Works of Philippine Arts

Major Works of Philippine Arts
Major Forms
- Sculpture
- Literature
- Painting
- Architecture
- Theater
- Film
- Music
- Weaving
- Pottery
Major Works of Philippine Arts
- Spolarium
1. SPOLIARIUM
Spolarium by Juan Luna

Considered the largest painting in the Philippines, “Spoliarium” is among the notable art pieces
of Filipino painter Juan Luna. It features the bloody gladiator matches of Romans but is also an
allegory to the despair and abuses Filipinos suffered from during the Spanish reign in the
country.
2. PLANTING RICE
Planting Rice by Fernando Amorsolo
An artist known for his distinctive art style and realistic paintings, Filipino painter Fernando
Amorsolo is best known for his depiction of the country’s culture, its picturesque sceneries,
portraits of women, and scenes from World War II.
One of his most popular paintings is “Planting Rice”, where he depicted a group of farmers —
both men and women — toiling under the sun.
3. SABEL
Sabel by Benedicto Cabrera
The Philippine art scene would not be complete without the mention of National Artist
Benedicto Cabrera. His artworks are currently on display inside his museum in Baguio City
including his famous painting “Sabel”.
Cabrera previously said “Sabel” is a homeless Filipino woman whom he photographed and first
sketched in 1965. Her disposition became a symbol of dislocation, despair, and isolation for the
painter — making her a recurring subject in his figurative paintings.
4. MADONNA OF THE SLUMS
Madonna of the Slums by Vicente Manansala
A key modernist painting in the 1950s, Vicente Manansala’s “Madonna of the Slums” pictures a
mother and child who are said to become shanties in the city after leaving their provincial life.
Many interpretations of the artwork have been made but a notable one said it reflects the anxiety
and insecurity of Filipinos post-war.
5. THE PARISIAN LIFE
Parisian Life by Juan Luna
Also known as Interior d’un Cafi (or Inside a Café), the impressionist painting is another
masterpiece of Juan Luna. Unlike his earlier works, the “Parisian Life” shy away from his usual
intense and dramatic subjects and instead portrayed a “fleeting moment of ordinary life” during
his stay in Paris in the 1890s.
Featured at the center of the artwork is a young woman sitting uncomfortably on a sofa while
behind her are three Filipino patriots who would eventually change the country’s history — Luna
himself, Jose Rizal, and Ariston Bautista Lin.
6. THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH
The Happiest
Place on Earth by Elmer Borlongan
Another Filipino gem is contemporary painter Elmer Borlongan. Having been born in the urban,
Borlongan strived to depict the everyday life in the city.
His famous work “The Happiest Place on Earth”, is currently stored in Pinto Art Museum in
Antipolo City, Rizal.
7. YELLOW CONFETT
Yellow Confetti by Benedicto Cabrera
The rise of the people and fall of the dictatorship through the 1986 EDSA People Power
Revolution are among the major events that changed the course of Philippine history.
Amid the chaos was Benedicto Cabrera, who encapsulated the civil resistance of Filipinos at the
time through his controversial art piece “Yellow Confetti”.
8. FIRST MASS AT LIMASAWA
First Mass by Carlos Modesto Francisco
An interpretation of the first documented Christian mass in the Philippines in 1521, “First Mass
at Limasawa” is one of Carlos Modesto “Botong” Villaluz Francisco’s most important paintings.
The national government commissioned Francisco to create the artwork for the commemoration
of 400 years of Philippine Christianization.
9. THREE WOMEN WITH BASKETS
Three Women with Baskets by Anita Magsaysay-Ho
The only female member of “13 moderns”, Anita Magsaysay-Ho’s artworks show her high
regard for women in Filipino culture. This is true in all of her paintings including “Three Women
with Baskets” where she pictured female basket weavers enamored with their daily lives.
Other members of “13 moderns” are: Botong Francisco, Galo Ocampo, Lorenzo, Vicente
Manansala, HR Ocampo, Anita Magasaysay-Ho, Cesar Legaspi, Demetrio Diego, Ricarte
Purugganan, Jose Pardo, Bonifacio Cristobal and Arsenio Capili
10. HILLS OF NIKKO

Hills of Nikko by Jose Joya
No Filipino artist does abstract painting like National Artist for Visual Arts Jose Joya. With his
masterful technique called “gestural painting” or “action painting,” he
While it is his interpretation of the hills in Nikko, Japan, critics say Joya’s painting is an allegory
of human imperfections.

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Major Works of Philippine Arts

Major Works of Philippine Arts

Spolarium by Juan Luna

Planting Rice by Fernando Amorsolo

Sabel by Benedicto Cabrera

Madonna of the Slums by Vicente Manansala

5. THE PARISIAN LIFE

Parisian Life by Juan Luna

Yellow Confetti by Benedicto Cabrera

First Mass by Carlos Modesto Francisco

Three Women with Baskets by Anita Magsaysay-Ho

10. HILLS OF NIKKO

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