The Painting History of Manila

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The painting History of Manila, more known today as Filipino Struggles Through History, was commissioned by Antonio J. Villegas, Mayor of Manila from 1962 to 1971, from the foremost modernist historical painter of the time, Carlos V. Francisco (1912-1969). Designed especially for the Bulwagan ng Katipunan (today the Bulwagang Gat Antonio Villegas) at Manila City … Read more

The woman behind Fernando Amorsolo’s unfinished work

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The woman behind Fernando Amorsolo’s unfinished work. First National Artist’s Last Work at the National Museum. In 2018, the identity of the woman behind Fernando Amorsolo’s unfinished work was finally identified after years of research. The said work was just sitting in one of the galleries of the National Museum along with other portraits of … Read more

Recuerdo de Patay

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Recuerdo de Patay, sometimes referred to as ‘The Dead Child’ is displayed at the National Museum of Fine Arts’ gallery of 19th-century portraiture. Completed in 1896, this oil painting of an infant seemingly in deep sleep may have been commissioned during her funeral as the family’s memento mori, a remembrance of the deceased beloved, which … Read more

PHILIPPINE CREATION MYTH: Mindanao-Bagobo

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PHILIPPINE CREATION MYTH: Mindanao-Bagobo In the beginning, Diwata created the sea and the land and planted many kinds of trees. He took two lumps of earth, shaped these as humans, and finally spit on them, bringing to life a man and woman. He called the man Tuglay, and the woman Tuglbung. The two married and … Read more

The Milky Way and the Filipino Ethnic Beliefs

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The Milky Way and the Filipino Ethnic Beliefs If you look up at the sky during a moonless night, you might see a thin strip of light that is glowing faintly. This is the Milky Way. It is actually a galaxy that is made of millions upon millions of stars. Local communities located along the … Read more