MODULE

READING VISUAL ARTS: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

(Visual Arts in the Philippines, National Artists for Visual Arts)

INTRODUCTION

The Philippines is home to a long and rich history of excellence in visual arts. This tradition started as
early as the 19th century with Damian Domingo, also known as the Father of Filipino Painting, who
was the first Filipino to paint a self-portrait. He was followed by greats such as Juan Luna, who
painted the world-renowned Spoliarium, and Fabián de la Rosa, uncle and mentor to Fernando
Amorsolo.
Mastery of the visual arts has been passed down through the decades, and the Philippine
government has sought to reward that through the Order of National Artists. The Order of National
Artists, also known as Orden ng mga Pambansang Alagad ng Sining, is the highest national
recognition given to Filipinos who have made significant contributions to the growth and development
of arts in the Philippines. Jointly administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts
(NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), it’s an honor conferred by the President of
the Republic based on recommendations by both institutions. Here’s a list of the greatest names in
Philippine visual arts who have been given this honor.

1. Fernando Amorsolo (1972)

(May 30, 1892 – April 24, 1972)

You can’t talk about Philippine painting without talking about Fernando Amorsolo, who is also
known as the Grand Old Man of Philippine Art. Born in Manila, he was educated at the Art School
of the Liceo de Manila, the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts, and spent time
abroad in Spain and the United States. Lauded for his skill in depicting light and form, Amorsolo is
well known for his paintings of idyllic Philippine rural life. He rejected Western ideals of beauty and
sought to promote Filipino beauty instead, and his use of chiaroscuro became an artistic
trademark that set his work apart from the rest. Some of his most famous pieces include Maidens
by a Stream (1921), The Mestiza (1943), and Planting Rice (1946).

2. Carlos “Botong” Francisco

(November 4, 1912 – March 31, 1969)

If there was ever an area in the Philippines known for its visual artists, it’s Angono, Rizal, and at
the forefront of that community is the name Carlos “Botong” Francisco. A muralist who brought the
art form back into the limelight, his work graces the City Hall of Manila and the National Art Gallery
of the Philippines. He was also one of the first Filipino modernists, breaking away from the
Romanticism of Amorsolo to make use of geometric forms and linear painting. Among his most
famous works include depictions of the Blood Compact, the First Mass at Limasawa, and most
notably The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines, which has been restored three times. A
famous replica of this mural resides at the lobby of the Philippine General Hospital.

3. Guillermo Tolentino
(July 24, 1890 – July 12, 1976)

Guillermo Tolentino is a giant in the landscape of Philippine sculpture, and indeed no other
sculptor is so widely known, except for perhaps Napoleon Abueva. Tolentino studied at the
Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Rome before returning to the Philippines in 1925 to teach at the
University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts. His masterpiece, the Bonifacio Monument in
Caloocan, was completed in 1933 and symbolizes the Filipino cry for freedom. Other famous
works include the Oblation, now an iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines, as well
as the marble statue of Ramon Magsaysay at the GSIS Building. Tolentino also created
numerous busts and statues that can be found at iconic sites throughout the country.

4. Napoleon Abueva
(January 26, 1930 – February 16, 2018)

One of the youngest to ever be conferred the Order of National Artist, Napoleon Abueva
received the award at the young age of 46. The Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture, Abueva
was instrumental in shaping sculpture in the Philippines. He was recognized for being adept at
a variety of forms and materials. In fact, he was equally as comfortable with classical sculpture
as he was with more abstract forms, and his work is made from anything from local hardwood
to coral to brass. Abueva’s sculptures have been installed both in the Philippines and abroad,
and include Kiss of Judas (1955), Nine Muses (1994), and the death mask of slain politician
Benigno Aquino, Jr.

5. Victorio Edades
(December 23, 1895 – March 7, 1985)

Victorio Edades was a key figure in the history of Philippine art, counted as one of the
revolutionary Thirteen Moderns and later called the Father of Modern Philippine Painting.
Edades moved away from the idyllic landscapes of his contemporary Amorsolo and instead
preferred to paint a more sobering picture of Philippine society. His works employed dark and
somber colors, and were focused on depicting the dirt and sweat of laborers, factory workers,
and the Philippine proletariat. Edades became Dean of the Department of Architecture in the
University of Santo Tomas, later instituting an art degree program. He invited Carlos Francisco
and Galo B. Ocampo to become professors of the university, and the three were later known
as the Triumvirate. Included among his works are The Sketch, Portrait of the Professor,
and Poinsettia Girl.

6. Vicente Manansala
 (January 22, 1910 – August 22, 1981)

A master of the style of Cubism, Vicente Manansala is credited as one of the figures in the
Philippine art world who popularized neo-realism in the country. He was educated at the
University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts, later training in Paris, Banff, Montreal and at
the Otis School of Drawing in Los Angeles. Manansala developed a style called transparent
cubism, where he masterfully overlaid colors and shapes to depict forms and figures. This style
is exemplified in his works Kalabaw, Mother and Child, Madonna of the Slums, and Still Life
with Green Guitar. Most of Manansala’s artistic estate currently resides in Holy Angel
University’s The Vicente Manansala Collection.

7. Cesar Legaspi
(April 2, 1917 – April 7, 1994)

Another neo-realist and peer of Manansala, Cesar Legaspi was also a foremost figure in the
refining of Cubism in the Philippines. Also a member of the Thirteen Moderns, his work is set
apart by his daring use of colors, shapes, and themes. Critics have said that his works
transform the “unfeeling, geometric” order of Cubism into a dynamic, rhythmic social
expressionism. His works primarily focused on the dehumanization and struggles experienced
by the working class and mendicants in the city. His work is among many that led to the
acceptance and later popularity of modern art in the Philippines. These include Gadgets
I, Diggers, Bayanihan, and The Survivor.

8. Hernando Ocampo
(April 28, 1911 – December 28, 1978)

Another member of the pre-war group the Thirteen Moderns, Hernando Ocampo was one of
the leading radical modernist artists in the country. A playwright, fictionist, editor, and painter,
Ocampo originally studied law, commerce, and creative writing before eventually moving into
the visual arts. With his friends and peers Vicente Manansala and Cesar Legaspi, Ocampo
focused on depicting the harsh realities of life in the Philippines in his art. However, he also
painted landscapes and countryside scenery, and used fantasy and science fiction as the
basis for his works. Among his works are his masterpiece Genesis, Slum Dwellers, Man and
Carabao, and The Resurrection.

9. Arturo Luz
(November 20, 1926 – present)

A printmaker, sculptor, designer, and art administrator, Arturo Luz received his Order of
National Artists for Visual Arts award in 1997. One of the founding members of the neo-realists
in the Philippines, Luz’s work exemplifies simplicity and sophistication. He is credited with
elevating the Filipino aesthetic vision, and his work is elegant and economic, employing
minimalism, geometric abstracts, and invoking a universal reality. Luz is known as one of the
greats of Asian modernism, and his work as an art administrator with the Luz gallery has
influenced generations of Filipino artists. Included in his best works are Bagong Taon, Candle
 Vendors, Night Glows, and Imaginary Landscapes. His mural Black and White is displayed in
the lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Bulwagang Carlos V. Francisco.

10. Jeremias Elizalde Navarro

(May 22, 1924 – June 10, 1999)

J. Elizalde Navarro was a native of Antique, and studied in the University of the Philippines,
Manila before transferring to the University of Santo Tomas, where he graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts, major in Painting, in 1951. His work in the visual arts spans a variety of media
and techniques, including drawing, printmaking, graphic designing, painting, and sculpting.
Navarro employed the use of mixed media in much of his work, sometimes fusing found
objects and metal parts. A few of his major mixed media works include I’m Sorry Jesus, I Can’t
Attend Christmas This Year (1965), Homage to Dodjie Laurel (1969), and A Flying Contraption
for Mr. Icarus (1984).

11. Ang Kiukok

(March 1, 1931 – May 9, 2005)

Born in Davao to Chinese immigrant parents, Ang Kiukok began his art journey at a young
age. The family later moved to Cotabato, where Kiukok made movie billboards, and then on to
Manila, where he attended the University of Santo Tomas. One of his mentors during this
period was the great Vicente Manansala. Kiukok began rising in the Philippine art scene in the
1960s thanks to his distinctive style, which pulled influences from cubism, surrealism, and
expressionism. His work was noted for depicting rage and violence, with subjects such as
rabid dogs or the crucified Christ in agony. Included among his works are Geometric
Landscape (1969), Pieta (1962), and Seated Figure (1979).

12. Jose Joya

(June 3, 1931 – May 11, 1995)

A printmaker, painter, mixed media artist, and former Dean of the University of the Philippines’
College of Fine Arts, José Joya was a pioneer of abstract impressionism in the Philippines. His
paintings make use of palettes found in the Philippine landscape, such as golden rice fields
ready for harvest. Joya’s work espoused kinetic energy and spontaneity, and he was a master
of gestural paintings. Among his masterworks include Nanking, a collage rendered with
distinctly Asian forms and influences, the Granadean Arabesque (1958), and Biennial (1964).

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
 What was the first Self-Portrait Painting in the Philippines?
 What is the art style of Damian Domingo? Explain those art styles.
 Tell/Share a little background of Juan Luna.
 What does Spoliarium mean?
 What is CHIAROSCURO?
 What is Amorsolo’s Maiden in a stream all about?
 What is Linear Painting?