Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1) Artist:Solomon Saprid
Sculpture:Tikbalang
Colonizers have come and gone to our land and inputted different traditions in our very rich
culture. There's this one man who sought to preserve our culture through his paintings and
sculptures and he is none other than Solomon Saprid. He gave the public pictures of Philippine
folklore characters that made the Filipinos realized that these imaginary beings are not just a
mere myth, rather it is more of a reality. He sculpted “Tikbalang”, a titanic creature with a horse-
like head but has a human-like body. He also sculpted “Amihan”, the wind goddess. After
sometime, these images had been so engraved in the public’s mind that the public began to think
that these creatures could be anywhere. He also sculpted the “Gomburza” along Intramuros that
made the public remember the things that the 3 priests have done for our country. He didn’t just
paint or sculpt art that only talked about the Filipino myths, but he also made pictures that
touched our culture. He painted “Mag-ina” that exemplified the joys of parenthood. He was able
to pull back the Filipinos to their roots and made them understand their culture and beginnings.
Indeed, he is an artist who enriched the rich culture of a society.
2) Artist:Ang Kiuko
Painting:The Crucifixion
3) Artist:Napoleon V. Abueva
Sculpture: Allegorical Harpoon
The Philippines is very fortunate for having the multi awarded national artist, Napoleon V.
Abueva, as its father of modern Philippine sculpture.Abueva is the pioneer in
5) Artist:Hernando Ocampo
Painting: The Contrast
Hernando Ocampo’s masterpieces had large contribution to full understanding and awareness of
social realities in the Philippines. He made paintings reflecting economic and psychological
dislocation in the country brought by World War II, a time of widespread poverty, hunger, and
misery. His works also depicted objection against the disparity between rich and poor. One vivid
illustration portraying the objection in social inequality is his painting, The Contrast, which
pictures a beggar eating in front of a mansion. As a visual artist, he also envisioned to come up
with masterpieces showing a search for Filipino spirit. His other major work of arts include Ina
ng Balon, Calvary, Slum Dwellers, Nude with Candle and Flower, Man and Carabao, Angel's
Kiss, Palayok at Kalan, Ancestors, Isda at Mangga, The Resurrection, Fifty-three "Q", Backdrop,
Fiesta.
6) Artist:Victorio Edades
Victorio Edades, Father of Modern Philippine Painting, created works which were dark in color
and gave pictures of Filipino masses as theme.One of his great works depicting Filipino masses
is The Builders, the most controversial painting. It is dark in color and made of heavy texture
which pictures men working in a quarry. Moreover, his works were very different from
Amorsolo’s bright, sunny, cheerful hues yet his creativity in art made way for mural and modern
paintings to be known in the Philippines. He does not only establish modern paintings into the
Philippines but also link this modernism to the issue of national identity. Some of his
masterpieces were The Artist and the Model, Portrait of the Professor, Japanese Girl, Mother and
Daughter, The Wrestlers, Poinsettia Girl, The Sketch.
Diosdado Lorenzo is one of the most famous modernist painters in the Philippines. He is one of
the pioneers who introduced the modern 20th century form of art which is stronger and more
appealing to the eyes than those of the traditional paintings made by Fernando Amorsolo. To
form the modernist approach in paintings, Lorenzo destroyed the old perspective of traditional
paintings to make way for the new styles in painting. Lorenzo’s obsession with the country’s
landscape and people enabled him to try different forms of paintings such as painting with lights,
Chinese arts, watercolors, etc. He tried these kinds of paintings only to find out that his heart was
not really into it. After which, he explored Filipino “Still Life” using objects such as fruits and
vegetables as its model. He prefers using watercolors than oil because he considers watercolor
art to be more memorable. His watercolored “still life” is considered to be one of the best in the
country. The modernism found in his works formed a new basis for the reassessment of
Philippine paintings.
Vicente Rivera, a master in Philippine paintings, is commonly underrated due to the rarity of his
9) Artist:Juan Luna
Painting: Spoliarium
The paintings of Juan Luna were the first Filipino works of art
to become famous inside and outside of the Philippines because of its meaning and significance.
Juan Luna produced works in the romantic and early impressionist styles, achieving great
recognition in Europe. Juan Luna traveled to different parts of Europe, learning various
techniques in painting and eventually coming back to the Philippines to further nurture his
talents. He won great praise as wells as many prizes for his works. His achievements helped to
inspire other Filipinos to think of themselves as equal to the Europeans. Juan Luna’s greatest
masterpiece is “The Spoliarium”. This won him a gold medal at the National Exposition of Fine
Arts held in Madrid. The Spoliarium depicts the 19th century horror experience of the Filipinos.
It emphasized the violation of Human Rights by the colonizers of Spain. Juan Luna expressed his
patriotism by painting one such masterpiece to enlighten the Filipinos out of oppression. This
painting showed great impact and influence on the Filipino people, truly something that not all
artists can possess. He is certainly a very influential artist and has indeed a painting style of his
own making him without a doubt one of the most renowned national artists.
Guillermo E. Tolentino is a renowned artist known for transforming hopes and aspirations
of freedom into art. One of his famous creations is the Oblation, which can be
found at the lobby of College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. The Oblation,
famous landmark in the University of the Philippines, has become a symbol of academic
freedom. It is a figure of a nude man with arms outstretched and looking far beyond the horizon.
The original Oblation is made of concrete and measures three and a half meters symbolizing the
three and a half years of Spanish rule in the Philippines. The stones on which it stands represent
the many islands in the country. In addition, Guillermo Tolentino included clusters of katakataka
found at the foot of the figure, which symbolize the heroism of the Filipino people. The Oblation
is good representation of how one has a thirst for freedom and an eagerness to offer his whole
self for the country. He transformed the country’s aspiration and hope for a freer country into
this amazing sculpture. Another famous sculpture of Guillermo Tolentino is the Bonifacio
Monument located in Caloocan City. The monument commemorates the proletarian hero, Andres
Bonifacio and his revolutionary group called “Katipunan” first encounter with the Spanish
soldiers on August 3, 1896. The Bonifacio Monument is an enduring symbol of the Filipinos’ cry
for freedom. In these two masterpieces, Guillermo Tolentino successfully portrays what
Filiipinos yearn for and what they want to achieve during the time of the Spaniards. Because of
this, he is considered one of the most known national artists in the Philippines.