HUM LESSON 3: PHILIPPINE ART HISTORY

TRADITIONAL/ ETHNIC/ FOLK ARTS

- It is part of the culture of a group of people. It passed down through generations from master
craftsmen to apprentices.
Ex:
- Folk architecture, maritime transport, weaving, carving, folk performing arts, folk (oral)
literature, folk graphic and plastic A arts, ornament, textile, or fiber art, pottery, and other artistic
expressions of traditional culture.

GAWAD MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN (GAMABA)

- Bearers of non-traditional arts can be nominated as
- It is equal to the National Artist award.

NON-TRADITIONAL ARTS
- Encompasses dance, music, theater, visual arts, literature, film and broadcast arts, architecture
and allied arts and design.
- Major art forms

NATIONAL ARTIST
- Bearers of non-traditional arts can be nominated as
- It is equal to gawad manlilikha ng bayan.

PHILIPPINE ART HISTORY

1. PRE-COLONIAL PHILIPPINES ART

- The first people in the Philippines- Negritos from Borneo, Sumatra, and Malaya, were hunter-
gatherers. However, between 3000BC and 2000BC, Filipinos learned to farm.
- From AD 10th century, Filipinos traded with China and by the AD 12th century, Arab merchants
reached the Philippines and they introduced islam.
- Medieval art in the west- focus was on religion and Christianity.

PRE-COLONIAL INHABITANTS WERE LITERATE:

1. Had systems of Writing and reading.- Baybayin
2. There were at least 16 different types of writing systems present around the Philippines prior to
our colonization.
3. Early forms of literature: Riddles, Tanaga, Diona, Dalit (4 lines; 7 syllables) poetic forms
4. Early literature was also mostly transmitted through performed rituals.
5. Art is COMMUNAL than INDIVIDUALISTIC.
6. Knew the value of gold and other minerals. These coins are called PILONCITO.
7. Some were used as ornaments to show status.
8. There was already a rich indigenous spiritual tradition- the world is inhabited by spirits and
supernatural entities. (Sculpture: Likha- figuring DEITIES; Anito- depicting ANCESTORS)
9. Women are on equal footing with men:
- Ancient Filipinos celebrated a woman's first menstruation.
- pre-colonial women enjoyed the same rights, privileges, and opportunities as did men
- Babaylan
2. SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD 1521

- The colonizers used art as a tool to propagate the Catholic faith through beautiful images.
- Communication was problem, so some native forms were used to promote Catholic faith ( Ex:
Diona and Dalit Poems, Baybayin)
- Used images and performative arts to explain Catholicism (Ex: Church paintings, sinakulo,
pasyon) to replace pagan symbols and practices.
- The friars commissioned artisans to create Catholic images; they were the patrons of the arts in
the country. They enforced strict supervision over their production of arts; art was only for the
church and religious use.
- Native traditions were almost wiped out except for traditions of far- flung ethnic communities
who were not in direct contact with the colonizers.
- Native literature and art were replaced by forms that mirrored the life of medieval Europe.
- The development of the agricultural export economy provided opportunity for native Indios to
acquire economic wealth

ILLUSTRADOS

- Enlightened and educated

- They sent their children to europe
- became the new patron of the arts. These events paved the way for the secularization of art in the
19th century.
 - With more tourists, ilustrados and foreigners demanding souvenirs and decorations from the
country, Tipos del Pias (types of country) developed in painting.
- The rise of the lustrados also saw an increase in the demand of the art of portraiture.
- The need to adorn their newly constructed bahay-na-bato and the want to document their
newfound wealth and social status, motivated the ilustrados to commission painters to make
portraits of themselves.

TIPOS DEL PAIS

- Type of watercolor painting.

DAMIAN DOMINGO

- Most popular artist who worked on Tipos del Pias.

- Father of Filipino Painting and founder of Academia de Dibujoy Pintura (1st school of drawing in
the Philippines 1821)
-

SIMON FLORES

- His works captured the intricately designed jewelry and fashion accessories, the minute details of
the embroidered clothes, and ornately designed domestic furniture of the patrons.

MINIATURISMO

- The painstaking attention to minute details characterized by this painting style

1848

- A decree that all Philippine natives should assume Spanish names.

MARIANO BALDEMOR MADRINAN

- First Filipino to have an international award in sculpture.

3. AMERICAN AND COMMONWEALTH PERIOD PHILIPPINE ART

- 48 years; 1898-1946
 - They sabotaged the Philippines through education and governance. Public education was free;
English- used as a medium of instruction. Spanish and other major dialects are also excluded
from use.
- It is established with U.S. approval.
- Literary forms from the West infiltrated the classrooms.
- indigenous literature and art forms were fortunately preserved through the effort of educated
writers and social scientists.
- Shift in art patronage; The new patrons favored landscapes, still life, and genre themes that show
the beauty of the land and its people.
- The new patrons favored landscapes, still life, and genre themes that show the beauty of the land
and its people. Portraits were still favored by the public officials
- American Colonization brought high influence to the major Filipino art forms: paintings,
sculptures and architectures.

MANUEL QUEZON

- First elected country’s president during this period

FABIAN DELA ROSA (1869 - 19370)

- The first painter of note for the 20th century- considered the brightest name in Filipino painting
and certainly the most important for the first quarter of the century.
- First dean of University of the Philippines

FERNANDO AMORSOLO

- Grand Old Man of Philippine Art

- Nephew of Fabian captured the attention of the public and the buyers and had a long artistic
career.
- He was named as the country's first National Artist in 1972.
- His painting burst with yellow-orange and golden sunlight that captured the Philippine landscape
VS Fabian de la Rosa's works with subdued cool colors
- Amorsolo was therefore able to show the ideal beauty of the Philippine landscape, the Philippine
rural life, and the Filipinas.
- Amorsolo also ventured into advertising. Book and magazine cover designs Designed
commercial products- “Markang Demonyo" for Ginebra San Miguel.
- He was a faculty member and subsequently became the Dean of the U.P. School of Fine Arts
from 1938 to 1952.

AMORSOLO SCHOOL
- 1920’s
- Several young painters started to question Amorsolo school style

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 1908

- Local academy for art

GUILLERMO TOLENTINO

- Studied in Europe (Royal Academy of Fine Arts)

- 1925 professor at the UP School of Fine Arts
- 1935- He was commissioned by the president of UP to sculpt the Oblation
- National Artist of the Philippines for Sculpture in 1973

4. JAPANESE OCCUPATION AND THE PHILIPPINE ART 1942-1925

- Filipinos were scared to express their opinions

- Artistic activities were suspended, but some artists managed to produce artworks based on the
atrocities brought by the war.
- Literature used for communication by the guerillas was produced in secret.
- Common themes: wartime scenes, suffering, propaganda
- Ex: Doomed Family by Dominador Castañedain 1945 and Amorsolo's Defense of a Filipina
Woman's Honor in 1945
- The painting of Amorsolo depicts his unspoken defiance against the oppression during that time.
5. PHILIPPINE ART AFTER INDEPENDENCE

- End of World War 2- September 1945

- July 4, 1946 - Philippine Independence
- April 2, 1972- National Artists of the Philippines award by NCAA
- Fernando Amorsolo- first awardee (National Artist of the Philippines)
- Also dubbed "The Painter of Philippines Sunlight for his illuminated landscapes displayed the
magnificence of the country's sunshine.

BENEFITS:

1. The rank and title of National Artist, as proclaimed by the President of the Philippines.
2. The insignia of a National Artist and a citation
3. A lifetime emolument and material and physical benefits comparable in value to those received
by the highest officers of the land such as:
4. a cash award of one hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) net of taxes, for living awardees;
5. a cash award of seventy-five thousand pesos (P75,000.00) net of taxes, for posthumous awardees,
payable to legal heir/s;
6. a monthly life pension, medical and hospitalization benefits;
7. life insurance coverage for Awardees who are still insurable;
8. a state funeral and burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani;
9. a place of honor, in line with protocolar precedence, at national state functions, and recognition at
cultural events

6. MODERN PHILIPPINE ART/ POSTWW2

- The PH- one of the longest traditions of Modern Art in Asia

- early links with America
- pioneering achievements of Filipino artists who broke away from the classical conventions.
- Art historians would later refer to this group as the 'Thirteen Moderns'
- Styles vary such as expressionism, surrealism, and abstract expressionism

VICTORIO C. EDADES

- "Father of Modern Philippine Painting"

- National Artist for Painting (1976)
- Unlike Amorsolo's bright, sunny, Edades' colors were dark and somber with subject matter or
themes depicting laborers, factory workers or the simple folk in all their dirt, sweat and grime.
- 1930s- University of Sto. Tomas (Dean; introduced a liberal arts program)
- With Francisco and Galo Ocampo (recruited two young dropouts of the U.P. School of Fine
Arts), they led the growth of mural painting in the country

CARLOS BOTONG FRANCISCO 1913-1969

- National Artist for Painting (1973)

 - revived the forgotten art of mural and remained its most distinguished practitioner for nearly
three decades
- depicted Philippine history in his "History of Manila" mural at the Manila City Hall
- trademark fluid lines and brilliant colors filled up the entire pictorial splice of perspective string
the roles academy

OTHER 13 MODERNS:

1. Arsenio Capili
2. Bonifacio Cristobal
3. Demetrio Diego
4. Cesar Legaspi
5. Diosdado Lorenzo
6. Anita Magsaysay
7. Vicente Manansala
8. Galo Ocampo
9. Hernando Ocampo
10. Jose Pardo
11. Ricarte Puruganan

HERNANDO OCAMPO (APRIL 28,1911- DECEMBER 28, 1978)

- Style and subjects

- Neorealism (a reaction to the perceived academic and sentimental status of art in the previous
generation)
- Abstract with extremely bold colors
- Biomorphic shapes
- World War 2, sci-fi, and Philippine landscapes
- Self- taught
- National Artist for Visual Arts (1991)

NAPOLEON “BILLY” VELOSO ABUEVA (1930-2018)

- "Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture"

- National Artist for Sculpture in 1976
- a student of Tolentino
- representational style or modern abstract
 - Example work: The Transfiguration at Eternal Garden Memorial Park

7. CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ART (1970- present)

- Work of artists living in the 21st century.

- Dynamic
- Combination of materials, methods, concepts, ad subjects
- Defies traditional boundaries