Life & Art: How 3 of the Most Iconic Filipino artists came to be
Art has always been a part of one’s culture. As artistic expression paves way for the discussion of one’s thoughts, feelings, traditions, and beliefs, it’s no wonder that artwork can provide a lot of information to one’s own history.
Being colonized for more than 400 years, classic Filipino art, especially paintings, were heavily influenced by European art style. What makes it different is the mastery of craft provided by historical artists in depicting the life of the Filipino people under colonial rule. Follow me as we journey through the life and works of three amazing Filipino painters in leaving a mark in the international art scene and their contribution to the Philippines’ art history.
Felix Hidalgo
Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, or simply Felix Hidalgo, is a well-known historical figure in the Filipino art scene during the 19th century. He is often regarded as one of the greatest painters of the Philippines, alongside friend and artist, Juan Luna. Hidalgo was born in Manila to a prominent family and as an illustrado, was able to travel to Spain to further pursue his studies in art, philosophy, and law.
He gained a scholarship to pursue his studies in painting at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes. In return, he painted several life-sized canvases for the Spanish government. As he continued to produce art in Spain, he was able to receive great recognition as a painter especially during the 1884 Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts. Here his work, Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho (“Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace”, 1884) was awarded global accolades. The artwork features semi-nude women, one with tired looking features, while the other is seated on the floor hunched, as if hiding from the audience. Furthermore, male subjects in the painting dominate by means of staring down at these women. Winning a silver medal, this piece was considered a landmark achievement that proved the ability of Filipinos artists to match the work of Spaniards and laid claim to Filipino participation in European art culture. Juan Luna’s Spoliarium, was also awarded at the same year and event.
While Felix Hidalgo’s name was not as recognized as Juan Luna’s, he was known to be good friends with several other reformists during the Spanish Colonial Era, including our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. His contributions to the Filipino people extended beyond the confines of his gallery as only a place for his artworks; his gallery in Paris also became one of the centers of Filipino activities where revolutionaries gathered and found refuge.
Hidalgo lived a life being acknowledged and awarded for his artworks in the Philippines, Europe, and the United States. Some of his other notable works include La Barca de Aqueronte (1887) and El Asesinato del Gobernador Bustamante y su Hijo (The Assassination of Governor Fernando Manuel de Bustamente, 1853), which is displayed in the National Museum of the Philippines and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, considered to be a Philippine National Treasure. Right after his death, a street in Quiapo, Manila was named after him to honor his contribution to the country.
Juan Luna
One cannot think of Philippine art without thinking about the incredible Spoliarium (1884) and its artist, Juan Luna. Another prominent historical figure, Juan Luna was initially not an artist. He first became an apprentice officer while taking painting lessons from time to time. It wasn’t until 20 years in his life that he was sent to Spain to further hone his artistic talent. Impressed by his talent, a famous contemporary artist in Spain named Alejo Vera gave Luna private lessons, as well as take him to Rome whenever Vera would undertake commissions.
Most of his acclaimed works were painted in Rome. Daphne y Cleo and The Death of Cleopatra (1881) were painted in there as well as some of his early works that got him recognized abroad. Winning international awards from his works brought him out of poverty and his poor living situation as he gained popularity among Europeans. With this, he then embarked into painting his most ambitious work ever, the Spoliarium.
The Spoliarium has a dimension of 13.1 ft by 23 ft (4m by 7m), making it the largest painting that the Philippines owns. It shows the basement of the Roman Colosseum basement where multiple subjects of the painting are seen to be doing different actions like women mourning, and scavengers eyeing for potential possessions from the dead. The artwork centers however on the dead bodies of gladiators being dragged. The piece won a gold award in the 1884 Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts. Moreover, Luna’s work is interpreted as the state of the Philippines during the rule of Spaniards, allegedly sparking the revolution in the country.
Juan Luna in his Paris studio
His success in the art scene and his activism were sadly not the only key contributions to his popularity. A controversy surrounding his personal life became widely known as he killed his wife in a jealous fit. His mother-in-law was also killed and he seriously injured his brother-in-law.
6 years later after being acquitted, Luna died in Hong Kong on December 7, 1899.
To this day, Juan Luna’s dedication to art have shown the great talent one can possess, even during the times of oppression.
Fernando Amorsolo
When one thinks of a depiction of the rural life in the Philippines, no one does it more significantly than Fernando Amorsolo. Fernando Amorsolo was born in Manila and but spent a simple childhood life in the rural province of Camarines Norte. After his father passed away, his remaining family returned to Manila in pursuit of better opportunities for work. At the early age of 11, he was exposed to the art world by assisting his mother’s cousin in his studio. He was able to help his family in his schooling by selling sketches and eventually, he was able to graduate from the University of the Philippines in Fine Arts.
It is not hard to spot an Amorsolo work. His works usually portrays the everyday life of a Filipino and rural landscapes. His mastery in the use of lighting and backlighting in his portraits and paintings became his signature art style that made him very recognizable, in and out of the country. However, the bright and happy tone set by his works did not continue through the course of his art.
Amorsolo’s life traversed through all colonial periods that the country experienced. It was during the Japanese occupation, however, that Amorsolo’s works deviated from the artwork that we are accustomed to. His usual bright and hopeful works became dark and somber because of the violence that he witnessed during the war. His work, La Defensa de Honor (1950), is one of the pieces that was finished during this time.
His major works include Maiden in a Stream (1921), El Ciego (1928), Dalagang Bukid (1936), and Planting Rice (1946). Additionally, patrons of the famous San Miguel Ginebra Gin unknowingly sees another Amorsolo work as the original logo of the alcohol brand was designed by him. His title as the fist National Artist of the Philippines and as the “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art” are excellent recognition to the life he led as a remarkable artist.
Written by Maria Manio
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