EARLY BEGINNINGS OF ARTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Philippine art refers to the work of art that developed since the beginning of civilization in the
Philippines up to the present era. It reflects to the society with wide range of diverse cultural
influences and how it honed the culture and the arts of the country. Philippine art can be referred
to visual arts, performing arts, sculptures and textiles.

Artistic paintings were introduced to the Filipinos in the 16th century when the Spaniards arrived
in the Philippines. During this time, the Spaniards used paintings as religious propaganda to
spread Catholicism throughout the Philippines. These paintings, appearing mostly on church
walls, featured religious figures appearing in Catholic teachings. Due to the Church's supervision
of Filipino art and Spanish occupation of the Philippines, the purpose of most paintings from the
16th-19th century were to aid the Catholic Church.[1]

In the early 19th century, wealthier, educated Filipinos introduced more secular Filipino art,
causing art in the Philippines to deviate from religious motifs. The use of watercolour paintings
increased and the subject matter of paintings began to include landscapes, Filipino inhabitants,
Philippine fashion, and government officials. Portrait paintings featured the painters themselves,
Filipino jewelry, and native furniture. The subject of landscape paintings featured artists' names
painted ornately as well as day-to-day scenes of average Filipinos partaking in their daily tasks.
These paintings were done on canvas, wood, and a variety of metals.[1]

During World War II, some painters focused their artwork on the effects of war, including battle
scenes, destruction, and the suffering of the Filipino people.
 EARLY BEGINNINGS OF ARTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Development of Visual Arts in the PhilippinesPainting

In the Philippines, painting is compared to that of its counterpart in the pacific region. Bynature,
Filipinos are imaginative and creative but whatever artifacts available wereeventually lost to
oblivion because of two major factors; the first is that primitive art weremade to last for a very
short life span. Maybe because of the medium used such as leavesand bark of trees which could
not withstand the harsh weather, and second is the comingof the Spanish colonizers left them
with no choice but to give up their way of life andaccept the culture of the Spaniards.
Ethnic Art
- This means native or indigenous Philippine design. This kind of art is influencedby our
southeast-asian neighbors. The Ethnic art has curvilinear and linear patterns ordesign. This can
also be traced from the primitive designs as demonstrated in Philippine Pre-historic pottery used
assurface decorations by way of painting or engraving.
Folk Art
- It means People s craft as well as handicrafts. This is basically made by the hands of the
common people where the materials are crafted together that the process itself is also anart form.
The quality and style of this products reflect the way of life of the makers.
Common Folk Art Motifs
1.The Serpent
Demon of the Naga.
The Naga design is said to be Sanskrit in origin. This art hasa counterpart in Indonesia as
dragons or mythical serpents. The Naga has the form of anelaborate mythical serpent with a
vigorous S-curve and numerous curvilinear motifs to suggestits scales.2
.The Sarimanok
. A cultural symbol of Mindanao, and is highly regarded throughout thecountry, it was
influenced by Indonesea and Malaysia and is said to have originated from themiddle east. It is
depicted as a fowl with colorful wings and feathered tail, holding a fish on its beak or talons. It is
said tobe a symbol of good fortune.
Tattoo Art
. Tattooing was very prevalent among the early Filipinos specially among the people in Central
Visayas. Asidefrom being used for beautification, tattoo is also a symbol of rank, and is believed
to have magical properties. Thepractice has become very common that when the Spaniards
arrived they called these people as Pintados .

Philippines Mother and Child

The SarimanokNagtatanim ng Palay
Langit, Lupa at Impiernoca. 1850

Pintados
Modern Influence.
The Spanish friars introduced Western painting in the Philippines to artisans who learned to copy
ontwo-dimensional form from the religious icons that the friars brought from Spain,. For the first
centuries of Spanishcolonization, painting was limited to religious icons. Portraits of saints and
of the Holy Family became a familiar sight inchurches. Other subject matters include the passion
of Christ, the Via Crucis, the crucifixion, portrayal of heaven,purgatory and hell.In the church in
Paete, Laguna Josef Luciano Dans (1805- ca. 1870), probably one of the earliest recorded
painters inPhilippine art history painted the Langit, Lupa at Impierno ca. 1850 (Heaven, Earth
and Hell), a three-level paintingwhich shows the Holy Trinity, Mary the Mother of Christ, saints,
the Seven Blessed Sacraments and a macabre depictionof Hell. During the early part of the
Spanish occupation, painting was exclusively for the churches and for religiouspurposes.
Occasionally, it was also used for propaganda. Secular subject matter in painting only increased
during the19th century.Several Filipino painters had the chance to study and work abroad.
Among them were Juan Novicio Luna and FelixResureccion Hidalgo who became the first
international Filipino artists when they won the gold and silver medals in the1884 Madrid
Exposition. Luna s academic painting Spoliarium won gold medal. It showed the dead
and dying RomanGladiators being dragged into the basement of the Coliseum. After World
War II, the Neo-Realist school of paintingemerged, with such notable members as Fernando
Amorsolo, Vicente Manansala and others.
Modern Filipino PaintersFernando Amorsolo
(May 30, 1892 April 24, 1972) He is popularly known for his craftsmanship and mastery in
the useof light. Born in Paco, Manila , he earned a degree from the Liceo de Manila Art School
in 1909.
Vicente Manansa
(January 22, 1910 - August 22, 1981) was a Philippine cubist painter and illustrator. He
developed
transparent cubism
, wherein the "delicate tones, shapes, and patterns of figure and environment are
masterfullysuperimposed
Sculpture
Pottery.
Among our most ancient arts ispottery, which combines design and function.The Manunggul Jar
excavated in Palawan isevidence of the high artistic level which the artattained in an ancient
times. This large burial jar has a cover which features two men rowinga boat, suggesting the
belief of the earlyFilipinos in an afterlife that one reaches aftercrossing a mythical body of water.
Around itsbody is an incised geometric pattern of linesand dots. Extant examples of
early Philippinepottery show a wide variety of shapes anddecorative techniques, such an
incision,stippling, openwork and impression by ropeand mat. Their designs were usually
geometricwith stylized nature motifs. Later, potterybecame more and more functional,
principalexamples of which are the palayok for cooking,the banga and the tapayan for storing
liquids.In the Ilocos, the making of burnay potterycontinues as a lively tradition.
WoodCarving.
Many parts of the country havelively woodcarving traditions. The Cordilleragroups carve anito
figures called bulol whichdouble as ancestral spirits and granary gods.They are often found in
pairs to signify thevalue of fertility. Human and animal motifs arealso integrated into parts of
houses such asdoor posts, as well as household objects suchas bowls, forks and spoons.
In SouthernPhilippines, the Maranao and the Tausog of Mindanao are known for theirokir-a-
datu, ornate curvilinear designs and motifs applied to woodcarving. Theprincipal okir designs are
the sarimanok, the naga and the pako rabong. The sarimanok carved in wood, simplyvarnished or
painted in many colors (it is also executed in brass)..
Modern Sculptures.
Of all the new art forms introduced, the Filipinos took to sculpture from the Spanish instantly.
Thecarving of anito was transformed into sculpture of the saints. These santos were used
primarily for the church altars andretablos. It also replaced the anitos in the altars of the natives
homes. The earliest known sculptor in the Philippines isthe 17th century sacristan, sculptor and
silversmith Juan de los Santos (ca. 1590 ca. 1660) of San Pablo, Laguna. A fewof his extant
works may be found at the San Agustin Convent museum.Filipino sculptors came to be known in
the middle of the 19th century. Classical Philippine sculpture reached its peak inthe works of
Guillermo Tolentino (1890-1976). His best known masterpiece is the Bonifacio Monument,
which is a groupsculpture composed of numerous figures massed around a central obelisk. The
principal figure is Andres Bonifacio,leader of the revolution against Spain in 1896. Napoleon
Abueva (born 1930), one of Tolentino' s pupils, is one of thepioneering modernists in sculpture.
He used various media. Abueva's most famous work is Fredesvinda , which wasincluded in the
First ASEAN Sculpture Symposium held in Fort Canning Hill, Singapore, from March 27 to
April 26, 1981shows the vitality of primitive forms.
Architecture
Ancient Filipinos lived in big settlements along sheltered bays, coastal areas, andmouths of
rivers. Interior settlements were established at the headwaters and banksof rivers and their
tributaries. The houses were usually constructed side by side alongthe river banks or
seashores.Philippine architecture responds to the climate. Although there are many
variations,generally the roof of the first Philippine houses, nipa huts, or bahay kubo, were
highpitched and usually open gabled to allow for ventilation. The steeply sloping pitch
alsoprotected from the wind and rain in the typhoon season.These houses were elevatedthree to
four meters of the ground, supported by wood or bamboo. The structure wasusually four-walled
with tukod windows. The Bagobos and Kalingas people used thistype of house for protection
from enemies and wild animals on the ground. In thesouthern islands of the Philippines
archipelago, the Moros of Mindanao had distinctarchitecture of their own. It was brought with
them along with the Muslim religion.
Western Influence in the PhilippinesSpanish Period.
This period refers to the religious and civil buildings erected with thestyle influenced from South
America and Spain. Examples of these are the CatholicChurches and the famous town of Vigan.
American Period.
Under the American Occupation, many secular built such as theNational Museum and the
National Post Office Buildings. These structures reflect theneo-classical style of American
Architecture.
Post-Modern
. The period of imported architecture. There is an extensive use of steeland glass which reflect
the fast developing urban community. New building designsthat could cope with the weather is
continually developed.
 EARLY BEGINNINGS OF ARTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Arts in the Philippines

A study of the early beginnings of art in the country shows relation of the arts to the life and time out of
which they sprung. By tracing the pathways of the arts in this country, we can acquire a richer and fuller
understanding of the spirit and inner life of the people as reflected in their works of art (Estolas, et al.,
2008)
PRE-COLONIAL Art in the Philippines
During the pre-colonial period, there was a lively cultural interchange between the Philippines and the
other Asian countries through migration and trade.
Country or People of Origin/ Period
Early Neolithic
-Found in the graves of pre-spanish Filipinos, as well as in the homes of mountain people and cultural
minorities.
Late Neolithic
-The Duyong cave and the Tabon caves in palawan (two burial sites with charcoal in grave fill dated
roughly 2680 B.C)
-Bato cave in sorsogon
-The Manunggul burial jar
Early Metal Age
-various archeological sites: palawan and calatagan excavation sites.
Late Metal Age
-The sophistication of goldwork can be seen
in the gold beads in Guri Cave.
Metal Age
this period shows the development of glass technology and art of weaving in the Philippines as the
Filipinos strove for better control over their environment. influences from neighboring countries were
made themselves felt during this Age primarily through trading
Pottery
The most convenient approach to the study of thousand of pre-hipanic pottery is to classify them by
shape, method of decoration, and type of design used in the surface.
Houses
during 16th century
Spanish Influences
spanish rule in the Philippines has left profound changes in the life of the Filipinos and the natives
experienced the process of adjustment and acculturation.
Paintings influence by spaniards
Architectures
Theater, rizal family house, miag-ao church, barasoain church, cenaculo, zarzuela, Comedias, Music and
Dance, seguidilla, kumintang.
Literature
Art During the American Regime Up to the Japanese Occupation
For four decades of American colonization in the Philippines, they, one way or the other, had somehow
influence Philippine arts.
Architecture
traditional architects still held on to neoclassicism or to eclecticism, some architects who are
knowledgeable in the architectural developments in Europe and US, began to introduce modern
elements in design.
Sculpture
for examples HOUSES like BUNGALOWS and CHALETS
Guillermo Tolentino finished hi Andres Bonifacio monument in 1933.
Ramon Martinez made his sculptural portrayal of Bonifacio in 1905.
Painting
Painting activity during the Japanese occupation was at a standstill.
Japanese money called Kura or Mickey Mouse Money. One form of painted art during the period. It is
used as a currency in 1940's
Literature
During the Japanese occupation, Filipinos were encouraged to write on a condition that they would use
Tagalog as a medium. However, the writers did not fully enjoy the freedom of expressions due to several
restrictions. Entertainment was in a form of stage play.
Music and Dances
the first opera written by a filipino under the American regime was Sandugong Panaginip (Dream
Alliance) written by Pedro Paterno. The opera reflects the thinking of Paterno and the attitude of
collaboration with the Americans, that is, Filipino acceptance of America sovereignty and cooperation
with the new rulers.
Present Philippine Art
Architecture
There are a good number of well-known architects in the Philippines. Foremost among the country's
modern architects are: Leonardo Lacson (CCP), Jose Manosa (SMC) and his Coconut Palace where its
structure explored the creative uses of coconut.
Sculpture
Napoleon Abueva, who is considered as the first modern Filipino sculptor, regard national identity in
sculpture as unnecessary, believing instead that "pure form and design" alone should be the
consideration in appraising their works.
Some of his sculpture works are Baby Moses (1951) and Ring of the Gods (1971)
Paintings
Juan Luna translated into canvass his deplorable thoughts and feelings about war and destruction in
Spoliarium and E. Aguilar Cruz are considered as expressionists.
Arturo Luz
Lao Ocampo Joya, Mauro Santos, Manuel Soriano
 Early Beginnings of Art in the Philippines
The first expression of art can be traced from prehistoric times which dates 500,000 years
ago.
However, these indigenous art forms and national treasures pertain more to archeology
rather than art.
Southeastern Philippine Art
Foreign traders played major role in the development of art in the Philippines.
A great no. of potteries, porcelain and stonewares have been recovered in the Philippines
which provide evidence of trade during the protohistoric period.
Some Chinese potteries found in the Philippines are from the late Tang and Northern
Sung dynasties in the 10th century A.D., Yuan Dynasty and the early Ming dynasty.
Samples of early art works are potteries, porcelain and stonewares.
Such artworks have also been found in the graves of Pre-Spanish Filipinos, as well as in
the homes of mountain people.
Most common finds made by Chinese ceramic artist and technicians are figurines,
ceramics, dishes, bowls, vases and boxes.
The Duyong cave in Palawan and the Tabon cave complex (two burial sites with charcoal
in grave fill dated roughly 2,680 B.C.) yielded shell ear pendants and a polished stone
adze and shell axe-adze, representing a typical Early Neolithic site.
Meanwhile, the excavation of Bato cave in Sorsogon province in Southern Luzon shows
the Neolithic jar-burial tradition, associated with stone ornaments, pottery, and stone
tools.
The pottery assemblage from the Late Neolithic site which date roughly 710 B.C showed
a mastery of intricate design that the Metal Age in the Philippines covers the period from
500 B.C and possibly earlier to the 10th century A.D.
This period shows the development of glass technology and art of weaving in the
Philippines as the Filipinos strove for better control over their environment.
The typical artifacts in the Early Metal Age were beads and bracelets made of glass
Beads made of agate, carnelian, amethyst, rock, crystal, and sapphire are believed to have
originated in mainland Southeast Asia.
Pottery making which already existed during the Neolithic period, became a highly
developed technology.
Some pottery forms were footed trays elaborate jars with the boat of the dead on its
covers.
In the archeological area in the coasted strip of Calatagan peninsula in Batangas province
south of Manila were found 500 Filipino graves which yielded porcelain and stone wares
from China and Annam or Vietnam, along with glass jewelry, stone beads, iron tools and
weapons.
Foreign archeologists in the Philippines, in published literature from Janse, Sullivan,
Beyer and Fox cited that tens-of-thousands of Oriental trade wares in the country which
originated from South China.
 Southwestern Philippine Art
Islamic influence has been absorbed in Southwestern Philippine Art.
Among the people who have absorbed the Islamic cultural specializations in varying
degrees are the Maranaw, Tausug, Maguindanao and Sama-Badjao.
Masculine decorative compositions are usually devised from few basic motifs like circle,
bird, leaf and fern, and flower.
Some of the basic motifs in the feminine form or their ornamental art include the circle,
artificial moon, square, rectangle, diamond and zigzag.
Before the advent of commercial paints, earth and vegetable dyes were used.
The common animate representations are the serpent and artificial cock.
The depiction of Human and animal figures in art inhibited by Islam
It is said that when a Badjaw dies, the grave marker used consists of parts of his boat
frames.
Distinct part of the marker is the abstracted form of the sea cow with a stylish form of a
person riding its back.
The female figures are identified with combs, while the males are provided with turbans.
It is said that when a Badjaw dies, the grave marker used consists of parts of his boat
frames.
Distinct part of the marker is the abstracted form of the sea cow with a stylish form of a
person riding its back.
The female figures are identified with combs, while the males are provided with turbans.
It is said that when a Badjaw dies, the grave marker used consists of parts of his boat
frames.
Distinct part of the marker is the abstracted form of the sea cow with a stylish form of a
person riding its back.
The female figures are identified with combs, while the males are provided with turbans.
It is said that when a Badjaw dies, the grave marker used consists of parts of his boat
frames.
Distinct part of the marker is the abstracted form of the sea cow with a stylish form of a
person riding its back.
The female figures are identified with combs, while the males are provided with turbans.