The National Museum of the Philippines joins Christians around the world in observing the Holy Week, or “Semana Santa”. In preparation for the upcoming solemnities, we are featuring one of our exhibitions, “The Stations of the Cross” (also known as “Via Crucis”).

The Via Crucis exhibition, located in Gallery II of the National Museum of Fine Arts, features 14 oil paintings on wood panels made by an unknown Bohol master in 1830. These are among the oldest surviving series of artworks depicting the passion and sacrifice of Christ in the country. The identity of its creator and from which particular church these paintings originated are unknown. Despite this, their provenance from Bohol can be ascertained through the depictions of the iconic Chocolate Hills in the backgrounds of certain panels. Due to their age, quality, and size, these remarkable artworks may have been owned by the older and wealthier parishes of Bohol.

Via Crucis artworks conventionally depict the Passion of Christ in great detail; from Christ’s condemnation by Pontius Pilate to His entombment. This particular series, which is currently on loan from the collection of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, is distinctly exceptional due to its portrayal of the events having occurred in Bohol. Furthermore, the Roman soldiers depicted in this series were rendered with hooked noses, which may have been influenced by 15th-century Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch. 

Via Crucis artworks are usually affixed on the interior walls of a church or chapel. However, it could also be found in cemeteries, hospital corridors, religious houses, or on mountainsides. During the Holy Week, especially on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, devout Roman Catholics would often stand before certain stations and pray with relevant passages from the scripture before each station to meditate on the passion of Christ. 

May the Holy Week be a reminder for all Christians to renew their faith and recollect God’s sacrifices and great love for all.

Text by Carolina Magdaleno/NMP CMVOD

Poster by Ken Carl Bañares/NMP CMVOD

#SemanaSanta2023 #HolyWeek2023 #NationalMuseumPH 

During the Spanish-colonial period, a variety of building typologies, including the lighthouse (farola) were introduced to the Philippines. The many extant examples of these structures in the country are due to the modernization of shipping, where lighthouses became necessary.

In today’s discussion for #builttraditionthursday, we will examine the exceptional case of a 19^th-century lighthouse that continues to operate today after having done so for the first time in 1892.

Serving ships turning towards the Pacific Coast and traveling towards the Babuyan Channel, the lighthouse of Cape Bojeador in the municipality of Burgos, Ilocos Norte is claimed to be the most accessible of all the lighthouses in the northern part of Luzon. Perched on a hill called Vigia de Nagparitan and overlooking the South China Sea, the structure is built 160 meters above sea level. 

Part of the Spanish government’s 1857 master plan to illuminate the Philippine archipelago, the construction of the Cape Bojeador lighthouse uses mainly brick, lime mortar, wood, and metal. Initially designed by Engineer Magin Pers y Pers and eventually completed by Engineer Guillermo Brockman, the Cape Bojeador lighthouse’s utilitarian function is supported by three ancillary service buildings that are built in response to its operational needs.

The tower, which is segmented into three levels, is the tallest and is about 23 meters in height. It is octagonal in plan and houses the chamber where the mechanism of the first-order Fresnel lens is operated. Meanwhile, the “lantern” is covered by a brass ribbed cupola accented by a spherical finial. It sits on a glass base with steel frames. It is accessed from the lower chamber by iron spiral stairs decorated with alternating hexagons and cross-cut-out patterns. The tower is one of the most photographed structures in the Cape Bojeador lighthouse complex. Its tapered brick walls, which create an interesting silhouette, are enhanced by the quoin details surrounding the edges. Strategically located blind windows were placed to create balance in design proportions. A steel-framed service deck supported by decorative brackets is perched just below the lantern, creating a distinct architectural feature on the structure.

The main pavilion, which is an elevated brick masonry structure, is the largest in terms of floor area. Its design and arrangement are symmetrical, with four equal rooms that serve as offices and living quarters on either side of a central hallway acting as its division. Today, these spaces are converted into museum galleries. A covered balcony decorated with steel railings, Corinthian steel posts, and metal brise soleil greets the entry to the structure. To provide access from the ground, a split-level staircase is attached to the balcony. Capiz shell windows, clay floor tiles, and wooden doors give it the classic Antillean style of architecture.

Two similar brick masonry structures located in the courtyard are service buildings that are smaller in scale and were utilized as storage room, machine room, and kitchen. Its design motif is typical of the main pavilion and tower; rusticated quoins, a pedimented façade, and segmented arches complete its architectural composition.

In general, its use of classical elements such as pedimented facades, Corinthian columns, pilasters, segmented arches, ribbed domes, symmetrical proportions, and rusticated quoins are interpretations of the European Renaissance vocabulary, indigenized to cater to the Philippine setting. This marvel of architecture and engineering was recognized by the Philippine government as a National Historical Landmark in 2004, and as a National Cultural Treasure in 2005.

Still in service under the Philippine Coast Guard, the Cape Bojeador lighthouse is not only a utilitarian structure but also an icon of the tangible influence of Philippine architecture during the Spanish-colonial period. Its spectacular view is a popular destination for tourists who seek to interact with it and get a share of its history.

Text by Ar. M. Belgica
Illustrations and Photos by Ar. M. Belgica

We are all familiar with Cebu City for its well-known landmarks, like the forts, churches, and balay nga tisa. Alongside these Spanish-influenced structures are civic buildings and infrastructures established during American rule in the early 20th century. One of these is the former Customs House. Today’s #BuiltTraditionThursday presents a declared National Cultural Treasure standing along Cebu City’s harbor area, the Aduana also known as the Malacañan sa Sugbo.

During the American occupation, the Philippine Commission under Act. No. 1495 promulgated the appointment of William Edward Parsons as the consulting architect, which he occupied from 1905 to 1914. He was tasked to supervise the realization of the development plans of Daniel Burnham for the cities of Manila and Baguio. In addition, Parsons is in charge of designing all public buildings in Manila and in the provinces. Later in his career as an urban planner, he developed a plan for the City of Cebu. Central to the plan is a main axis that connects important civic buildings, one of which is the Customs House. 

Located at the port area of Cebu City near Fort San Pedro and Plaza Independencia, the Aduana or Customs House sits on a reclaimed land area along the harbor. The Aduana, built in 1910, is designed by Parsons in a rectangular plan with an open courtyard. The structure has two levels with a deck, where a small tower sits in the center, offering a panoramic view of the rest of Cebu City and the Mactan island farther south. The monumental, symmetrical, and geometric edifice is similar to its contemporaries from the same era, which can be seen in most of the country’s cities and some municipalities. 

Built of reinforced concrete, the Aduana embodies American-influenced architecture while incorporating local building traditions. The use of capis shells in place of glass for window panels, which fill expansive interiors with soft pearlescent light, is a distinctive Filipino design element. The interiors are shielded from the elements by canopies, which crown the large windows and supported by metal corbels decorated with fleur-de-lis. Ornate grille work decorates the main portal to the building, the balcony balustrade, and corbels, typical in Parson’s design.

The Aduana Building housed the Customs office until 2004 when it was turned into Malacañan sa Sugbo, the official residence of the President in the Visayas. In 2013, the building sustained damages and was rendered unsafe after the magnitude 7.2 earthquake. In December 2019, the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) and the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) entered a usufruct deed to allow the latter to use the building and to facilitate the building’s preservation and restoration.

Guided by Parson’s design, the Aduana is currently undergoing careful restoration to newly function as the National Museum of the Philippines – Central Visayas Regional Museum. The former Customs House continues its prominence as we anticipate it as a new venue for showcasing the Cebu island’s endearing history and culture.

Text and illustration by Ar. Marie Bernadette Balaguer, Photos by Ar. Armando J. Arciaga III

References

Alarcon, N. (2008). The Imperial Tapestry: American colonial architecture in the Philippines. España, Manila: University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.

Hines, T. S. (1972, February). The Imperial Façade: Daniel H. Burnham and American Architectural Planning in the Philippines. Pacific Historical Review, Volume 41 No. 1, pp. 33-53. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3638224 Retrieved 10 January 2023.

Lico, G. (2021). Arkitekturang Filipino: A History of Architecture and the Built Environment in the Philippines. Volume I: Early History to American Colonial Era. Quezon City: Arc Lico International Services, University of the Philippines College of Architecture.

Rebori, A. N. (1917, May). The Work of William E. Parsons in the Philippine Islands Part II. The Architectural Record, Volume 41, pp. 423-434. https://usmodernist.org/AR/AR-1917-05.pdf Retrieved 13 January 2023.

For this week’s #ArtStrollSunday, we feature Cenon Rivera’s artistic excellence or “galing” in time for National Arts Month this February with the theme “Ani ng Sining, Bunga ng Galing,” through his painting entitled “Genesis: Leggenda Filippina.”

Rivera (1922-1998) was an art teacher, painter, writer, printmaker, stained glass artist, and sculptor. In 1957, he started a painting style characterized by horizontal and vertical grids as seen in this oil on canvas work which was created in 1963 in Rome, Italy. It is currently exhibited at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Third Floor Southwest Wing Hallway Gallery, along with other abstract works by Filipino modernist painters. Four of his paintings, including this masterpiece, are part of the National Fine Arts Collection. 

Rivera was born on April 16, 1922, in Hagonoy, Bulacan. He began his artistic career in 1952 by pioneering in graphic art. In 1956, he experimented with monoprint, woodcut, linocut, lawanicut, and serigraph. Also, in that year, he started teaching at his alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas, and published “Pintig ng Buhay at iba pang Katha”, a limited edition bilingual collection of his short stories, poems, essays, and other writings from 1938 to 1956. Rivera received a study grant in Rome, Italy and took painting courses at the Academia di Belle Arti, and learned stained glass making at Vertrate d’Arte Giuliani as an apprentice. One of his designs is a three-panel stained glass “The Call to Arms”, The Supreme Sacrifice” and “Peace” located at the Mt. Samat National Shrine in Bataan. Cenon Rivera’s contribution to Philippine art is not only evidenced by his body of works as an artist, but also by his passion as an art educator and his contributions to his hometown, Hagonoy, and Pasig. He passed away on November 25, 1998.

Celebrate National Arts Month with us! For visitor guidelines, please visit bit.ly/3Hz3IwK. You may also view the 360 degrees virtual tour of selected NMFA galleries on the link https://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/nmfa360/HTML5/NMFA360.html. See you at your National Museum!

#CenonRivera #ArtStrollSunday #NAM2023

Text by NMP-FAD

Photo by Bengy Toda

© 2023 National Museum of the Philippines

The #NationalMuseumPH celebrates the 93rd birth anniversary of Napoleon “Billy” Veloso Abueva, born #OnThisDay in 1930. 

Napoleon Abueva was born in Manila but grew up in Duero, Bohol. He finished his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts in 1953. He was mentored by the first National Artist for Sculptor Guillermo Tolentino. He pursued studies abroad and became a versatile sculptor who produced works in academic representational style and modern abstract using various materials such as wood, metal, steel, cement, bronze, marble, and brass. He was recognized as the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture. In 1976, Abueva was declared National Artist for Sculpture. 

Featured here from the National Fine Arts Collection is one of Abueva’s notable creations and early works, “Mother and Child”, sculpted in adobe stone or volcanic tuff. It depicts a sitting mother adorably playing with her child as she raises her kid above her head as the child reaches back to cling to her. 

You may view this featured artwork and other works by Napoleon Abueva at the Vicente and Carmen Fabella Hall (Gallery XIII), Third Floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts, and in the “Pagpauli: A Homecoming Exhibition of National Artist Napoleon Abueva” at the #NationalMuseumBohol in Tagbilaran. 

Follow this page for more features from the National Fine Arts Collection.  The #NationalMuseumPH is open to the public for free.  View the link for the 360 degrees virtual tour of the nine select galleries at the National Museum of Fine Arts:  https://nmfa.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/

#OnThisDay #NapoleonAbueva #MuseumFromHome

Text and photo by NMP FAD

© 2023 National Museum of the Philippines

The #NationalMuseumPh celebrates the 113th birth anniversary of National Artist for Painting Vicente Silva Manansala.

Born in Macabebe, Pampanga, Manansala earned his Fine Arts degree at the University of the Philippines. He pursued further studies at Ecole de Beaux Arts in Montreal, France and the University of Paris through the UNESCO scholarship grant and French government scholarship, respectively. He was mentored by French artist Fernand Léger who advised him to simplify the shapes and colors in his works. He eventually rendered figures and objects and simplified them into basic geometric shapes while applying layers of colors. This style, which he pioneered and developed, is called transparent cubism. 

For his birth anniversary, we feature his memorabilia of paintbrushes and a serial palette he used to create his pieces. These memorabilia give us a glimpse and make us wonder about the artist’s process in creating their masterpieces. These tell us that Manansala was fastidious about cleaning his materials and equipment, as he would scrape and scrub his hardwood palettes after each use. In contrast, some artists would clean workspaces only after finishing each series of paintings as though they were wiping the slate to start afresh. As you may notice, Manansala may have opted to mix various colors on this particular palette, especially when he was creating larger paintings.

Manansala’s paintbrushes and serial palettes are on loan from the Manansala family. These are on view at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Northwest Hall Gallery at the National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA), along with some of his works from the National Fine Arts and GSIS collections. You may view other works of National Artist Vicente Manansala at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Hall and the PHILAM Life Hall also found on the third floor of the NMFA.

#OnThisDay

Text and photos by NMP-FAD

© 2023 National Museum of the Philippines