NOTABLE

PHILIPPINE
VISUAL
ARTISTS A N D
THEIR WORKS
NOTABLE PHILIPPINE PAINTERS AND THEIR
WORKS

19th Century Painters

20th Century Painters
Genre Painters
The “Triumvirate of Modern Art”
Other Modernists
19 TH CENTURY PAINTERS (4)
•Jose Honorato Lozano
•Damian Domingo
•Juan Luna
•Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo
 JOSE HONORATO LOZANO
(1815 OR 1821-1885)
• Best known as the pioneering practitioner of the art
form known as LETRAS Y FIGURAS,
in which the letters of a patron’s name is composed
primarily by contoured arrangements of human
figures surrounded by vignettes of scenes in Manila.
LETRAS Y FIGURAS
• A genre of painting pioneered by
JOSE HONORATO LOZANO
during the Spanish Colonial
Period in the Philippines.
• The art form is distinguished by
the depiction of letters of the
alphabet using genre of painting
that contoured shapes of human
figures, animals, plants, and
The “Balvino Maurico” is a Letras y Figuras watercolor other objects called TIPOS DEL
painted by Jose Honorato Lozano, completed in November PAIS popularized by Damian
1864
Domingo
DAMIÁN DOMINGO Y GABOR
(FEBRUARY 12, 1796 – JULY 26, 1834)
• A Chinese Filipino Mestizo known as the FATHER

OF PHILIPPINE PAINTING.
• Established the official Philippine Art Academy in
his residence in Tondo in 1821.
• Began his career as a painter specializing in miniature
portraits and religious imagery.
• Created albums of illustrations of native costumes.
• Regarded highly in the history of Filipino art and is credited
with establishing academic courses in art in the Philippines.
 TIPOS DEL PAIS
• A style of watercolor

painting that shows the different

types of inhabitants in the Philippines in
their different native costumes that
shows their social status and occupation
during colonial times.
• During the 19th century, more tourists,
A Chinese and a native inhabitant ilustrados and foreigners were
of the Philippines. demanding souvenirs and decorations
from the country, Tipos del Pais is
developed in painting. Damian
Filipino Mestiza. Tipos Domingo was the most popular artist
del Pais who worked in this style.
 JUAN LUNA Y NOVICIO
(OCTOBER 23, 1857 – DECEMBER 7, 1899)
• A Filipino painter, sculptor and a political activist of
the Philippine Revolution during the late 19th
century.
• Won a gold medal (Spoliarium) in the 1884
Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts, along with the
silver winner of fellow Filipino painter, Felix
Resurreccion Hidalgo.
• Painted literary and historical scenes, some with an
underscore of political commentary.
 SPOLIARIUM • In 1886, it was sold to the Diputación
Provincial de Barcelona for 20,000
pasetas.
• The picture recreates a despoiling scene in
a Roman circus where dead gladiators are
stripped of weapons and garments.

Ryan Cayabyab composed the opera

SPOLIARIUM, which chronicles the
creation of the eponymous painting
and Juan Luna’s trial for the murder
SPOLIARIUM by Juan Luna of his wife.
FÉLIX RESURRECCIÓN HIDALGO Y PADILLA
(FEBRUARY 21, 1855 – MARCH 13, 1913)
• One of the great Filipino painters of the late
19th century, and is significant in Philippine
history for having been an acquaintance and
inspiration for members of the Philippine
Reform Movement.
• Won a silver medal (Las Virgenes
Christianas Expuestas al Populacho) in the
1884 Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts, along
with the gold win of fellow Filipino painter
Juan Luna.
LAS VIRGENES CRISTIANAS EXPUESTAS
AL POPULACHO
• Also known as The
Christian Virgins
Exposed to the Populace.
• It is a “Landmark Painting”
depicting the persecution of Christians
in Ancient Rome.
• According to Racquel A.G. Reyes,
Hidalgo’s winning the silver medal
for the painting was a landmark
achievement that proved the ability
of Filipinos to match the work of
Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho by Spaniards and laid claim to
Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo
Filipinos participation in European
 LA BARCA DE AQUERONTE
• Also known as The
Boat of
Charon or Charon’s Boat.
• A gold winning art during the
Exposition General de las Filipinas
(International Philippine
Exposition) in Madrid.
• It is an interpretation of damned
souls journeying across the River
Acheron towards the gates of hell or
La barca de Aqueronte, an 1887 painting of a
Filipino painter and hero Félix Resurrección Hades
Hidalgo.
Juan Luna and Felix
Hidalgo are the first
“International”
Filipino painters.
20 TH CENTURY PAINTERS (5)
Genre Painters
Fabian dela Rosa
Fernando Amorsolo
The “Triumvirate of Modern Art”
Victorio Edades
Galo Ocampo
Carlos “Botong” Francisco
 GENRE PAINTERS
•Fabian dela Rosa
•Fernando Amorsolo
FABIÁN DE LA ROSA Y CUETO
(MAY 5, 1869 – DECEMBER 14, 1937)
• First cousin once removed
and mentor to the Philippines’
national artist in painting,
Fernando Amorsolo, and to
his brother Pablo.
• Regarded as a “Master of
Genre” in Philippine art.
 NOTABLE WORKS OF FABIAN
DELA ROSA

NOTE: Not a real painting of

Fabian dela Rosa

El Kundiman, oil on
Women working in a rice
canvas, 1930 by Fabian
field. Oil on canvas,
dela Rosa
FERNANDO AMORSOLO Y CUETO
(MAY 30, 1892 – APRIL 24, 1972)
• A portraitist and painter of rural Philippine
landscapes.
• He is popularly known for his craftsmanship
and mastery in the use of light.
• His supporters consider his portrayals of the
countryside as “the true reflections of the
Filipino Soul.”
• So called the “Grand Old Man of
Philippine Art”
 NOTABLE WORKS OF FERNANDO
AMORSOLO

Antipolo by Fernando Amorsolo,

Fruit Gatherers (1950) by depicting Filipinos celebrating a
Fernando Amorsolo town fiesta.

Sunday Morning going to

Church (1953) by Fernando
RICE PLANTING WITH MAYON VOLCANO
1949

 From the painting of Fernando

Amorsolo, there are Filipino
villagers in their bright clothes and
straw hats work together amid a
green and sunlit landscape of
plenty. Behind them, releasing a
peaceful plume of steam, rises the
beautifully symmetrical cone of
Mayon stratovolcano. It shows the
relationship between the volcano
and the surrounding landscape is
depicted as a positive, fruitful and
harmonious one.
Defence of a Filipina Woman‘s Honour • Detail from Fernando
Amorsolo’s 1945
Defence of
a Filipina Woman’s Honour,
which is a representative of
Amorsolo’s World War II-era
paintings. Here, a Filipino man
defends a woman, who is either
his wife or daughter, from being
raped by an unseen Japanese
soldier. Note the Japanese
military cap at the man’s foot
 THE “TRIUMVIRATE OF
MODERN ART”
•Victorio Edades
•Galo Ocampo
•Carlos “Botong” Francisco
 VICTORIO C. EDADES
( DECEMBER 23, 1895 – MARCH 7, 1985)
• Father of Modern Philippine Painting.

• Led the revolutionary Thirteen Moderns,

who engaged their classical compatriots in
heated debate over the nature and function
of art.

• He was named a National Artist

in 1976.
The Builders (1928) by Victorio Edades

The Sketch,
Victorio C.
Edades, 1928,
Oil on canvas,
96 x 117 cm
 GALO B. OCAMPO
(16 OCTOBER 1913 – 12 SEPTEMBER 1985)
• First Filipino to study heraldry and
was a member of the International
Institute of Genealogy and Heraldry in
Madrid.
• His prominent work in heraldry include the
Coat of Arms of the Philippines, the seal
of the president, the different coat of arms
of the different Archbishops of Manila and
the various symbols of the state of the
Philippines.
 HERALDRY
• Is a broad term, encompassing the
design, display, and study of
armorial bearings (known as
armory), as well as related
disciplines such as vexillology,
together with the study of
ceremony, rank, and pedigree.
COAT OF ARMS OF THE PHILIPPINES
SAGISAG NG PILIPINAS
SEAL OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
SAGISAG NG PANGULO NG PILIPINAS
NOTABLE WORKS OF GALO OCAMPO

Brown Madonna (1938) River of Life (1954) by

by Galo Ocampo Galo Ocampo
CARLOS “BOTONG” FRANCISCO
(NOVEMBER 4, 1912 – MARCH 31, 1969)

•Most distinguished practitioner of mural

painting for many decades and best known
for his historical pieces.
•One of the triumvirate of modern art who
broke away from Amorsolo’s romanticism of
Philippine scenes.
•Responsible for the discovery of now famous
Angono Petroglyphs in 1965.
MURAL PAINTINGS
• Any piece of artwork painted or
applied directly on a wall, ceiling
or other permanent surface.
• A distinguishing characteristics of
mural painting is that the
architectural elements of the
given space are harmoniously
incorporated into the picture.
ANGONO PETROGLYPHS
(1965)
The OLDEST KNOWN
WORK OF ART IN THE
PHILIPPINES. This site is
located in the province of
Rizal. There are 127 human
and animal figures engraved
on the rock wall probably
carved during the late
Neolithic, or before 2000
BC.
PETROGLYPHS
• Images created by
removing part of a
rock surface by
incising, picking,
carving, or
abrading, as a form
of rock art.
 NOTABLE WORKS OF BOTONG FRANCISCO
Bonifacio
Mural, a
mural
painting by
Botong
Francisco,

Harana(1957) by Botong
Francisco
First Mass in
Blood the
Compact Philippines
by Botong by Botong
Francisco
Francisco
 OTHER MODERNISTS
• Hernando Ocampo • Anita Magsaysay-Ho
• Diosdado Lorenzo • Jose Joya
• Vicente Manansala • Arturo Luz
• Cesar Legaspi
HERNANDO RUIZ OCAMPO
(APRIL 28, 1911 – DECEMBER 28, 1978)
• Leading radical artist in the Philippines.
• His works reflected the harsh realities of his
country after the Second World War.
• Many of his works depicted lush sceneries and
the beautiful Philippine landscapes through his
skillful use of fierce and bold colors.
• Utilized fantasy and science fiction as the basis
for his works
• National artist in visual arts (1991)
• Leading figure in Philippine Modern Art
• Formed the triumvirate of neo-realist
 NOTABLE PAINTINGS OF HERNANDO OCAMPO

Harvest Festival (1971) by

Hernando Ocampo
Homeage to Tandang Mother and Child by
Sora (1977) by Hernando Ocampo
Hernando Ocampo Madonna and Child by
Hernando Ocampo

Genesis (1968) by Hernando Ocampo

 Served as the basis of curtain
design in the Cultural Center of the
Philippines Main Theater
DIOSDADO LORENZO
(1906 – 1984)
• His artworks institute the emotive capacity of
solid and vibrant colors (his frequent use of
vermillion, orange and yellow) and the use of
strong, broad brush strokes that radically
contravened technique of the application of
pain.
• Renowned “the other rebel” of Victorio
Edades for traversing the use of distortion to
reveal strength and character while sustaining
the sympathetic portrayal of the life of the
common people.
 NOTABLE WORKS OF DIOSDADO LORENZO

Still Life (1981) by

Diosdado Lorenzo
Ilog ng Cabiao (1970) by Diosdado
Lorenzo
The Cathedral
(1948) by
Diosdado
Lorenzo Woman with Jar (1974) by
Diosdado Lorenzo
Rural Life (1967) by
Diosdado Lorenzo
Diosdado Lorenzo’s “Rape and
Massacre in Ermita” • Diosdado Lorenzo’s themes of
paintings imply his devotion to
nationalism and the visual
truth evident in his disturbing
representation of Rape and
Massacre in Ermita, painted in
1947, at the time when the
country was under the brutish
control of the Japanese
Imperial Government in World
War II.
VICENTE SILVA MANANSALA
(JANUARY 22, 1910 – AUGUST 22, 1981)
• His canvases were described as
masterpiece that brought the cultures of
the barrio and the city together.
• A cubism practitioner
• He developed transparent cubism,
wherein the “delicate tones, shapes, and
patterns of figure and environment are
masterfully superimposed.”
 CUBISM
THE PHILOSOPHY OF CUBIC ART
Started by Georges Braque and Paolo Picasso
Early-20th century art movement which brought
European painting and sculpture historically
forward toward 20th century modern art.
Immediately recognizable due to their
flattened, nearly two-dimensional appearance;
an inclusion of geometric angles, lines, and
shapes; and a fairly neutral color palette.
Cubic paintings aren’t meant to be realistic or
life-like in any way.
NOTABLE WORKS OF VICENTE MANANSALA
Manansala’s portrayal of a mother
and child from the countryside who
became urban shanty once in the city.

Philippine Mother and Child by

Vicente Manansala

Market Vendors by Vicente

Madonna of the Slums Manansala
by Vicente Manansala
CESAR TORRENTE LEGASPI
(APRIL 2, 1917 – APRIL 7, 1994)

• A Filipino National Artist in

painting.
• A cubist and nude painter
• Worked both representationally and
abstractly over the course of his career,
shifting between more traditional
representations of the human figure to
more Modernist visual languages.
 NOTABLE WORKS OF CESAR LEGASPI

Blue Nude by Cesar Legaspi

Tree Planting (1949) by Cesar Legaspi

Gadgets II by Cesar
Legaspi
ANITA MAGSAYSAY-HO
(MAY 25, 1914 - MAY 5, 2012)

• Only female Filipino painter of the

Thirteen Moderns, a standing group of
Filipino modernist artists.
• Her most famous works are subject to the
beauty ofFilipino women dealing
with everyday issues.
• A painter best known for her Social Realist
and post-cubist portrayals of Filipino life and
culture, notably and frequently portraying
groups of women engaged in labor.
 NOTABLE WORKS OF ANITA MAGSAYSAY-HO

Tomato Pickers (1975)

by Anita Magsaysay-Ho

Water Carrier (1998) by

Fruit Gatherers (1975) by Anita Magsaysay- Anita Magsaysay-Ho
Ho
JOSÉ T. JOYA
(JUNE 3,1931 – MAY 11,1995)
• A Filipino abstract artist and a National Artist of
the Philippines awardee.
• He pioneered abstract expressionism in the
Philippines.
• His canvas were characterized by “dynamic
spontaneity” and “quick gestures” of action
painting.
• The creator of compositions that were described
as “vigorous compositions.”
• His works were inspired by the tropical wildlife
of his home country.
PAGDIRIWANG (1976) OF JOSE JOYA
ARTURO ROGERIO LUZ
(JUNE 3,1931 – MAY 11,1995)
• A Philippine National Artist awardee in
visual arts.
• A founding member of the modern Neo-
realist school in Philippine art.
• His early drawings were described as
“playful linear works” influenced by Paul
Klee.
• His best masterpieces are minimalist,
geometric abstracts, alluding to the modernist
“virtues” of competence, order and elegance,
NOTABLE WORK OF ARTURO LUZ
 NOTABLE WORKS OF ARTURO LUZ

Candle Vendors by Arturo Luz Cities of the Past by

Arturo Luz

Bagong Taon by Arturo Luz

SELECTED CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS

• Antipas Delotavo
• Benedicto Cabrera
• Danilo Dalena
• Onib Olmedo
• Brenda Fajardo
ANTIPAS “BIBOY” DELATAVO
• Also known as “Biboy”
• A popular Filipino visual artist who has
committed his art to revealing some of
the harsh realities experienced by
ordinary individuals in the Philippine
society.
• He produced paintings that enlighten the
public about the impact of poverty,
oppression, and injustice in the country.
 NOTABLE WORK OF ANTIPAS DELATAVO

Diospora by Antipas Delatavo

Itak sa Puso ni Mang
Bawal Hanapbuhay by
Juan (1977) by Antipas
Antipas Delatavo
Delatavo
 NOTABLE WORK OF ANTIPAS DELATAVO

This painting is
described by a critic
as an illusion to the
“embarrassments of
affluence resting on
a tattered Philippine
flag.”

Katas (Sap) by
Antipas Delatavo
Steal Life by
Antipas Delatavo
BENEDICTO REYES CABRERA
( BORN APRIL 10, 1942 )
• Better known as “BenCab”
• A Filipino painter and was awarded
National Artist of the Philippines for
Visual Arts (Painting) in 2006.
• Noted as “arguably the best-selling painter
of his generation of Filipino artists.”
• His work often depicts women and
occasionally men wrapped in swirling,
bundled fabrics and capes.
NOTABLE WORK OF BENEDICTO CABRERA

Mi Ultimo Adios
(1996) by Benedicto
EDSA Event (1986) by Cabrera
Benedicto Cabrera Sabel (2004) by Benedicto
Cabrera
DANILO ECHAVARIA DALENA
( BORN JANUARY 4, 1942 )
• Made his mark in the early 1970s with
his caustic political and Asia-
Philippines Leader as it raised the
standards of editorial art in the country.
• He also did a series of highly realistic
toilet and graffiti drawings in 1972.
• He produced series of paintings
depicting folk costumes and lifestyles
in the city.
KOMEDYA SA PAKIL BY DANILO DALENA
 NOTABLE WORK OF DANILO DANELA

Tulog Tao (1984) by

Danilo Dalena
Quiapo Series (1984) by Alibangbang Series by
Danilo Dalena Danilo Dalena
 ONIB OLMEDO
( JULY 7, 1937 - SEPTEMBER 8, 1996 )
• Was an award-winning expressionist
Filipino Painter.
• He created populist art and depicted the
marginalized part of the society
(Prostitutes and musicians) using cubism
and expressionism.
• He decided to shift from his 12 career in
architecture to painting where he became a
leading figure in Philippine expressionism
 NOTABLE WORK OF ONIB OLMEDO

Mother and Child by Musicians (1994) by Women with Glases by

Onib Olmedo Onib Olmedo Onib Olmedo
BRENDA FAJARDO
( BORN 1940, MANILA )
• Began her career in the visual arts as a printmaker and
graphic artist before moving on to painting.
• Her artistic and academic interests involve the aesthetics of

poverty and the art of the people.

• She is known for her series of tarot cards, which she
configures and situates in Philippine history and society.

• Founder of Baglan
the Community
Cultural Initiatives.
 TAROT CARDS BY BRENDA
FAJARDO

Japanese Occupation American Occupation by

by Brenda Fajardo Brenda Fajardo
 NOTABLE WORK OF BRENDA FAJARDO

Masaya sa
Pagiging Siya
by Brenda Nangagsinag ang Adlao
Baraha ng Buhay Pilipino by Fajardo sa Babaylan by Brenda
Brenda Fajardo Fajardo