Arts during wars: Japanese Occupation (1941-1945)

what is the meaning of art during wars?

War Art is defined as a collection of any artistic expression created to commemorate and.
document WWI and WWII. This included work of soldiers, landscape, destruction, and civilian.
life. The works done by soldiers as a form of graffiti on walls or stone as they travelled were
used.
Artworks during wars

1943 Crispin Lopez – Baguio Market

The story of the artwork

During the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines (8 December 1941 – 8 May 1942), key events
included the Battle of the Philippines, leading to the Fall of Bataan (14 January 1942) and the
Fall of Corregidor (6 May 1942). American Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Philippine President
Manuel Quezón left for Australia. José Laurel became the new president under Japanese rule.
Baguio City became a key Japanese hub, with cool mountain air. In December 1944, Gen.
Tomoyuki Yamashita moved the Japanese army headquarters there. An artwork by Crispin
Lopez depicts Japanese soldiers mingling with Baguio vendors.
Artist:Crispin Villafuerte Lopez
Crispin Villafuerte Lopez (1903–1985) received artistic training from his grandfather Eugenio
Lopez, a portraitist in Bulacan. He gained recognition by winning multiple art competitions in
the 1930s and 1940s. Lopez developed connections with fellow students of Fernando Amorsolo,
leading to his participation in the first generation of Mabini Artists. Notable members included
Gabriel Custodio, Simon Saulog, Miguel Galvez, Cesar Buenaventura, and Ben Alano.

1942 Vicente Genato – Submarine Sculpin

The story of the artwork

The USS Sculpin SS-191, a Sargo-class submarine from 1938 to 1943, patrolled the Philippines
and South Pacific during World War II. Its main mission was to destroy Japanese cargo ships
supplying the army and intercept coded messages. In 1943, the Sculpin was damaged in an
encounter with the Japanese destroyer Yamagumo near Truk Lagoon. Most of the crew were
captured, and the submarine sank in the Pacific.
Artist: Vicente Ang Genato
Vicente Ang Genato, from a family of businessmen, inherited a legacy. His father was in the
Malolos Congress of 1899. Despite painting as a hobby, he mingled with artists like Amorsolo
due to his family's lithography shop. A University of the Philippines graduate and Manila Gun
Club member, Genato painted matadors from popular bullfights in Manila during the American
Occupation. In later life, he delved into collage experimentation.
1945 Fernando Amorsolo – San Sebastian Church through Quiapo Ruins

The story of the artwork

The Battle of Manila from February 3 to March 3, 1945, was a brutal conflict resulting in over
100,000 civilian casualties and extensive damage to the city. The American and Filipino forces,
facing a month-long siege, used powerful artillery that, along with Japanese bombings, flattened
much of Manila. Both sides committed massacres, causing additional harm to those seeking
refuge. For artists like Amorsolo, witnessing the city's destruction and hearing the people's
sorrow was a nightmarish experience.
Artist: Fernando Amorsolo
Fernando Amorsolo (1892-1972) is a crucial figure in Philippine art history. Orphaned early, he
and his brother Pablo were "adopted" by their uncle Fabián Cueto de la Rosa (1869-1938). Born
in Paco, Manila, Amorsolo graduated from the Liceo de Manila Art School in 1909, then from
the U.P. School of Fine Arts in 1914. He protested the growing American influence in cities by
depicting the dignified peasants of the Philippine countryside. Amorsolo's art celebrated the true
spirit of the Filipino found in rural areas. In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared him the
first National Artist.
1945 Fernando Amorsolo – Ruins of the Manila Cathedral

1945 Fernando Amorsolo – Rizal Avenue on Fire

 1943 Fernando Amorsolo – “Independence This Year” Said His Excellency,
Premier Tojo

The story of the artwork

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, they promoted the Greater East Asia Co-
Prosperity Sphere to win over the people with the idea of a unified Asia under Japanese rule,
breaking free from American and European colonialism. Many artists, including Fernando
Amorsolo, were enlisted for this campaign. Amorsolo depicted a scene in a painting where
Japanese Premier Hideki Tojo (1884-1948) promises Philippine Independence to Jorge Vargas,
the chairman of the Philippine Executive Commission.