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.

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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.