LESSON : Brief History of Philippine Art

As we may have discussed and learned the technicalities of

Contemporary Art, i.e. its definition, characteristics, classification, functions,
elements, and principles, we will now proceed on an interesting &
meaningful subject matter this time. This next topic is all about the
Development of Philippine Art throughout History. Have you ever wonder
how did the Philippine Art start? Who were the first Philippine Artists? What
materials did they use? And how was it? How did they experience creating
and/or producing Art without any formal training/education? What was art
THEN and what it is NOW? How did our ancestors nurtured, developed, and
contributed to the Contemporary Philippine Art? How did the Philippine Art
evolved and/or developed from the pre-colonial era to its current form the
Contemporary period?

Artwork by Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco

LET’S START LEARNING!

Development of Philippine Art throughout History
1. Pre-colonial
- In the pre-colonial Philippines, arts are for ritual purposes or
everyday uses. Pre-colonial traditional art has religious symbols,
everyday activities such as fishing, farming, etc., or a specific
decorative art pattern to the community • It has either the
influence of local religion (animistic) or Islamic based. The following
are pre-colonial artforms:
o Pottery – Pottery is the process and the products of forming
vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic
materials.
 ▪ A renowned cultural masterpiece of our ancestors is the
Manunggul Jar. It is a secondary burial jar excavated
from a Neolithic burial site in the Manunggul Cave of
the Tabon Cave
o Weaving – a method of textile production
▪ An artform developed from South Cotabato which is
called ‘Tnalak.’ T’boli tribe is famous for their dream-
inspired and spirit infused T’nalak weavings which are
made of Abaca fibers.
o Pre-colonial Musical Instrument
▪ Kudyapi - It is a Philippine two-stringed, fretted boat-
lute. It is the only stringed instrument among the
Palawan people.
▪ Kulintang - is a modern term for an ancient
instrumental form of music composed on a row of small,
horizontally laid gongs that function melodically,
accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums.
o Tattoo – a form of body modification where a design is made
by inserting ink, dyes, and pigments.
▪ Batok is the local term for the tattoo in the Cordillera
region. Tattooing was prevalent during pre-colonial In
the archipelago. Apo Whang-Od is a famous tattoo
artist from the Cordillera region who truly preserves and
shares her tattoo skills to tourists.

o Carving – an act of using tools to shape something from a

material like wood or stone.
▪ A pre-colonial artform developed by our ancestors was
Bul’ul. It is a carved wooden figure used to guard the
rice crop by the Ifugao peoples of northern Luzon
o Rituals – it may be prescribed by the traditions of a
community that involves a sequence of actions and
movements.
▪ Cañao or Kanyaw. According to the Rotary Club of
Baguio, “Cañao” is a local term for the ritual-dance
performed during native feasts or celebrations in the
highlands of the Cordilleras–in the Luzon area of the
Philippines. The ritual is done as a symbol of celebration
or expectation for a fruitful harvest.
2. Spanish
- Art became a handmaiden of religion, serving to propagate the
Catholic faith and thus support the colonial order at the same time.
Art that developed during the Spanish Era conformed and/or
intended only to serve to propagate the teachings of the Catholic
Church. Despite its propaganda in nature, still, it helped in
developing the Philippine Art during that time. The following are
the artforms developed during the so-called lowland Christian art.
o Catholic Churches – To establish importance in people’s lives
and to truly propagate the archipelago, Spaniards used
 Churches. The baroque style was utilized in building their
churches. (e.g. San Agustin & Paoay Church)
o Sculpture – To truly propagate the archipelago, the Spaniards
utilized various art forms including visual arts. Santo Niño de
Cebú is a Roman Catholic title of the Child Jesus associated
with a religious image of the Christ Child widely venerated as
miraculous by Filipino Catholics.
o Paintings – As well as the other art forms, Spaniards included
paintings as part of their propaganda material. Considering its
visual appeal, paintings are great to employ emotions and
ideas to an innocent mind. Langit, Lupa & Impyerno is mural
attributed to Paete artist Jose Dans (1805- ca. 1870). The
work “Langit, Lupa at Impierno” (ca. 1850, or Heaven, Earth,
and Hell), is a three-level painting that shows the Holy
Trinity, Mary the Mother of Christ, saints, the Seven Blessed
Sacraments and a macabre depiction of hell.
Putting aside the intention of the friars to utilize arts to
propagate, some Filipino visual artists who hone their prowess
and became a figure in Philippine Visual Arts during this
period, and these are: Juan Luna (Spoliarium) & Felix Hidalgo
(Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho)
o Play – In terms of performance art, Senakulo is the best
example of an art form during the Spanish Colonization.
Senakulo is a play depicting the life and suffering of Jesus
Christ. The word is derived from the Spanish cenáculo,
meaning “cenacle,” which is the place where Jesus Christ
celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples.
3. American
- In the American regime, commercial and advertising arts were
integrated into the fine arts curriculum. Moreover, Americans
favored idyllic sceneries and secular forms of arts. Some art forms
developed during this period are the following:
o Drama Simbolico – these are plays that echoed not only the
nationalist sentiments but also served as a medium for
political protests, openly attacking Americans. (e.g.
Tanikalang Guinto dir. Juan Abad, Hindi Ako Patay dir. Juan
Matapang Cruz, & Kahapon, Ngayon, at Bukas dir. Aurelio
Tolentino)
o Architecture – Americans also brought with them the artistic
& architectural advances from their homeland and it can be
seen from various buildings around the metro: Neoclassicism
in Philippine Post Office and other government buildings, Art
Deco in Metropolitan Theater, and Art Nouveau in Uy-Cacho
Building.
o Painting – Brought by the Spaniards, but it was during the
American Period when this form of art flourished. A prolific
artist, Fernando Amorsolo, had produced numerous portraits,
genre scenes highlighting the beauty of the dalagang Filipina,
and idyllic landscape. Aside from him, visual artists like
 Guillermo Tolentino (in sculpture), Victorio Edades, and Carlos
‘Botong’ Francisco (also in painting) were also recognized due
to their artistic skills.
4. Post-Colonial Period

A. Modernism in Philippine Art began after World War II and the

granting of Independence. Writers and artists posed the question
of national identity as the main theme of various art forms.

B. Contemporary
Philippine Contemporary Art was an offshoot of social realism
brought about by Martial Law. Arts became an expression of
people’s aspirations for a just, free, and sovereign society. The
following are the numerous forms of art that emerged in the
contemporary period.
o Installation Art – It involves the configuration or "installation"
of objects in a space, such as a room or a warehouse. The
resulting arrangement of material and space comprises the
"artwork".
o Performance Art - form of art in which artists use their voices
and/or their bodies, often in relation to other objects, to
convey artistic expression.
o Abstract Expressionism - it is often characterized by gestural
brush-strokes or mark-making, and the impression of
spontaneity.
o Feminist Art - The feminist art movement refers to the efforts
and accomplishments of feminists internationally to produce
art that reflects women's lives and experiences, as well as to
change the foundation for the production and reception of
contemporary art.
o Environment Art - a range of artistic practices encompassing
both historical approaches to nature in art and more recent
ecological and politically motivated types of works.
o Op Art - a form of abstract art that gives the illusion of
movement by the precise use of pattern and color, or in which
conflicting patterns emerge and overlap.
o Digital Arts - Digital art is an artistic work or practice that
uses digital technology as an essential part of the creative or
presentation process.
o Graffiti - One of the most radical contemporary art
movements, "graffiti art" (also called "Street Art", "Spraycan
Art", "Subway Art" or "Aerosol Art") commonly refers to
decorative imagery applied by paint or other means to
buildings, public transport or other property.

Key Points to Remember!

Development of Philippine Art throughout History is

divided into the following: Pre-colonial, Spanish
Colonization, American Colonization, Modernism and
Contemporary.
In the pre-colonial Philippines, arts are for ritual
purposes or everyday uses.