CW 10 - Artwork Description

Cueto, Joanne O. Professor Ma. Andrea Passion-Flores Creative Writing 10 9 September 2014

Artwork Description Visiting an art museum when you’re an you’re  an inartistic person is admit it – is kind of boring. But there will be a time that you will need to appreciate art even though you have no interest or knowledge about it, like in a required class activity in the Vargas Museum. There are many artworks inside the museum, on the first floor different Christianity themed artworks with waxy design. Exhibited on the second floor were collections of artworks by Filipino artists, different themed paintings bordered with wooden sculpted frame. Lastly presented on the third floor were Islam themed artwork and vivid colored displays.

Browsing around the gallery on the second floor, what can catch your attention was an artwork with a golden metallic paint with warm sunrise colour in a cool airconditioned gallery. That artwork was made by a Filipino artist named Antonio Dumlao on 1954. Drawn was a woman carrying a naked baby with a brood of chicken on her lower right side, a carabao on her lower left side and a small crucifix on top of the pod like structure behind her. The warm but cloudy atmosphere presented is usually seen in farm scenery during early morning or late afternoon. Commonly the crowing of rooster was like an alarm clock announcing the time of day. Whereas, the carabao was associated with being industrious in one’s work. work. Filipino time is governed according to the way of nature.

This painting symbolizes early Filipinas as plain, gentle and caring. This Filipina wore a Filipiaña dress called baro’t saya a plain dirty white blouse, red slit skirt with green longer skirt underneath have no accessories and wears no make-up in a modest manner. Unfortunately, being a woman in that time was just limited to be a housewife. Naked baby guided by the early Filipina or “Ina ng Lahi” to be the promising light to the next generation. In this artwork, the Filipina looking straight forward seeing off her husband that will go to the farm or she is patiently and trustfully waiting for the return of her husband from the farm.

After Researching about it, found out that there are two copies of “Ina ng Lahi” made by Mr. Dumlao the first and original was bought by his boss Don Andres Soriano while the other one was displayed at the vargas museum. There were small cracks within the art displayed in the museum because Mr. Dumlao used oil and metallic paint on his art. Marvellously this painting was awarded third prize for overall category and got a special award - best female figure for sultana The Title which is “Ina ng Lahi” is written in characters of alibata. This artwork is the representation of a Filipina as Godfearing woman that cares for her family, that works diligently and on a routinary lifestyle.

In this artistic trip take some time to understand and interpret the ideas made by the creator of the work. Feel the emotions shown in their art. Reminisce the cultural background of the art. And lastly appreciate the art.