HISTORY OF

PHILIPPINE ARTS
JOCELYN P. TABIA
Upper Bicutan National High School, SHS Department
jocelyntabia@yahoo.com Jocelyn Tabia
PHILIPPINE HISTORY
 Pre-Colonial Era (890 BC – 1520)
 Spanish Period (1521 – 1898)
 American Period (Early 1900’s – 1946)
 Japanese Occupation (1942 – 1945)
 Post-War (1950’s, Martial Law, and up to the Modern Times)
Pre-Colonial Era (890 BC – 1520)
Age of Horticulture/Neolithic Period (6185 to 4,400 BC)
Metal Age (3190 to 190 BC), Iron Age (200 BC to 1000 BC)

 Local communities are being established and art starts to

go beyond mere craft, i.e. stone weapons or jewelry but
starts to have decorative elements, meaning and context.
 Pre-colonial traditional art have religious symbols, every
day activity such as fishing, farming, etc., or a specific
decorative art pattern to the community.
 It has either the influence of local religion (animalistic) or
Islamic-based.
 There is also an exchange of art aesthetics and art
processes with the Chinese and other Asian countries
who frequents as traders with our indigenous groups.
 ARTCHARACTERISTICS
Pre-Colonial Era (890 BC – 1520)
 Primarily influenced by the geographical location and indigenous experiences.
 Dances and music were primarily based on the area where our ancestors
thrive.
 Visual arts, pottery, weaving, wood carving, and metal crafting were dominant
during the pre-colonial era.
 In architecture, the early Filipinos used local materials such as anahaw,
bamboo, cogon, cane, rattan, and other light materials in constructing
structures.
 They have folk speeches, songs, narratives; their literature verbalized their
experiences. They also have system of language and Baybayin as alphabet.
 In theatre arts, tribal presentations and rituals were the early performances
depicting their beliefs with their gods and goddesses as audience.
 In music, they use indigenous instruments like bamboo flutes and brass gongs.
Spanish Period (1521 – 1898)
 Introduced formal Painting, Sculpture and Architecture
which was inspired by the Byzantine, Gothic, Baroque
and Rococo art styles.
 Most art works are Religious, Catholic-based.
 Art works bear the Philippine themed décor even with
Spanish influence.
 In the formation of the elite Filipino class, the Ilustrado,
paved way for the rich locals to study abroad, a more
“academic” and “western” approach has been learned.
 Filipino artists adopted Spanish aesthetics in their
artworks.
 The Friars were the ones supervising the practice of arts
in the country with their agenda of propagating
Christianity and maintain power of the colonizers.
 ARTCHARACTERISTICS
Spanish Period (1521 – 1898)

 Literary works could e classified into religious and secular prose and poetry.
 Secular and religious plays like “Komedya” became popular in the Theatre arts.
 Religious dances were also performed to venerate patrons and saints
proliferated. Secular dances like Valse, Fandango, Polka, and Minuet also
became famous.
 Spaniards also introduced Piano and other Western musical instruments.
 Bands and orchestras multiplied as the Zarzuelas and operas became
prevalent.
 Spaniards introduced painting and sculpture which mostly depicted religious
subject matters.
 In the field of architecture, stones and bricks were predominantly used in
constructing churches, houses and government offices.
American Period (Early 1900’s – 1946)
 The American brought about many changes to our
politics, economy, education and culture.
 Many Filipinos were given the opportunity to study abroad
under the tutelage of the American Educators, they
carried the concept of Modern Art (practice of art in the
1860s-1960s).
 The urbanization, consumerism, rise of the middle class,
change in political system, secularization, and emergence
of new technology affected the way of art in this period.
 Artists experimented with different materials and
methodologies and produced non-conventional artworks
with a wide-range of themes.
 Paved the way for the rise of Contemporary Art (1970s up
to the present).
Post-colonial Period (1946 – 1986)
Japanese Occupation (1942 – 1945)
Post-War (1950’s to Martial Law)

 The support of the Philippine Government for the arts via

the creation of the Cultural Center of the Philippines
during 1969, gave a venue for all artist to experiment and
explore different art medium.
 In contrast, social realism became a heavy theme by
most Filipino Artist as a social commentary of the problem
brewing in the Philippine political and social landscape.
 Modern art is characterized by the artist's intent to portray
a subject as it exists in the world, according to his or her
unique perspective and is typified by a rejection of
accepted or traditional styles and values.
 Thanks You and God bless!
JOCELYN P. TABIA
Upper Bicutan National High School, SHS Department
jocelyntabia@yahoo.com Jocelyn Tabia