LESSON 3: CONARTS

 How did Islam influence art before the coming of Spanish colonizers?
 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
 Islamic Colonial (15th Century – Present)
- Even before the coming of Spanish colonizers, Islam, which is entrenched in Southern
Philippines, is already culturally dominant and strong; said to have gained significant
grounding in Sulu as early as the 13th century.
- It was in the arrival of Sayyid Abubakar of Arabia in the 15th century that led to a
significant turn of events. He married Princess Piramisuli, the daughter of Rajah
Baguinda. When his father-in-law died, Abubakar succeeded the throne and established
the Sultanate of Sulu. Natives from Zamboanga and Yakans from Basilan were
converted to Islam, with teachers coming from Jolo, Sulu and other practitioners from
nearby regions like Brunei.
- Sayyid Abubakr led a significant Islamic conversion when he married princess
Piramisuli. A lot of ethnic tribes in Mindanao were converted. Sayyid Abubakr
introduced the Qur’an, built Masjid or mosques and established Madrasa, a school for
learning Arabic.
 ISLAMIC INFLUENCE IN ARTS
 According to Prof. Abraham Sakili, we can then relate this with two aspects of reality:
1. The object perceived by the ordinary sense.
2. The sense of nothingness, a space, or a void empty of all things.
 Sakili observed that many of the Islamic forms are inclined to project, grow, or have an
upward orientation, in tune with the regard for heaven and to veer from the “material
earth”.
 ART INFLUENCE OF ISLAMS INARCHITECTURE
1. Mas’jid
- Mihrab and Qibla are directed towards the west where Kaaba in Mecca, the temple Muhammed built,
is located. It is toward the west – may it be in Sultan Kudarat or in Quiapo, Manila.
2. Mihrab
- a niche in the wall of a mosque, at the point nearest to Mecca, toward which the congregation faces to
pray.
- The bulbous dome symbolizes “all of thecosmic existence”, it represents the “Big Bang”
- Octagonal base symbolizing the spirit and the four-sided base which symbolizes the material world
- Fountain-serves the function of ablution; gardens-symbolizes the paradise.
 Most Muslims are of two denominations: Sunni (75–90%),[7] or Shia (10–20%). Its essential religious
concepts and practices include the five pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of
worship, and the following of Islamic law, which touches on every aspect of life and society. The five pillars
are:
1. Shahadah (belief or confession of faith)
2. Salat (worship in the form of prayer)
3. Sawm Ramadan (fasting during the month of Ramadan)
4. Zakat (alms or charitable giving)
5. Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime)
 As the Islamization process in Mindanao strengthened, Islam became the driving forcethat enabled the
natives to resist centuries of Spanish colonization. Islam wasembraced as a religion and as a way of life
by the people of Mindanao namely:
 TAUSUG ; MARANAO ; MAGUINDANAO ; YAKAN ; SAMAL ; BADJAO
  Filipino Muslims recognize that they belong to an ummah or a community or unity of God. This belief
emphasizes the impermanence of nature and the In comprehensible greatness of the divine Being.
 ARCHITECTURE
1. PANOLONG - is a house ornament fashioned by the Maranao people. It is a carved beam that protrudes in
the front of the house and styled with okir motif. The shape of the panolong is an architectural translation
of a "prow" meaning the protruding part in the front of a ship.
2. TOROGAN - is a traditional house built by the Maranao people of Lanao, Mindanao, Philippines. A torogan
was a symbol of high social status. Such a residence was once a home to a sultan or Datu in the Maranao
community
3. SARIMANOK - originated from the islands of Mindanao and is known to be a legendary bird of the
Maranao people. Its name came from the words “sari” and “Manok”. “Sari” means cloth or garment
(with assorted colors) while the Manòk is a Tagalog word for chicken.
4. AL BURAQ - meaning "lightning", was a white winged horse (sometimes portrayed with a human face) who
carried the prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem, to heaven, then returned him to Mecca.
 What kinds of art were developed durind the Spanish Colonization?
 II. Spanish Colonial Period (1521 – 1898)
 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
- Though the South have been resistant, the Spanish colonizers gained control in the Central part of the
islands and classified themselves as “Lowland Christians”. Art that,that flourished during the Spanish
colonial period conformed to the demands of the church and the colonial state. By religious orders,
they dispatched to convert all the natives to Catholicism. The art forms from that period are referred
to stylistically and culturally as religious art, lowland Christian art, or folk art.
- In keeping with the prevailing design of Hispanic churches, the baroque style was predominantly
employed; they were characterized by grandeur, drama, and elaborate details that purposely appealed
to the emotions.
1. The San Agustin Church
- was the only building left intact after the destruction of Intramuros in WWII. Built between 1587 and
1606, it is the oldest church in the Philippines. The massive facade conceals an ornate interior filled
with objects of great historical and cultural merit.
2. Morong Church
- St. Jerome Church stands high up in the town of Morong. It was built in 1615 by Chinese craftsmen as
evidenced by the Chinese-style lions at the entrance to the steep driveway. It took three years to
construct the church which was funded by the people Of Morong.
3. Paoay Church
- The Saint Augustine Church, commonly known as the Paoay Church, is a Roman Catholic church in
the Municipality of Paoay, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines. Completed in 1710, the church is famous for
its distinct architecture highlighted by the enormous buttresses on the sides and back of the building.
4. Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church
- is an Augustinian- built baroque church and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built between 1787 and
1797, it is a place of worship and as a fort used in defending the town against moro raiders.
 With the coming of the Spaniards, who brought western musical instruments like:
 PIPE ORGAN ; PIANO ; GUITAR ; VIOLIN
 Philippine musical forms also took on a very european flavor --- with new rhythms, melodies, and
musical forms, that Filipnos proceeded to adopt them and make their
own Catholic liturgical music was introduce in 142 when then Archbishop of Manila, Juan Rodrigues
Angel, established a singing school at the Manila Cathedral that taught
western church music.
 Outside of Manila, musical form based on the Catholic faith would emerge in the pasyon
or pabasa or the biblical narration of Christ’s passion chanted in an improvised melody.
 Among the lowland Christina communities of Pampanga, Iloco, Bicol, and Iloilo, secular
music forms such as the arit and the corrido soon flourished. At this time, the kundiman
and the balitao, balitao-sentimental love songs and lullabies also evolved.
1. Zarxuelas or Sarsuwela
- was an operetta which features singing and dancing, dispersed with prose dialogue which
allowed the story to be carried out in a song. The first zarzuela that was staged in the
Philippines were entirely Spanish and featured a European cast. Severino Reyes and
Hermogenes Ilagan, who wrote sarsuwelas in Tagalog were the most distinguished playwright
on their day with Honorata ‘Atang dela Rama as their most celebrated leading actress.
2. Komedya
- It is a theatrical tradition by Filipinos sometimes in a form of singing. It describes conflicts
between Christians and Muslims. It was used by the Spanish to promote Christianity in the
Philippines. Pipe organ Piano Violin Guitar
 2 Types of Komedya
1. Komedya de Santo - centers on the life of Christ or of any saint. During church
celebrations ; Extravagant costumes ; Elaborately choreographed war scene.
2. Secular Komedya - is performed at the local fiestas. An example is Santa cruzan. The
story evolves on the search for the Holy Cross by Queen Elena and her son, Emperor
Constantino.
 Moro-moro – is a type of secular komedya. The word ‘moro’ is derived from the
Spanish word for Moor or the North African Arabs who ruled parts of Spain from the
8th to 15thcentury.
- It would usually involve a lovestory between a Christian hero and an Islamic heroine
or viceversa.
- It depicts the conflict between theMuslims and Christians.

 WRITING SYSTEM
- Among Mangyans who habit the island province of Mindoro, bamboo poles are cut into smaller nodes
and areetched with Baybayin script used to compose short poems that tell of courtship and other
emotional concerns. In the town of Ticao, located in southern province of Leyte, a huge stone was
discovered that contained Baybayin writing believed to be an invocation for safe journey by sea.
 PRINTING SYSTEM
- Reprographic art of printmaking is brought as early as the 16th century which is a technique of
xylography or woodcut printing.
1. Doctrina Christiana (1593)
- is the first printed book in the Philippines compiling song lyrics, commandments, sacraments, and
other catechetical material,
2. Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas
- ("Hydrographical and Chorographical Chart of the Philippine Islands") describes it as the "first and most
important scientific map of the Philippines". It is frequently referred to as the "Mother of all Philippine
Maps".
- In 1734, Jesuit priest Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde with artists Francisco Suarez and the engraver Nicolas
dela Cruz Bagay made it.
 On the other hand, the development of lithography facilitated the production of color plates as well as
the mass printing of newspapers and periodicals. The Agustinian botanist Fr. Manuel Blanco produced
an extensive compilation of the Philippine plants in Flora de Filipinas in 1878.
 SCULPTURES AND ORNAMENTATION
1. Retablos - are equivalent to reredos or the retable in French, a vertical multi-tiered structure behind
the altar with an elaborate frame enclosing revered objects, which may include religious paintings,
sculptures, or both.
 Town’s patron saints implies with architecture and sculpture which embellished with rosettes, scrolls,
pediments and Solomonic columns and are color-dependently classified.

2. Via Crucis – (The Stations of the Cross, or Way of the Cross), is a prayer and meditation practice
particularly popular among Roman Catholics. The stations consist of fourteen scenes from Jesus' trial
and crucifixion. These are generally represented in artwork or visual symbols of some.
 DANCE
 (Mexican Influences)
1. Cariñosa - is a Philippine dance of colonial era origin from the Maria Clara suite of Philippine folk
dances, where the fan or handkerchief plays a instrumental role as it places the couple in romance
scenario.
2. Pandanggo - is a Philippine folk dance which has become popular in the rural areas of the Philippines.
The dance evolved from Fandango, a Spanish folk dance, which arrived in the Philippines during the
Hispanic period. The dance is accompanied by castanets.
3. Polka -originated as a Czech peasant dance. Historic folklore has it that a peasant girl named Anna
Slezak invented the steps one day for her own amusement. The word “pulka” is derived from the Czech
phrase for “half-step,” which refers to the dance pattern of lightly stepping from one foot to the other.
4. Dansa - , was an Old Occitan form of lyric poetry developed in the late thirteenth century among the
troubadours. It is related to the English term "dance" and was often accompanied by dancing.
5. Rigodon - This type of dance is a formal dance as it follows a strictly choreographed square formation.
It is a precise dance with very distinct formation, sequences, arm movements, alignments and style.
 (European Influences)
1. Habanera - is a folk dance that originated from Cuba. The habanera is a social dance in duple time and
performed in a ballroom or on a stage. This dance first became popular in the town of Botolan,
Zambales.
2. Jota – Is a courtship dance traditional in northern Spain, particularly Aragon; also a genre of folk song
that precedes and accompanies the dance or is sung only. The dancing couple hold their arms high and
click castanets as they execute lively, bouncing steps to guitar music and singing.
 (Spain Influence)
1. Tango - is one the most famous partner dances that emphasizes the vibrant and playful style of
movement, rich expressions, improvisation and requires close connection and passion between
dancers.
 PAINTING
1. Heaven, Earth, and Hell - is a three-level painting which shows the Holy Trinity, Mary the Mother of
Christ, saints, the Seven Blessed Sacraments and a macabre depiction of hell. The painting is entitled
Purgatorio (Purgatory) which shows the eight punishments the soul passes through for cleansing
before reaching heaven
 DIFFERENT PROMINENT PAINTING STYLES AND THEIR ARTISTS
1. The Portrait of the Quiazon Family (Simon De La Rosa Flores)
 It is a type of miniature.
2. Letras y Figuras
 It became popular with combining names and vignettes of everyday life as Filipino natives acquired
Spanish names.
3. The Water Carrier
 Belonging to a well-known ilustrado family of writers, artists, and scientists, he had early exposure to
the arts.
 Another Academia-trained Lorenzo Guerrero painted this with the use of chiaroscuro in the late 19th
century.
4. Primeras Letras (Simon Flores)
 This artwork is the “Learning to Read” or “Primeras Letras” of Simon Flores painted on a canvas board,
way back 1890 which features a woman teaching a child how to read.
5. Spoliarium (Juan Luna)
 The painting features a glimpse of Roman history centered on the bloody carnage brought by
gladiatorial matches. Spoliarium is a Latin word referring to the basement of the Roman Colosseum
where the fallen and dying gladiators are dumped and devoid of their worldly possessions.
 RISE OF CLASSES AND PRIVILEGE
- The opening of Manila to international trade in 1834 and Suez Canal in 1869 raised the economic
benefits for the native elites.
- Commercial ventures open opportunities to study in Europe with the class rose the Ilustrado or
“enlightened” ones.
- Manifestation in town organization is focused when they occupied the plaza complex which are called
“bahay na bato” for rich and prominent families, spacious interiors, commissioned portrait paintings,
miniaturist style which artist use to reveal meticulous signify the wealth and refinement of the sitter.