DEVELOPMENT OF PHILIPPINE ARTS

BY: WYNDEL S. RADA

TRIBAL TRADITION ART
• Ethnic arts in Philippines are
labors of love and patience. The
intricate carvings on wood, metal,
stone or glass are products of
skillful hands and imaginative
minds.
 SPANISH COLONIAL TRADITION

• 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 problem, the friars used images to explain the
concepts behind Catholicism, and to tell the stories of Christ’s life and passion. Images of the Holy Family
and the saints were introduced to the Filipino psyche through carved santos, the via crucis (Stations of the
Cross), engravings on estampas and estampitas, and through paintings on church walls.

• Though the ethnic art forms such as pottery, weaving and metalwork were retained, the Spanish friars and the Chinese, the colony’s primary trading partner, were
slowly introducing newer art forms. Icons brought by the friars were used as models for sculpture. Filipino artisans were taught the Chinese brushwork technique in
painting. Engraving was also introduced.

• The concept of patronage emerged. Artisans were commissioned and paid to carve, engrave, and paint. They replaced the arts that were once done in a communal
spirit and community setting for rituals. The church, particularly the friars, became the new patron of the arts.

• Since most art produced during the first two centuries of Spanish occupation were for the church, the friars enforced strict supervision over their production. Until the
19th century, art was only for the church and religious use.

• Early in the 19th century, with the opening of the Suez canal in 1869 and the development of the agricultural export
economy, native indios acquired economic wealth and became what was to be called the “ilustrados,”meaning
enlightened and educated. These developments paved the way for Filipinos ilustrados to send their children to
universities in Europe. The rise of the “ilustrado” (Filipinos with money and education) class was inevitable. The
ilustrados became the new patron of the arts. These events paved the way for the secularization of art in the 19th
century.
American Colonial and Contemporary Tradition

• With the arrival of the new colonial power came a

shift in art patronage – from the native ilustrados to
the Americans. The new patrons, including the
tourists and foreign investors, favored landscapes,
still life, and genre themes that show the beauty of
the land and its people. Portraits were still favored
by the public officials, usually depicting them in
dignified poses.
 ONLINE REFERENCE:
• https://www.google.com/search?
q=development+of+philippine+art&rlz=1C1ZKTG_enPH922PH922&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2a
hUKEwiwnd-UrKXsAhXSyIsBHbaJDKAQ_AUoAXoECBoQAw&biw=1366&bih=600#imgrc=qqIBrI4s2ub-xM
• https://www.google.com/search?
q=tribal+traditional+filipino+art&tbm=isch&rlz=1C1ZKTG_enPH922PH922&hl=en-
US&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjp64zEqqXsAhUPaN4KHao_CVEQBXoECAEQKA&biw=1349&bih=600
• https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/visual-arts/the-spanish-
colonial-tradition-in-philippine-visual-arts/#:~:text=When%20the%20Spaniards%20arrived%20in,Catholic
%20faith%20through%20beautiful%20images.&text=They%20replaced%20the%20arts%20that,and
%20community%20setting%20for%20rituals.
• https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/visual-arts/the-american-
and-contemporary-traditions-in-philippine-visual-arts/
• https://www.google.com/search?
q=contemporary+art+in+the+philippines&rlz=1C1ZKTG_enPH922PH922&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&v
ed=2ahUKEwjl0OfuuKXsAhUeyosBHSyAA-wQ_AUoAXoECBoQAw&biw=1366&bih=600
• https://steemit.com/traditional/@lapilipinas/philippines-ethnic-art-and-crafts