Images of Dominican Saints and Blessed in the Philippines

Abstract

The article is an attempt to highlight the role of the Dominicans in the history of Philippine art, which is more recognized in the field of architecture but much less in other media. With the exception of only a handful of pieces (a woodcut of San Pedro de Verona from Mexico, and maybe a couple of paintings perhaps from Spain), the works featured here were created in the Philippines for the use of Dominican missions and communities. Most of the artists were native Filipinos, although there are also some works by a few Chinese, Spanish, and even Italian artists. This is a reflection of the cosmopolitanism of Philippine society even in early modern times. It is a tantalizing glimpse into the variety of styles and materials used. Thus a second goal of the article is to provoke or inspire new Philippine iconography, informed with the models from the distant and recent Philippine past.