Lesson 2

• Philippine Art Timeline Highlights

  • PRE COLONIAL ART PERIOD (6185BC – 1520 AD)
  • SPANISH COLONIAL ART PERIOD (1521-1898)
  • AMERICAN COLONIAL ART PERIOD (1898-1946)
• Pre Colonial Art Period


  • Old Stone Age (Paleolithic)
  • Age of Horticulture/Neolithic Period
  • Metal Age
  • Iron Age
• Flake Tools


  • Proof of earliest man's presence recovered from Espinosa Ranch Site, Cagayan 16000-8000 BC
  • Oldest man-made object associated with fossils of a proboscidean, a prehistoric elephant
  • Other flake tools recovered in Tabon Caves, Palawan and some stone tools in Bolobok Cave, Sanga-Sanga in Tawi-Tawi
• Shell Bracelets and Pendants (Neolithic)


  • Found in Cagayan, Palawan, and Sorsogon 4854 BC
  • Oldest known ornaments made from cone shells found in the grave of an adult male in Duyong Cave in Palawan
• Agono Petroglyphs


  • Oldest known work of art in the Philippines located in the province of Rizal
  • 127 human and animal figures engraved on the rockwall probably carved during the late Neolithic (3000 BC)
• Lingling-o


  • A kind of ear pendant fashioned from green nephrite (jade) characteristic of the Early Metal Age
  • One of the finest jade ornaments found to date is the double-headed pendant recovered from Duyong Cave, Palawan
• Manunggul Jar


  • Burial jar excavated from a Neolithic burial site in Manunggul cave of Tabon Cave at Palawan dating from 890–710 B.C.
• Maitum Jar


  • Anthropomorphic secondary burial jars discovered in Ayub Cave, Barangay Pinol, Maitum, Sarangani Province, Mindanao, Philippines (Metal Age: 190 BC to 500 AD)
• Surigao gold objects' date stamp could be placed in the span of the 10th to the 13th centuries, A.D., pre-Hispanic era
• Pre-colonial traditional art


  • Has religious symbols, everyday activity such as fishing, farming, etc., or a specific decorative art pattern to the community
  • Has either the influence of local religion (animistic) or Islamic based
  • There is also an exchange of art aesthetics and art processes with Chinese and other Asian countries who frequent as traders with our indigenous groups
• Baybayin


  A Tagalog ancient script also known in Visayan as badlit, derived from Brahmic scripts of India and first recorded in the 16th century, continued to be used during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines up until the late 19th century
• Other Pre Colonial Art

  • Pottery
  • Weaving
  • Tattoo
  • Jewelry
  • Carving
  • Metal Crafts
• Okir (motif)


  An artistic cultural heritage of the Maranaos of Lanao, Philippines, an artistic design of the Maranao native inhabitants of southern Philippines beginning from the early 6th Century C.E. before the Islamization of the area, often rendered or curved in hardwood, brass, silver and wall painting in curvilinear lines and Arabic geometric figures
• Patterns of Okir


  • Matilak (circle)
  • Poyok (bud)
  • Dapal (leaf)
  • Pako (fern or spiral form)
  • Todi (fern leaf with spiral at upper edge)
  • Pako lungat (fern leaf with a cut at one edge)
• Other elements of Okir


  • Naga
  • obid-obid binotoon
  • kianoko
  • pakonai
  • tialitali
• Common themes of the Okir

  • Torogan (flower symbol of the ancestral home of the highest title holder in a Maranao village)
  • Panolong (carved beam that protrudes in the front of the house, symbolizing power and prestige)
  • Nāga or serpent
  • Sarimanok (a chicken-like figure that carries a fish in its beak)
• Spanish Colonial Art Period


  • Introduced formal Painting, Sculpture and Architecture inspired by the Byzantine, Gothic, Baroque and Rococo art styles
  • Most artworks are Religious (Catholic) based
  • Artworks bear the Philippine themed décor even with Spanish influence
• Byzantine Painting Style


  • Attributed to Maître à la Ratière, Battle of Marignano, 1515
  • Byzantine frescoes 11th–12th-century Church of Panayia Phorviotissa Cyprus
• Baroque Aesthetics


  • Cathedral Church of Saint Mary in Murcia, Spain
  • Miagao Church also known as the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines
• Rococo Art


  Originated in early 18th century Paris, characterized by whimsical, curvy lines and elaborately decorative style of art, whose name derives from the French word 'rocaille' meaning, rock-work after the forms of sea shells
• Gothic Art


  The style of art produced in Northern Europe from the middle ages up until the beginning of the Renaissance, typically rooted in religious devotion, especially known for the distinctive arched design of its churches, its stained glass, and its illuminated manuscripts
• Uprising of the Philippine Artist

  • In the formation of the elite Filipino class, the Ilustrado paved way for the rich locals to study abroad, leading to a more "academic" and "western" approach
  • The Filipino Classicism is formed that borrows the Neoclassicism, Romanticism and even a hint of Impressionism
• Father of Filipino Painting: DAMIAN DOMINGO

  • First Filipino to paint his face, the first Self-Portrait in the Philippines
  • Founder of the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura, the first school of drawing in the Philippines (1821)
  • One of the known artists of the decorative art illustrations tipos del pais watercolor paintings that depict local costumes
• Juan Luna y Novicio


  • A Filipino painter, sculptor and a political activist of the Philippine Revolution during the late 19th century
  • His Spoliarium won the gold medal in the 1884 Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts
• Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo


  • One of the greatest Filipino painters along with fellow painter Juan Luna in the 19th century
  • His work has a touch of Romanticism and aesthetics of the Neoclassicism
• Two Filipino Art Styles developed during the Spanish Era

  • Miniaturismo (art style that pays attention to the embroidery and texture of the costume)
  • Letras y Figuras (art style that fuses letters with figures in every day activity amidst a common background, usually used in painting a patron's full name)
• American Colonial Art Period

  • The American brought in Education and Values Formation, with both following the "American way of life"
  • Art Illustration, Advertising and Commercial Design gained popularity and incorporated in Fine Arts
  • Painting themes still largely favored Genre Paintings, Landscapes and Still Life, Portraits are reserved for high ranking officials with a more academic approach to make the subject more formal
• Neoclassicism in Architecture


  • The White House
  • Manila City Hall
• Neoclassicism


  A style of architecture, art, and design that emerged in the mid-18th century, characterized by a revival of classical Greek and Roman styles and themes
• Neoclassicism in Architecture


  • The White House
  • Manila City Hall
• Art Deco


  A style of decorative art, architecture, and design that emerged in the 1920s, characterized by geometric shapes, bold colors, and lavish ornamentation
• Art Deco in Architecture

  • Chrysler Building
  • Metropolitan Theater
• Art Nouveau


  A style of decorative art, architecture, and design prominent in western Europe and the US from about 1890 until World War I, characterized by intricate linear designs and flowing curves based on natural forms
• Art Nouveau in Architecture

  • Old England building
  • Uy-Chaco Building
• American Colonial Art Period (1898-1946)

  • The American brought in Education and Values Formation, with both following the "American way of life"
  • Art Illustration, Advertising and Commercial Design gained popularity and incorporated in Fine Arts
  • Painting themes still largely favored Genre Paintings, Landscapes and Still Life. Portraits are reserved for high ranking officials with a more academic approach to make the subject more formal
• Fabian dela Rosa was the brightest name in Philippine painting after Luna and the leading Master of Genre in the first quarter of the century
• Fernando Amorsolo was a portraitist and painter of rural landscapes, best known for his craftsmanship and mastery in the use of light
• Guillermo Tolentino won The National Artist Awards for Sculpture in 1973 and is considered the "Father of Philippine Arts" because of his great works like the famous "Bonifacio Monument" and "The Oblation"
• The Triumvirate of Philippine Modern Art (Victorio Edades, Carlos "Botong" Francisco, Galo B. Ocampo) introduced Modern Art styles such as pop art, maximalism, minimalism, abstraction, expressionism, constructivism, magic realism, and environmental art before the World War II
• The Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) had a strong leaning with the Modernist than the Conservatives (the traditional art also termed as the Amorsolo School)