Gallery VIII

Gallery VIII, a permanent exhibit at the second floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts, features 20 paintings by Filipino artists who want to show the painful and hard life during the Imperial Japanese Occupation during 1941 to 1945, liberation of the Philippines by American and Filipino forces and the damage that happened in Manila during the war.  Unofficially dubbed as the “War Gallery,” it contains images that may be disturbing to some viewers due to its disturbing, violent and graphic scenes.

Check out “National Museum of Fine Arts”

Gallery entrance

National Artist for the Visual Arts (1972) Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (1882 – 1972), a known portraitist and a painter of rural Filipino life, also witnessed and experienced the stark reality and ravages of World War II, choosing city-dwellers coping with the Japanese Occupation as one his subjects. Amorsolo spent his days at his home near the Japanese garrison and he documented the destruction of many landmarks in Manila and the pain, tragedy and death experienced by Filipino people, with his subjects including “women mourning their dead husbands, files of people with pushcarts and makeshift bags leaving a dark burning city tinged with red from fire and blood.

Burning of Manila (Fernando C. Amorsolo, 1942)

Due to this time of war, from his light and peaceful creations, he shifted to scenes of destruction.  The 9.8 x 12.5 in. Burning of Manila (1942) depicts Manila ravaged and almost engulfed in flames. Upon closer inspection, you can also see Filipinos fleeing from the scene, carrying their meager possessions.

Ruins of the Legislative Building (Fernando C. Amorsolo, 1945, oil on canas)

The 31.4 x 39 cm. Ruins of the Legislative Building (1945, oil on masonite) is a study of stark contrast where destruction is set against the nonchalant beauty of the sky, a silent yet poignant testament to the human folly  and the transitory nature of reality.

Burning of Sto. Domingo Church (Fernando C. Amorsolo, 1942, oil on canvas)

The Burning of Sto. Domingo Church (1942) captures, on canvas, the magnitude and intensity of the fire through his trademark application of hues, texture and perspective, as well as the concerted effort of the firemen and the Dominican clergy to save the sanctuary.

Ruined Gate of Fort Santiago (Nena L. Saguil, 1949, oil on canvas) (1)

Simplicia “Nena L. Saguil (1914 – 1994), a pioneering female abstract painter, has two oil on canvas paintings on display, both painted in 1949 – Ruined Gate of Fort Santiago (a small but quite powerful reminder of the importance of preserving our built heritage from the vagaries of war) and Ruins of Quiapo Street.

Ruins of Quiapo Street (Nena L. Saguil, 1949, oil on canvas)

Right after the Liberation of Manila in 1945, when the country was still reeling from the shock of over 100,000 men, women and children slaughtered, bayoneted and senselessly butchered in Manila, Nueva-Ecija born Diosdado Magno Lorenzo (1906 – 1984), well known for his expressionist landscapes rendered in cool, bright and striking tones of white and blue, did his 200 x 173 cm. Rape and Massacre in Ermita (1947, oil on canvas), one of his largest artworks.

Rape and Massacre in Ermita (Diosdado M. Lorenzo, 1947, oil on canvas)

A particularly haunting image of violence, it depicts a typical scenario during World War II where Imperial Japanese soldiers attack a Filipino family’s home in Ermita. Lorenzo showed, with harrowing clarity, how Filipino men were slain, women were raped, stabbed and shot, and helpless children were orphaned when Japanese soldiers attacked. In the background, a woman with long hair is naked and hurt.

Ruins of Escolta (Diosdado Lorenzo, 1946)

Lorenzo also portrayed the destruction wrought on the city’s business district in his Ruins of Escolta (1946) and Ruins of Sales Street, Quiapo.

Ruins of Sales Street, Quiapo (Diosdado M. Lorenzo, 1946, oil on wood)

Dominador Hilario Castaneda (1904 – 1976), a contemporary of Fernando Amorsolo, diverged from the characteristic style of the Amorsolo School and a different direction, especially in terms of color. On display in this gallery are four of his paintings that depict the horrors of war as a personal one in this dark era – Doomed Family (1945), Death March (1948, oil on canvas), Ravaged Manila (1945, oil on canvas) and Fugitive from the Japanese (1944, oil on board).

Doomed Family (Dominador Castaneda, 1945, oil on lawanit)

His Doomed Family is a harrowing piece showing a dead Filipina lying exposed while the rest of the family are bound and bruised.

Death March (Dominador Castaneda, 1948, oil on canvas)

The eye-catching Death March shows dead Filipino soldiers lying on the road while other soldiers help each other get through the Death March.

Ravaged Manila (Dominador Castaneda, 1945, oil on canvas)

Ravaged Manila, looking dull, lifeless and full of negative emotions from the scene, shows children slaughtered on the ground.

A Tragic Lesson (The Fall of Bataan) (Gene Cabrera,1957, oil on canvas)

A Tragic Lesson (The Fall of Bataan, 1957, oil on canvas) by Gene Cabrera (1919 – 1988) features skulls that stare out into the audience as a reminder of the devastation that can occur when people are at war. The title “A Tragic Lesson” gives it newfound relevance in these tumultuous times, reminding those who view it that we’ve been here before and this is what happened.

Japanese Atrocities (Manuel Antonio Rodriguez, Sr., 1945, oil on canvas)

Japanese Atrocities (1945, oil on canvas) of Manuel Antonio Rodriguez, Sr. (1912 -2017) shows a Japanese soldier about to behead a father, while the mother and child beg for his life.

Evacuation (Oscar Espiritu, 1949, oil on canvas)

Evacuation (1949), an oil on canvas of Oscar R. Espiritu (1895 – 1960), shows the savagery of war that left many people homeless, forcing to flee the war-torn city. 

Capas (Demetrio Diego, 1948, oil on canvas)

Capas (1948, oil on canvas), of Demetrio Diego (1909 – 1988), the former chief artist of the Sunday Times Magazine, depicts the slow and agonizing deaths of Filipino prisoners-of-war in a Tarlac internment camp.  The prisoner in the center, in a noble but futile act, seems to check on the condition of the companion beside him while a malnourished man, seated at a bamboo bed, seems ready to die.

Graveyard Scene (Carlos Valino, Jr., undated, oil on canvas)

Other artists and paintings featured include Graveyard Scene (undated, oil on canvas) of Carlos P. Valino (1926 – 2008); and Mealtime at the Prison Camp (1945, oil on canvas) of Wenceslao S. Garcia (1915 – 1979).

Mealtime at the Prison Camp (Wenceslao Garcia, 1945,oil on canvas)

The joys of liberation from the Japanese are portrayed by the Landing of Liberation Forces in Lingayen (1940, oil on wood) of Eduardo Perrenoud, Jr. (1913 – 1995) and  Leyte Landing (1948, oil on board) of Romeo V. Tabuena (1921 – 2015) 

Landing of Liberation Forces in Lingayen (Eduardo Perrenoud, 1940, oil on wood)

Landing of Liberation Forces in Lingayen (Eduardo Perrenoud, 1940, oil on wood)

Aside from paintings, also on display are sculptural pieces such as Bataan Death Marcher, undated, metal and wood) of Gene Cabrera and Homage to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1946, wood) by Graciano T. Nepomuceno (1881 – 1974).

Bataan Death Marcher (Gene Cabrera, undated, metal and wood)

Homage to Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Graciano T. Nepomuceno, 1946, wood)

A Plea for Freedom from Fear (1949, plaster of paris), by Fermin Gomez, is a reflection of the anguish of an entire generation that lived through the horrors of war.  It depicts a destitute mother, holding her sleeping baby with two of her children crouching on her skirt in fear (with another lifeless child on the ground), standing and shouting, pleading with tearful, defiant eyes.

A Plea for Freedom From Fear (Fermin Gomez, 1949, plaster of paris)

Gallery VIII: Silvina & Juan C. Laya Hall, North Wing Galleries, House Floor, 2/F National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA), Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8527-1215 and (632) 8298-1100.  Email: inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Website: nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM – 4PM. Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.

Visitors shall be limited to 100 per museum per session. Visitors are required to pre-book online at https://reservation.nationalmuseum.gov at least a day before the visit. Confirmation of booking will be sent through email. Group reservations are limited to five (5) persons only.  Walk-in visitors will NOT be accommodated.

Gallery XIII (Vicente and Carmen Fabella Hall)

Gallery XIII, at the third floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts, features works by National Artist for Sculpture (1976) Napoleon Veloso Abueva (1930-2018) and a monumental painting by National Artist for Painting (1973) Carlos V. “Botong” Francisco (1912 – 1969).

Check out “National Museum of Fine Arts”

Gallery entrance

The Manila Pavilion Reliefs are two large molave wood panels Abueva made with the assistance of Renato Rocha (1937-2001) and Jose Mendoza (born 1941) portraying Rajah Sulayman, His Court and Palisades of Maynilad (1967), and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and the Founding of Manila (1967).

Rajah Sulayman, His Court and Palisades of Maynilad (molave wood, 1961)

Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and the Founding of Manila (molave wood, 1967)

Other Abueva works on display include Family (wood, 1952), Mother and Child (adobe, 1950), Resurrection (XIV Station, 1989), Torso (adobe, 1952); Kiss of Judas (oak wood, 1955), a gift of Mr. Patrick Eugenio; and Kaganapan (Fulfilment, 1953), a bronze cast of the original marble sculpture.

Family (wood, 1952)

Kaganapan (Fulfilment, 1955)

Mounted at one side of the gallery is monumental, 1968 oil on canvas painting of Carlos V. “Botong” Francisco called Timbulan ng Laya at Diwang Dakila (Beacon of Freedom and Nobility of Spirit), a National Cultural Treasure (1996).

Kiss of Judas (wood, 1955)

Resurrection (XIV Station, 1989)

The fourth painting in the series The Filipino Struggles Through History (or History of Manila), consisting of three panels, was commissioned by Mayor Antonio J. Villegas for the end wall of the main hall (Bulwagan Katipunan) of the Office of the Manila Mayor at the Manila City Hall.

Torso (adobe, 1951)

Mother and Child (1950), sculpted from adobe (volcanic tuff), shows an abstract figure of a woman embracing a child in a sitting position. The child clings to the head of his mother.

It depicts Mayor Villegas’ progressive vision for the City of Manila grounded on a proud past of Filipino leadership and the fervent nationalism that he vigorously promoted and is well remembered for.

Timbulan ng Laya at Diwang Dakila (Carlos V. Francisco)

Gallery XIII: Vicente and Carmen Fabella Hall, 3/F, National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA), Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8527-1215 and (632) 8298-1100.  Email: inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Website: nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM – 4PM. Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.

Visitors shall be limited to 100 per museum per session. Visitors are required to pre-book online at https://reservation.nationalmuseum.gov at least a day before the visit. Confirmation of booking will be sent through email. Group reservations are limited to five (5) persons only.  Walk-in visitors will NOT be accommodated.

Gallery IV – Paintings of the Philippine Colonial Tradition of Portraiture, at the second floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts, exhibits more than 30 portraits that showcase the status of the living and memories of the dead. The portraits were the masterpiece of painters coming from two generations – Severino  Flavier Pablo (1805 – 1875), Justiniano Asuncion y Molo (1816 – 1896, a prize student of Damián Domingo in Academia de Dibujo y Pintura), Simon Flores Y de la Rosa (1839 – 1902), Isidro Arceo (1840 – 1900), Hilarion Asuncion y Eloriaga (ca. 1840 – ?), Vicente Villaseñor (1825 – ?) and other unknown artists.

 Check out “National Museum of Fine Arts”

Gallery entrance

Portraits done by Simon Flores y de la Rosa, the first Filipino to garner a prize from an international exhibition (silver medal in 1876 at the Philadelphia Universal Exposition for his painting La Musica del Pueblo), are highly valued for their outstanding craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Portraits of Domingo Jimenez and Leticia Jimenez, both by an unknown artist (late 19th century, oil on canvas)

He has four works on display at the gallery – Portrait of Monsignor Ignacio Pineda Tambungui (c. 1890, oil on ivory), Portrait of Severina Ocampo de Arroyo (1874, oil on canvas), Portrait of Quintana Castor de Sadie (1874, oil on canvas) and Recuerdo de Patay (Memento Mori of a Child, 1896).

Recuerdo de Patay (Memento Mori of a Child, 1896) by Simon Flores y De la Rosa

The last mentioned is seemingly out of place as it depicts a child serenely lying in a small bed, in his best clothes, adorned with fresh flowers, and the shadow of a smile on his face. During the 19th Century, commissioning paintings like these was a popular way to remember a recently deceased loved one.

Portrait of a Man from Liliw and Portrait of a Man from Liliw, both by Vicente Villasenor (oil on panel)

A number of these portraits were commissioned by Manila-born “Chinese mestizo” merchants and their families.  Right beside each other is the Portrait of Sy Jao (Ignacio Boncan) and the Portrait of the Mother and Son of Sy Jao, both late 19th century, oil on canvas paintings done by an unknown artist. The oil on canvas Portrait of Ming Mong Lo (Jose Molo) was done by Severino Flavier Pablo.

Portrait of Sy Jao (Ignacio Boncan) (late 19th century, oil on canvas)

Portrait of Mother and Son of Sy Jao (late 19th century, oil on canvas)

Also placed side by side with each other are two full body, ca. 1880, oil on canvas portraits of two noted Augustinian Recollects – Mariano Cuartero (22^nd Archbishop of Manila, 1847 – 1861) and Jose Ayanguren (25^th Bishop of Nueva Segovia, 1875 – 1887), both by unknown artists.

L-R: Portrait of an old Lady with a Scapular (late 19th century, oil on canvas), Portrait of an Old Man in a Black Suit and Portrait of an Old Lady, all by Antonio Purisima.

Aside from the artists, in many cases, the identities of the subjects of the portraits are unknown such as the Portrait of a Mother and Daughter (oil on canvas, late 19th century) by Hilarion Asuncion y Eloriaga; Portrait of a Lady (oil on canvas, late 19th century) attributed to the Asuncion y Molo Brothers; Portrait of Three Ladies (oil on tin sheet, 1894) by an unknown artist; Portraits of Two Students of Ateneo Municipal de Manila From Pasig (oil on canvas, late 19th century) by an unknown artist; Portrait of an Old Lady and Portrait of an Old Lady with a Scapular (late 19th century, oil on canvas), both by Antonio Purisima; Portrait of a Man from Liliw, Portrait of a Woman from Liliw, Portrait of a Woman (1891)) and Portrait of a Matriarch, all oil on panels by Vicente Villasenor.

Portrait of a Woman (1891) and Portrait of a Matriarch, both by Vicente Villasenor (oil on panel)

Seeming out of place in a room full of portraits are two letras y figuras (ca. 1885), both done, with watercolor on Manila paper, by Miguel Anonuevo.  Letras y figuras (Spanish, “letters and figures”), a genre of painting pioneered by José Honorato Lozano during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, is an art form distinguished by the depiction of letters of the alphabet using a genre of painting that contoured shapes of human figures, animals, plants, and other objects called Tipos del País popularized by Damián Domingo (1796 – 1834). The letters depicted spell out a phrase or a name, usually that of the patron who commissioned the work, in this case Eusebia Solybar and Miguel Anonuevo himself.

Letras y figuras by Miguel Anonuevo

Gallery IV – Paintings of the Philippine Colonial Tradition of Portraiture: Fundacion Santiago Hall, South Wing Galleries, 2/F, National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA), Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8527-1215 and (632) 8298-1100.  Email: inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Website: nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM – 4PM. Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.

Gallery III- Paintings of the Philippine Colonial Tradition of the Sacred Arts

Gallery III – Paintings of the Philippine Colonial Tradition of the Sacred Arts, at the third floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts, exhibits the paintings that show images of saints, the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Family. It features polychromes and paintings of early religious images interpreted by local Filipino artists and artisans.

Check out “National Museum of Fine Arts”

Gallery entrance

One of the prominent pieces in the collection is La Apoteosis de Sto. Tomas Aquino (1819, oil on panel), an artwork dedicated to the Dominican College of Seville and one of the few works of Damian Domingo (1796 – 1834), the Father of Filipino Painting, that survive today.

La Apoteosis de Sto. Tomas Aquino (Damian Domingo, 1819, oil on panel)

Another notable painting is the Nuestra Senora del Rosario (ca. 1860, oil on linen) of Antonio Malantic y Arceo (1820 – 1885), one of the famous portrait painters in the Philippines.

Nuestra Senora del Rosario (Antonio Malantic y Arceo, 1860, oil on linen)

Simon Flores y de la Rosa (1839 – 1902), the first Filipino to garner a prize from an international exhibition (silver medal in 1876 at the Philadelphia Universal Exposition for his painting La Musica del Pueblo), has two works at the gallery –  El Bautismo de Jesus por San Juan Bautista (late 19th century, oil on canvas) and San Roque (1893, oil on panel).

El Bautismo de Jesus por San Juan Bautista (Simon Flores y de la Rosa, late 19th century, oil on canvas

San Roque (Simon Flores y De la Rosa, 1893, oil on panel)

Faustino Quiotan (1770 – 1825), a Chinese mestizo master from Sta. Cruz District in Manila and one of the first Filipino artists to show emotions in his subjects, has two works on display –  San Isidro Labrador (late 18th or early 19th century, oil on canvas) and San Albino de Angers (late 18th or early 19th century, oil on canvas).

Top left: San Isidro Labrador (Faustino Quiotan, late 18th or early 19th century, oil on canvas). Bottom left: San Albino de Angers (Faustino Quiotan, late 18th or early 19th century, oil on canvas). Right: San Cristobal (Mariano Asuncion y Molo, mid tolate 19th century, oil on canvas)

Left San Bonifacio, Obispo y Martir (Juan Arceo, 1830, oil on panel). Top CenterSta. Leogarda de Jesus (Nicolas Luis). Bottom Center San Pedro Apostol (Jose Domingo Gabor, late 19th century, oil on panel).

The other known artists whose works are featured include Jose Domingo y Gabor (son of Damian Domingo, ca. 1790 – 1832), Nicolas Luis, Francisco Domingo y Casa, Hilarion Asuncion y Eloriaga (ca. 1840 – ?), Isidro Arceo (1840 – 1900), Juan Arceo (1795 – 1865), Justiniano Asuncion y Molo (1816 – 1896, a prized pupil of Damian Domingo in Academia de Dibujo y Pintura), Mariano Asuncion y Molo (1802 – 1885, brother of Justiniano), Vicente Villasenor (1825 – ?), Juan Senson (an Angono artist), Castor Resurrecion and Adorable Castro Andrade.

El Transito del Glorioso Patriarca San Jose (Francisco Domingo y Casa, oil on canvas)

Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (Castor Resurrecion, oil on canvas)

Half of works on display are by unknown artists.  The collection belongs to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Collection.

La Coronacion de la Virgen (unknown Leyteno artist, mid 19th century, oil on panel)

La Paloma (La Coronacion de la Virgen) (Vicente Villasenor, oil on panel)

Gallery III – Paintings of the Philippine Colonial Tradition of the Sacred Arts: Ramon and Milagros Del Rosario Family Hall, South Wing Galleries, 2/F, National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA), Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8527-1215 and (632) 8298-1100.  Email: inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Website: nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM – 4PM. Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.

Visitors shall be limited to 100 per museum per session. Visitors are required to pre-book online at https://reservation.nationalmuseum.gov at least a day before the visit. Confirmation of booking will be sent through email. Group reservations are limited to five (5) persons only.  Walk-in visitors will NOT be accommodated.

Gallery II – Gallery of the Via Crusis of an Unknown Bohol Master

Gallery II – Gallery of the Via Crusis of an Unknown Bohol Master, at the second floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts, features 14 paintings depicting the Stations of the Cross (Via Crusis).

Check out “National Museum of Fine Arts”

Gallery entrance

These masterpieces were done by an unknown master from Bohol and the particular church where these paintings originated is also unknown.

Station I (Jesus is Condemned to Death)

Station II (Jesus Carries His Cross).  Check out the Chocolate Hills” in the background

Inscribed with the year 1830, they are among the oldest surviving complete (most were sold individually) series of depictions of the Stations of the Cross in the Philippines.

Station III (Jesus Falls the First Time)

Station IV (Jesus Meets his Mother)

Done on wood panels, they depict the Passion of Christ in great detail in the folk and native style primarily due to the simplistic rendering and flatness of the plane.

Station VI (Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus)

Station VII (Jesus Falls the Second Time)

Interesting characteristics include the depiction of the distinctive Boholano landscape of conical hills (known in the mid-20^th century as the “Chocolate Hills”).

Check out “Chocolate Hills” and “Chocolate Hills Adventure Park”

Station VIII (Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem)

Station IX (Jesus Falls the Third Time)

This landscape can be seen in Station II (Jesus Carries His Cross), Station III (Jesus Falls For the First Time), Station IX (Jesus Falls the Third Time), Station X (Jesus is Stripped of his Garments), Station XI (Jesus is Nailed to the Cross) and Station XIV (Jesus is Laid in the Tomb).

Station X (Jesus is Stripped of his Garments)

Station XI (Jesus is Nailed to the Cross)

There are also references to the Medieval practices of portraying damned souls by means of grotesque features such as elongated noses (redolent of the snouts of swine) of those Roman soldiers and other persons who, without  mercy or remorse, contribute to the suffering of Jesus.

Station XII (Jesus Dies on the Cross)

Station XIII (Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross)

These paintings are entirely unique and outstanding in its cultural significance particularly as they are the only such works held in a public collection and kept in perpetual trust for the Filipino people. 

Station XIV (Jesus is Laid in the Tomb)

Gallery II – Via Crusis of an Unknown Bohol Master: Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines, Inc. (FCCP) Hall, 2/F, National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA), Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8527-1215 and (632) 8298-1100.  Email: inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Website: nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM – 4PM. Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.

Gallery I – Religious Art from the 17th to 19th Centuries.  In the foreground are nearly life-size wooden statue of an Augustinian monk and St. Dominic.  At the back is the huge, 18th century, Neo-Classical retablo mayor (altar piece) of the Church of St. Nicholas of Tolentino in Dimiao, Bohol, now a National Cultural Treasure

Gallery I: Religious Art from the 17th to 19th Centuries, at the second floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts, features Christian themed art from the 17th-19th centuries that show the faith and devotion of Filipinos to Christianity.

Check out “National Museum of Fine Arts”

Gallery entrance

Displayed at the sides of the gallery are a free-standing crucifix, a door of a tabernacle and a Pieta hanging from a wall; carved, free-standing wooden statues of saints or santos (St. John the Evangelist, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Dominic, St. Anne, St. Isidore the Laborer, St. Rita of Cascia,  St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Roche, St. James Matamoros, etc.), the Christ Child (Santo Nino), angels and the Virgin Mary (La Immaculada Concepcion); and wooden Corinthian pillars, all made by unknown artists.

Hanging on the wall is a door of a tabernacle, a Pieta and an angel. In front is a free-standing crucifix flanked by angels

At the middle of the gallery are two, nearly life-size wooden statues of St. Dominic (San Domingo de Guzman), founder of the Dominican Order, and an Augustinian monk.

Wooden statues of San Isidro Labrador, San Roque and San Domingo de Guzman

A notable exhibit here, near one end of the hall, is the huge 18^th century, Neo-Classical retablo mayor (altar piece) of the St. Nicholas of Tolentino Church in Dimiao in Bohol which was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines on July 18, 2011.

Wooden statues of Santo Ninos (Christ Child)

Gallery I – Religious Art from the 17th to 19th Centuries: Luis I. Ablaza Hall, 2/F, National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA), Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8527-1215 and (632) 8298-1100.  Email: inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Website: nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM – 4PM. Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.

Gallery XIV (Pillars of Philippine Modernism)

Gallery XIV: Pillars of Philippine Modernism, a permanent exhibit at the third floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts, features Philippine modern art from the 1920s-1970s.

Check out “National Museum of Fine Arts”

On display are works of five of the revolutionary Thirteen Moderns  (a group of artists that broke away from the Conservatives led by Fernando Amorsolo) – Victorio C. Edades (1895-1985), Diosdado Lorenzo (1906-1984), Galo B. Ocampo (1913-1985), Anita Magsaysay-Ho (1914-2012) and Ricarte Puruganan (1912-1998).

The Sketch (Victorio Edades, 1928, oil on canvas)

National Artist for Painting (1976) Victorio Candido Edades, the “Father” of Modern Philippine Art,” was an artist influenced deeply by his studies and exposure to the style in the United States.

Modern Maria Clara (Victorio C. Edades, oil on canvas)

He presented figures in muddy earth colors (yellow ochres and raw sienna accented by bold black contours), his subjects were distorted figures (those whose proportions defy classical measure) and his brush strokes were agitated and harsh as reflected in his oils on canvas – The Sketch (1928) and Modern Maria Clara (1958).

An Old Woman with Mortar (Diosdado M. Lorenzo, 1937, oil on board)

Nueva Ecija (San Isidro)-born Diosdado Magno Lorenzo, who had already spearheaded Philippine Modernism even before its emergence became mainstream in Philippine arts, painted in different media and genres.

Barrio Scene (Diosdado Lorenzo)

A Barrio Girl (Diosdado M. Lorenzo, 1946, oil on board)

The imagery of his work consisted, for the most part, of the countryside of San Isidro – its guileless, uncorrupted people; its magnificent trees and its pristine environment.

Gumamela (Diosdado M. Lorenzo, 1975, oil on canvas)

Landscape (Diosdado M. Lorenzo, 1966, oil on board)

This imagery can be seen in five of his paintings displayed in the gallery – Barrio Scene (1970, oil on masonite board), An Old Woman with Mortar (1937, oil on board), Landscape (1966, oil on board) Gumamela (1975, oil on canvas) and A Barrio Girl (1946, oil on board).

Portrait of Lucio R. Ildefonso, Alejandra Tagle Ildefonso and their Children (Diosdado M. Lorenzo, 1936, oil on canvas)

Also on display is his commissioned oil on canvas painting of Portrait of Lucio R. Ildefonso, Alejandra Tagle Ildefonso and their Children (1936).

Portrait of Enrico Costamagna (Diosdado M. Lorenzo, ca. 1930, plaster of paris)

Self Portrait (Diosdado M. Lorenzo, ca. 1930, plaster of paris)

Displayed together are two plaster of paris busts, titled Kiss,” sculpted by the artist himself during a sojourn in Italy in the early 1930s – Self Portrait (when Lorenzo was a young man in his 20s) and Portrait of Emilio Costamagna (a portrait of the father of Mario Costamagna, Lorenzo’s friend and fellow student at the Academy of San Luca in Italy).

Self Portrait (Galo B. Ocampo, 1982, oil on canvas)

Pampanga (Santa Rita)-born Galo B. Ocampo was also known for rejecting academic tradition and embracing Western modernism. Stylistically, his paintings, often blending Christian themes with references to Filipino indigeneity, showcase the influence of Cubism, Surrealism, and Expressionism on his works.

Portrait of a New York Lady (Galo B. Ocampo, 1947, oil on canvas)

On display oil on canvas paintings of his Self Portrait (1982) and Portrait of a New York Lady (1947), gifted by Ocampo’s family to the nation in 2013.

The Black Nazarene of Quiapo (Ricarte M. Puruganan)

Ilocano (Dingras, Ilocos Norte) painter Ricarte Madamba Puruganan, using bold strokes of thick impasto for which he was known, preferred fusing Philippine folk art themes with Modernist techniques, painting scenes closest to his heart – the rustic, the indigenous; quaint seascapes and evocative agricultural. On display are his The Black Nazarene of Quiapo (1937, oil on canvas) and Graveyard Scene (undated, oil on canvas)

Graveyard Scene (Ricarte M. Puruganan, undated, oil on canvas)

Filipina painter Anita Magsaysay-Ho, the only female member of the “Thirteen Moderns,” specialized in Social Realism and post-Cubism in regard to women in Filipino culture. Her work appeals to Modernism by utilizing more abstract designs and styles rather than realistic approaches.  The Portrait of Marylisde Jesus Sevilla (1958, oil on canvas), the first work of the artist to be included in the national collection, was generously gifted, by the sitter, to the nation in 2013.

Portrait of Marylisde Jesus Sevilla (Anita Magsaysay Ho, 1958, oil on canvas)

Also represented in this gallery are painters of the Neo-Realist school, the second wave of Philippine Modernists.  This post-war group of artists advocated a style that is representational in form but more open to various degrees of abstraction.  They include Manuel Antonio Rodriguez Sr. (1912-2017), Romeo V. Tabuena (1921-2015), and Nena L. Saguil (1914-1994).

Carabaos in Pink (Romeo V. Tabuena, 1957, oil on board)

Romeo Villalba Tabuena, whose works primarily features figures pieced together from muted, monochromatic shapes, is best known for depictions, in oil acrylic and watercolor media, of Philippine rural landscapes (farms, carabaos, nipa huts, etc.) such as Nipa Huts on Stilts (1952, oil on canvas) and Carabaos in Pink (1957, oil on board).

Nipa Huts on Stilts (Romeo V. Tabuena, 1952, oil on canvas)

Simplicia “Nena” Laconico Saguil, considered a pioneer of Filipino abstract art, is most known for her cosmic, organic, and spiritual abstract works depicting internal landscapes of feeling and imagination. Saguil created impressionistic and naturalistic figurative works, including landscapes and still lifes.  On display at the gallery is A Filipina Maiden (oil on canvas)

A Filipina Maiden (Nena Saguil, oil on canvas)

Filipino printmaker Manuel Antonio Rodriguez Sr., also known by his nickname Mang Maning, was dubbed as the “Father of Philippine Printmaking.”  The first Filipino to have exhibited his prints in international biennial shows, Rodriguez had a unique and unparalleled knack for abstract and figurative forms.

Returning From the Fields (Manuel Rodriguez, Sr., 1949, oil on canvas)

The graphic quality of his oil on canvas works (Returning From the Fields, 1949; and Feeding Time, 1967), borrows from his forte of printmaking.

Feeding Time (Manuel Antonio Rodriguez, Sr., 1967, oil on canvas)

Another Modernist painter featured in the gallery is Spanish-born (b. 1929, Reus, Catalonia) painter Juvenal Sanso, one of the foremost masters of Modernism in Philippine Art.

Blue Floral (Juvenal Sanso, 1965, acrylic on canvas)

The graphic, textured works of Juvenal Sanso, best known for his surreal landscapes, are full of lush plant life and tropical skies painted in a bright palette culled from his idyllic childhood in the Philippines as seen in his Blue Floral (1965, acrylic on canvas).

Man with a Hoe (Juvenal Sanso, 1950, oil on masonite)

His unusual Man with a Hoe (1950, oil on masonite), painted after World War II, features a naked man holding a hoe with his head downwards.  It may be interpreted to depict the emotions and the traumatic experiences of the artist.  Another of his works featured is Muscle Bound (1960, pen and ink on paper).

Muscle Bound (Juvenal Sanso, 1960, pen and ink on paper)

Seemingly out of place in the gallery is Nestor Garcia Leynes (1922-2016), regarded as one of the leaders of the “Magic Realist” movement of the Philippines.  Typically, he painted idyllic scenes of Philippine rural life, much like his mentor Fernando Amorsolo, ranging from women sifting rice to harvest scenes, depicting romantic scenes in painstaking detail. However, his oil on canvas piece A Peasant’s Funeral (1948) is not representative of his work.

A Peasant’s Funeral (Nestor G. Leynes, 1948, oil on canvas)

Gallery XIV – Pillars of Philippine Modernism: 3/F, National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA), Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8527-1215 and (632) 8298-1100.  Email: inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Website: nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM – 4PM. Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.

The National Museum of Fine Arts (Filipino: Pambansang Museo ng Sining), an art museum formerly known as the National Art Gallery, is  housed in the Old Legislative Building and is located on  across from the National Museum of Anthropology (former Department of Finance Building) in the eastern side of Rizal Park. Owned and operated by the National Museum of the Philippines, the museum was founded in 1998 and houses a collection of paintings and sculptures by classical Filipino artists such as Juan Luna, Félix Resurrección Hidalgo and Guillermo Tolentino.

Check out “National Museum of Anthropology,” “Old Legislative Building” and “National Art Gallery”

The author at the National Museum of Fine Arts

The National Fine Arts Collection (NFAC), the growing collection of visual arts and archives, constitutes a large part of our country’s artistic patrimony and featuring the achievements and aspirations of Filipino visual artists. It is composed of a significant number of paintings, sculptures, icons, sketches, mixed media, painted photographs, prints, drawings, studies, installation art, sculptures, documents, memorabilia and photographs by Filipino visual artists who significantly impacted the nation’s artistic heritage.  It includes important works of unknown artists of the 18th century, masters of the 19th century, National Artists, up to the leading modern artists of the 1990s to the 21st century.

Its increasing photography collection, by renowned art photographers, is a recent development.  It includes the contemporary works of Isa Lorenzo, Neal Oshima, George Tapan, Bengy Toda, and Ferrante Ferranti.

The present National Museum of Fine Arts houses 29 galleries (most offered to sponsors and patrons, individuals or corporations, for the naming right) and hallway exhibitions comprising of 19th century Filipino masters, National Artists, leading modern painters, sculptors, and printmakers. Also on view are art loans from other government institutions, organizations, and individuals.

First Floor: The Judiciary Floor

• The Government William H. Taft Entrance
• The Architect Juan M. Arellano Foyer
• The Sandiganbayan Reception Hall
• Seminar Rooms
• The National Fine Arts Repository
• The National Archaeological Repository
• Auditorium (North Annex)
• Administrative Offices (South Annex)

Second Floor: The House of Representatives Floor

• The Padre Jose Burgos Entrance
• The President Manuel Roxas Foyer
• The Spoliarium Hall
• Gallery I: Religious Art from the 17th to 19th Centuries (Luis I. Ablaza Hall)- features Christian themed art from the 17th-19th centuries.
• Gallery II: Gallery of the Via Crusis of an Unknown Bohol Master (Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines, Inc. Hall) – features 14 paintings depicting the Stations of the Cross (Via Crusis).
• Gallery III: Paintings of the Philippine Colonial Tradition of the Sacred Arts (Ramon and Milagros Del Rosario Family Hall) – exhibits the paintings that show images of saints and the Holy Family.
• Gallery IV: Paintings of the Philippine Colonial Tradition of Portraiture (Fundacion Santiago Hall) – exhibits more than 30 portraits that showcase the status of the living and memories of the dead.
• Gallery V: The National Hero in Art (Dr. Jose Rizal Hall) – displays sculptures and paintings made by the Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, as well as the artists who created paintings, portrait busts, and sculptures of the National Hero.
• Gallery VI: Gallery of Paintings of Los Dos Pintores Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo (Far East Bank and Trust Company – Andres and Grace Luna de San Pedro Memorial Hall) – features major works and oil studies by Juan Luna as well as Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, Luna’s contemporary and friend.
• Gallery VII (Special Exhibition Hall)
• Gallery VIII (Silvina and Juan Laya Hall) – features paintings by Filipino artists who want to show the painful and hard life during the Imperial Japanese Occupation during 1941 to 1945, liberation of the Philippines by American and Filipino forces and the damage that happened in Manila during the war.
• Gallery IX (Early 20th Century Philippine Portrait Hall) – features a collection of works of portraiture and Filipino types by artists under the Classical Realist School during 1903 to 1960 and works of artists that are the pioneer and prolific during that period.
• Gallery X (Museum Foundation of the Philippines Hall)
• Gallery XI: Drawings of Fernando C. Amorsolo (Society for the Preservation of Philippine Culture Hall) (SPPC Hall) – features over 100 black-and-white pencil and ink sketches and oil studies of the National Artist Fernando Amorsolo before creating his masterpiece.
• Gallery XII – Eskultor ng Lahing Filipino:  Honoring the Life and Work of Guillermo Tolentino (Security Bank Hall) – features the work of National Artist of the Philippines for Sculpture (1973) Guillermo E. Tolentino.
• The President Sergio Osmena Function Hall – houses the Madonna with Angels (ca. 1946), a plaster relief  by Francesco Riccardo Monti, donated by the heirs of Petronillo L. Del Rosario, Sr.

Check out “Gallery I: Religious Art from the 17th to 19th Centuries,” “Gallery II: Gallery of the Via Crusis of an Unknown Bohol Master,” “Gallery III: Paintings of the Philippine Colonial Tradition of the Sacred Arts,” “Gallery IV: Paintings of the Philippine Colonial Tradition of Portraiture” “Gallery V: The National Hero in Art,” “Gallery VI: Gallery of Paintings of Los Dos Pintores Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo,” “Gallery VIII,” “Gallery IX,” “Gallery XI: Drawings of Fernando C. Amorsolo” and “Gallery XII – Eskultor ng Lahing Filipino:  Honoring the Life and Work of Guillermo Tolentino”

Third Floor: The Senate Floor.

• The President Manuel L. Quezon Foyer
• Gallery XIII (Vicente and Carmen Fabella Hall) – features works by National Artist for Sculpture (1976) Napoleon Veloso Abueva (1930-2018) and a monumental painting by National Artist for Painting (1973) Carlos V. “Botong” Francisco (1912 – 1969).
• Gallery XIV: Pillars of Philippine Modernism – features Philippine modern art from the 1920s-1970s, most notably Victorio C. Edades, an artist who started the Modern Art in the Philippines.
• Gallery XV (Emilio Aguilar Cruz Hall) – is dedicated to the life and works of Emilio Aguilar Cruz (1915-1991).
• Gallery XVI (Philippine General Hospital Hall) – is dedicated to The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines, a set of four large-scale paintings by celebrated muralist and National Artist Carlos V. “Botong” Francisco (1912-1969) that depicts the evolution of healing practices in the Philippines from the pre-colonial period tribal practices to the modern period.
• Gallery XVII (Special Exhibition Hall Dedicated to Women’s Art)
• Gallery XVIII: Pillars of Philippine Modernism – features Modernist art pieces from the 1940s to 1980s, with works by a number of National Artists such as Carlos V. “Botong” Francisco (1912-1969), Jose T. Joya (1931-1995), Cesar T. Legaspi (1917-1994), and Abdulmari Asia Imao (1936-2014). Also displayed are palettes of Jose T. Joya and Mauro Malang Santos (1928-2017).
• Gallery XIX (Philippine Modern Sculpture Hall)
• Gallery XX (Placuna Placenta: Capis Shells and Windows to Indigenous Artistry)
• Gallery XXI (GSIS North Hall) – features National Artist Federico Aguilar Alcuaz’s (1932-2011) Art Protis from the collection of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). Art protis or non-woven tapestry is a unique process developed in Brno, the second biggest city in the Czech Republic. There, Alcuaz met a Czech artist who introduced him to the new textile collage technique. This exhibition shows Alcuaz’s skills and talent in using this foreign technique to create outstanding collage artworks.
• Gallery XXII (International Rice Research Institute Hall) – features two large-scale paintings and their watercolor studies by National Artist Vicente S. Manansala (1910-1981) from the collection of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
• Gallery XXIII (GSIS Northwest Hall) – pays homage to the works of National Artist for Painting Vicente S. Manansala (1910-1981). It contains his works from the National Fine Arts Collection and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) art collection.
• Gallery XXIV (Philam Life Hall) – shows seven large paintings by National Artist Vicente S. Manansala (1910-1981) commissioned in the 1960s by the Philippine-American General Life Insurance Company (Philam Life) for its building at United Nations Avenue, Ermita, Manila. Also featured here are rural-themed wood reliefs by renowned sculptor, Jose P. Alcantara (1911-2005), which previously adorned the Philam Life Theater.
• The Senate Session Hall (Main Level) – features modern and contemporary Philippine art from the 20th to the 21st centuries. All the ornamentation and decoration in this Hall was done by Isabelo Tampinco.
• The Senator Claro M. Recto Function Hall

“Gallery XIII,” “Gallery XIV: Pillars of Philippine Modernism,” Gallery XV,” “Gallery XVI,” “Gallery XVIII: Pillars of Philippine Modernism,” “Gallery XIX,” “Gallery XXI,” “Gallery XXII,” “Gallery XXIII” and “Gallery XXIV”

Fourth Floor: The Executive Floor.

• The Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Foyer
• Gallery XXV
• Gallery XXVI
• Gallery XXVII (Special Exhibition Hall)
• Gallery XXVIII (Special Exhibition Hall)
• Gallery XXIX (Philippine Modern Sculpture Hall)
• The Senate Session Hall (Mezzanine Level)
• The President Jose P. Laurel Function Hall
• Management Offices

Check out “Circa by Impy Pilapil” and “Placuna Placenta: Capis Shells and Windows to Indigenous Artistry“

National Museum of Fine Arts: Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8527-1215 and (632) 8298-1100.  Email: inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Website: nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM – 4PM. Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.