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The Philippines started off as a country in Asia that was quiet and peaceful. Their art portrayed simplistic lifestyles based upon trading, fishing and hunting, gathering, and other day to day activities. Art before American colonialism was based upon culture, and included a vast variety of colors in order to express the liveliness of the Philippines.

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The Spanish-American War was a conflict between the US and Spain that effectively ended Spanish rule in the New World. The United States emerged from the war as a world power with significant territorial claims stretching from the Caribbean to Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. The want for Spanish territories stemmed from a variety of motivations, including a desire for commercial opportunities in Asia, and a fear that if the United States did not take control of the islands, another power (such as Germany or Japan) might do so. Art from the Philippines became a way to share current events, and many paintings demonstrated the battles between the US and Spain. Less color was used, as the paintings were more factual rather than cultural.

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Once America began to colonize the Philippines, there was violent resistance from the natives. Art continued to reflect current events, demonstrating the battles between Filipinos and Americans. Because this battle included natives, color was plentiful, once again displaying culture. Artist paintings' also gave life personal feelings, portraying American troops as vicious and colorless, using large and dangerous weapons against the Philippines less developed machinery. The Filipinos ended up losing the war, and stayed under American control for the next 40 years.

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40 years after the end of the war, the Philippines were granted independence by the US, and art showed the overjoyed sense of happiness all Filipinos felt. Art was an explosive display of culture and color, demonstrating the celebration of national pride. The Philippines were finally their own, and artists across the nation wanted to show it.

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Once the Philippines gained their independence, they began branching out, establishing themselves as a more dominant nation. This included the formation of their own military, joining the United Nations, development of alliances, signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty, and an increased impact in the trading world. The Mutual Defense Treaty is an accord that states that the Philippines and the US would support each other if either of them were to be attacked by an external party. This allowed both parties the comfort of knowing that they will always have back up in case they were one day attacked. The Philippines also took on a bigger role in the trade. Today, the United States is the Philippines' largest trading partner and the Philippines are the 29th largest exporter in the world. Art turned back to a more cultural expression rather than historical portrayal. Bright, vivid colors complimented scenes of day to day lives of Filipinos. Because of their large amount of exportations, many families were farmers and ranchers, and portraits of them were very common, along with other factors of rural livelihoods.