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España y Filipinas or "Spain and the Philippines" is a painting by Filipino artist, Juan Luna. It was an oil painting on wood canvas and was made in 1886. Based on its given name, it shows a personified representation of Spain (left) leading the Philippines (right) to glory, making it an allegory to the colonial relationship (or its idealized image) between the two countries. Made after his highly acclaimed work, Spoliarium, it was said that the Luna piece was also a part of the colonial propaganda given its message and representation.

As another piece that was also introduced to me back in high school, this was a historical artwork that stayed with me until this day. With its symbolism and composition, I became interested in this artwork because of its historical significance and relevance to the Philippines and how the artist decided to portray this through the painting's composition.

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Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho (1884)

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Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho (1884)

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Translated to "The Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace", this oil on canvas painting belongs to Filipino painter, Félix Resurrección Hidalgo. It is considered one of the national treasures of the Philippines as it brought home a silver award in the Madrid Exposition, proving the talents of Filipinos to be comparable to the Spaniards given that this was made during the Spanish colonization in the Philippines. Moreover, it contained similar themes and was a parallel to Juan Luna's work, "Spoliarium," depicting exploitation and cruelty (a possible allegory to the artists' current reality). This is one of the many paintings that caught my attention when learning about it in my art class back in high school, and something I personally admire in Philippine art.

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Made during the Edo period, this work of art by Japanese painter, Katsushika Hokusai, is a "yoko-e" or landscape-oriented form of woodblock print and is the first installment in the artist's series, 36 Views of Mount Fuji, with the mountain is framed around a large wave. This then became a historical and influential piece on contemporary artworks. Furthermore, it has been implied that this print shows Hokusai's appreciation of Japanese culture and nature, considering that Mt. Fuji is a sacred mountain. This has also become a symbolism of natural calamities, as it is being depicted by boats clashing in with the large wave.

As it is something I often see in media or inspired works, I chose this particular piece to be placed in my curiosity cabinet as I have always wondered about its significance and historical relevance. More importantly, how did it become the influential piece it is today.

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Liberty Leading the People is a powerful and influential piece by French artist, Eugène Delacroix, in 1830, and it was made out of oil on canvas. This painting is a significant part of French history as it depicted one of its major events, the French Revolution. It was some a kind of symbolistic depiction of the country's journey towards dependence wherein the main subject (Lady Liberty) is seen to be raising the French flag among a pyramid-like of people. From the composition of the painting, lighting, and other elements, it would make sense how this painting went on its way to becoming one of the most empowering art pieces and even influenced the country to make Lady Liberty a leading figure of their independence.

This is a piece I have always found intriguing as well, especially by the thought and insight placed in each detail of this artwork.

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The Manunggul Jar is a secondary burial jar that was found in a cave or ancient burial site in Palawan, Philippines. The jar itself was mostly made out of clay while its embossed design was composed of pure hematite and iron. This historical artifact is known to hold heavy symbolism and significance on Filipino culture and tradition, particularly their beliefs on death and the afterlife. The sculpture situated on top of the jar cover presents two figures on a boat, depicting souls entering the afterlife. Moreover, its details and hints of water showed its heavy connection and implication of the waters' significance to our ancestors. Among these notes were the many symbols found in this artifact.

This remains to be one of the most intriguing and fascinating artifacts from my knowledge of Philippine art history. Its impact on Philippine culture was, for me, was something that stood out to me.