a double layered mat made of
Pandan leaves.

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● Ovaloid basket (Itbayat, Batanes)
- made of nito or bamboo
- used to carry the harvests.

● Bubo (Ilocos region)

- a sturdy bamboo strips used
to trap the fish.

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3. Ornamentation
- representations of various ethno-linguistic
groups.
● Wearing gold jewelry (upper class
Tagalog)

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● Tattooing
- it is believed to protect the individual from
evil spirits, it is also a sign of bravery and
maturity.

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ISLAMIC ERA
(13TH Century)
 Islamic era is characterized by geometric
designs and pattern and recurrent motifs such
as the use of geometrical floral or vegetal
designs in a repetition called Arabesque.
The arabesque in Islamic Art is often used to
symbolize the transcendent, indivisible and
infinite nature of God.
Even before the coming of Spanish colonizers,
Islam was already well entrenched in Southern
Philippines.
 Happenings during Islamic era
1. Sultanate of Sulu was established by Sayyid
Abbubakar.
2. Quran or holy text was introduced.
3. Building of religious school called Madrasah.
4. Natives from Yakans, Basilan and Zamboanga
were converted to Islam.
5. Islamazation process in Mindanao became strong.
6. Islam became the religion and as a way of life of
people in Mindanao (Tausug, Maranao,
Maguindanao, Yakan, Samal, Badjao).
SPANISH
ERA
(1521 – 1898)
 Art became a hand maiden of
religion, serving to propagate the
Catholic faith and thus support
the colonial order at the same
time. Religious orders were
dispatched to convert the natives
to Catholicism.
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 During this period, cruciform churches
following the shape of the Latin cross were
built.
In keeping with the prevailing, they were
characterized by grandeur, drama, and
elaborate details that purposely appealed to
the emotions. The use of adobe, limestone
or brick and the construction of thick
buttresses or wing like projections reinforce
the church structure to make it more
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 The result is a fusion of both native and
European elements, prompting some art
historians to refer to the style as colonial
baroque or Philippine or tropical baroque.
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Important Happenings related to art during
Spanish era

● Chinese artisans were engaged in making icons or

saints made in wood or ivory
● Colonial churches were built
● Western musical instruments were introduced:
pipe organ, violin, guitar, and piano
● Catholic liturgical music was introduced in 1742
● Musical form based on Catholic faith have emerge
in the Pasyon – the biblical of Christ’s passion
chanted in an improvise melody.
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● Secular music was formed; the awit and the corridor –
these were the two musical forms based on European
literature and history.
● Kundiman was introduced
● Mangyans made the baybayin script made of bamboo
poles cut into smaller nodes that are carved used to
composed short poems, expressing one’s feelings and
other emotional concerns.
● Pomp and pageantry of religious processions were
introduced.
● Zarzuela was introduced, it was an opera which
features singing and dancing with prosed dialogue
which allowed the story to be carried out in a song.
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● The first Senakulo was written in 1704 by Gaspar
Aquino de Belen
● Komedya was also introduced; Komedya De Santo (it
centers on life of Christ) and Secular Komedya.
● Folk dances such as cariñosa, pandango, polka, dansa
and rigodon, habanera, and tango were introduced.
● Visual arts, and paintings must be visual interpretation
of biblical texts centered to Catholic devotion.
● Reprographic art of printmaking was introduced,
Doctrina Christiana is an example, the first printed
book in the Philippines compiling song lyrics,
commandments, sacraments and other catechetical
material. 30
Famous Artists and their artworks during
Spanish era:

Visual Arts:
● Juan Luna – Spoliarium, Espana y Filipinas

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● Jose Dans –
Heaven,
Earth, Hell

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Musician – Composer:

1. Marcelo Adonay – was a

Filipino church composer,
musician, organist, musical
director and music teacher. He is
regarded as a major icon of
Philippine golden age of church
music for his extensive
contribution to religious music in
the Philippines throughout his
career.

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Theatre:
• Honorata “Atang” de la Rama – was a
singer and bodabil performer who
became the first Filipina film actress.

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Literature:

● Severino Reyes –
Father of the Tagalog
Zarzuela /
Father of Tagalog
Plays
- used the pen name
Lola Basyang

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AMERICAN
ERA
(1898 – 1940)
 In the American regime,
commercial and advertising
arts were integrated into fine
arts curriculum.
Moreover, Americans
favoured idyllic sceneries and
secular forms of arts.
 Because the lingua franca of this
period was English, poems and stories
from books were dramatized in
classroom, to facilitate the teaching of
the English language. Unlike the
Spanish, the Americans passionately
taught their language through an
efficient public school system.
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In less than a decade, Filipino playwrights began
to write plays in English. The demand for artists
who could do illustrations in textbooks or graphic
design to product labels thus emerged. The
inclination towards genre, still life and portrait
paintings persisted.

In 1909, a year after the establishment of the

University of the Philippines, its School of Fine Arts
was opened. It also offered a course on
commercial design to fulfil the aforementioned
demand.
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Famous Artists during American era
• Tomas Mapua – was a Filipino architect, educator and
business man who founded the Mapua Institute of
Technology

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● Fernando Amorsolo - romantic
painter
- painter of “Dalagang Filipina”
- made the logo of Ginebra San Miguel

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Sculpture:
• Guillermo Tolentino
- Bonifacio Monument (1933)
and UP Oblation (1958)

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JAPANESE
ERA
(1941 – 1945)
● Since the Japanese advocated for the culture of
East Asia, preference was given to the indigenous
art and traditions of the Philippines. This
emphasized their propaganda in Asia.

● Art production once again tilted to fulfill the

agenda and demands of the new colonial order.
The Japanese forces led the formation of the
greater East Asia Co – Prosperity Sphere, a
propaganda movement that sought to create a
Pan – Asian identity and rejected Western
traditions. The productions of images, texts, and
music underwent scrutiny. 44
MODER
N ERA
● In this era, artists explored various
mediums, techniques and themes
that were at that time considered
“new”.

● Writers and Artists posed the

question of national identity as the
main theme of various art forms.
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CONTEMPORAR
Y
ERA
● Contemporary art is an art of today
produced by artists living today. It is a
fluid term, and its use can change
depending on the context.

● Philippine Contemporary Art was an

offshoot of social realism brought about
by Martial Law. Arts became expression of
people’s aspiration for a just, free and
sovereign society.
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● Contemporary art has the following
characteristics:
○ collaborative / participative
○ interactive
○ Process - oriented (meaning that there is
less emphasis on the finished product and a
single author or creator. There is a wide
range of strategies, media and techniques)
○ Site specific (they cannot be experienced in
the same way if we remove from their 49
Important Happenings during the rise of
Contemporary Art:

● Many cultural projects ensued amid the backdrop of

poverty and volatile social conditions under the
leadership of Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Marcos in
1965.
● Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972.
● New Society or Bagong Lipunan was built by Marcos in
which the main focus was to rebirth the lost civilization
and aspiration to modernization and development in
which the main vision is to combine the fine arts,
architecture, architecture, interior design, tourism,
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Below is the timeline of Philippine Arts
highlighting the focus of arts of each era.

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- END -

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Thank you for
participating
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