History of Philippine Art

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Pre-Colonial or Pre-Conquest Period

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Islamic Colonial Period

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Spanish Colonial Period

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 American Colonial Period
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Japanese Colonial Period

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70's to Contemporary Period

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Events
⚔ Pre-Colonial or Pre-Conquest Period
- The Pre-Colonial Period is when our indigenous ancestors inhabited the Philippines and the time before the coming of our
first colonizers. Arts in this time were for ritual purposes or everyday use only. As local communities were established, art
starts to go beyond mere craft, i.e., stone weapons or jewelry but starts to have decorative elements, meaning, and context.
 LITERATURE - It can be in written and oral form. Cave drawings and writings are the earliest forms of written literature, and
rituals, chants, and storytelling are the earliest forms of oral literature.

VISUAL ARTS - Sculpture, paintings, and pottery were the widely known forms of visual arts in the Pre-Colonial Period, such
as the tattoos from the pintados in Panay, the Bulul that is a wooden sculpture of the rice God of Ifugaos, and the
Manunggul burial jar that was found in Palawan.

ARCHITECTURE - Earliest Filipinos are known to be dwelling in caves.

MUSIC - They used wind instruments.

DANCE - They imitate the movements of animals and nature.

 Islamic Colonial Period

- In the 13th century, traders and missionaries introduced Islam religion in the Philippines, specifically, Sayyid Abubakar of
Arabia. Islamic art meshed with ethnic culture and produced a Filipino Muslim art that reflects the ethnic background and
Islamic identity.

LITERATURE - Quran reading was introduced, and the Arabic language and writing were taught.

ARCHITECTURE - Early mosques were built made of light materials such as wood, bamboo, and cogon grass.

SCULPTURE - The traditional art form of this era was known as Ukkil/Okki. It uses geometric and floral artwork. One popular
motif of this art form is the use of imagery of a dragon or serpent.
✝ Spanish Colonial Period
- When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in 1521, the colonizers used art as a tool to propagate the Catholic faith
through beautiful images. With communication as a problem, the friars used images to explain the concepts behind
Catholicism and to tell the stories of Christ’s life and passion.

LITERATURE - Baybayin from Mangyans of Mindoro was one of the only preserved traditional writings of the Filipinos, and
the Doctrina Christiana (the teachings of
Christianity) was introduced by the Spaniards.

VISUAL ARTS - Most of the artworks express a hidden desire for rebellion against Spain, such as the Basi Revolt that is a
series of 14 paintings by Esteban Villanueva; the Carta Hydrograpica y Chorographica de Ias Yslas Filipinas that is the first
scientific map of the Philippines by Francisco Suarez and Nicolas deal Cruz Bagay; the Spolarium of Juan Luna that won as
the Gold Medalist in Spain; and the Virgenes Christianas expuestas al Populacho of Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo that won as
a Silver Medalist in Madrid, Spain.

ARCHITECTURE - Plaza Complex was introduced; churches were built in cruciform

following the shape of the Latin Cross; Churches are baroque in design but Filipino design was incorporated; and houses
are known to be Bahay na Bato/Bahay na Tisa.

SCULPTURE - Santos are made of ivory or wood; relleves are known to be the facade of churches; and the Carroza or the
plateria that is a pedestal used in religious Catholic procession where an image is loaded.

MUSIC AND DANCE - Pasyon or Pabasa that narrates about the passion of Christ is introduced in 1742; the kundiman
Filipino love song flourish; and the Opening of the Suez Canal -
Galleon Trade was performed with the dances Pandanggo, tango, polka, dansa, rigodon, habanera, and jota.
 THEATRE - Zarzuela of Sarsuela was developed. It is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates spoken and sung
scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. Another is the popularly known Easter
pageant, Senakulo, or the Passion Play that is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial,
suffering, and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in the Catholic tradition.
Lastly, the Komedya that was created by Spanish priests in 1637. It is a play written to dramatize the recent capture by a
Christian Filipino army of an Islamic stronghold. It has different versions which are the Moro-moro of the Tagalogs and the
Araguio or Arakyo of Nueva Ecija.

 American Colonial Period

- The American Colonial Period was classical in nature, and the artworks are in neo-classical and modern form. One of their
greatest contributions to the Philippines is the educational system.

ARCHITECTURE - All architectural designs are classical in nature, including art deco design on buildings and houses. City
planning was a huge step in the development of Manila, where major buildings are Neo-Classical in designs the same
designs used in Washington DC. During this time, Daniel Burnham commissioned to design Manila and Baguio, while William
Parsons implemented the Burnham plans.

THEATRE - Vaudeville is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 1 9th century. A
vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic
composition or light poetry, interspersed with songs or ballets. Vaudeville was popular in the Philippines during the
American period up to the Japanese occupation.

VISUAL ARTS - Fernando Amorsolo became famous during the American Period because of his paintings that depict Filipino
culture and Guillermo Tolentino with his famous sculptures, the UP Oblation (1935) and the Bonifacio Monument (1933).
 Japanese Colonial Period
- The arrival of the Japanese caused tremendous fear, hardships, and suffering among the Filipinos. The Filipino way of life
was greatly affected during the Japanese period. The Filipinos lost their freedom of speech and expression. The
development of art was also stopped resulting in being the dark period of Philippine history. It is also during this period
where modern art slowly penetrating the art world. Most of the artworks depict the sentiments of artists during the war.
Modern
artists emerged, such as Victorio Edades together with Carlos "Botong" Francisco and Galo Hernandes who were
considered as the "'Triumvirates" that pioneered modern arts in the country.
 70's to Contemporary Period
- Contemporary art mirrors contemporary culture and society, offering the general audiences rich resources to consider
current ideas and rethink the familiar. The work of contemporary artists is a dynamic combination of materials, methods,
concepts, and subjects that challenges traditional boundaries and defies easy definition. Diverse and eclectic,
contemporary art is distinguished by the very lack of a uniform organizing principle, ideology, or -ism.

In this time, culture and art became highlighted during the Marcos regime when Imelda Marcos thought of having a home
for the arts, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines was built.