Rodolfo Herrera’s the Battle of Imus: Filipino Art Through Filipino Experience

931 Words4 Pages
CULING, Maria Dominique L.
2011-62111

Rodolfo Herrera’s The Battle of Imus: Filipino Art through Filipino Experience

For me, The Battle of Imus by Rody Herrera is Filipino art because it artistically and vividly depicts one of the monumental experiences of the Filipinos as a people, and these experiences are forever embedded in the history and culture of the Philippines.

Art is not merely about beauty of form, color, and other technical aspects that make a painting or a sculpture pleasurable to look at, because that would be, I believe, subjecting to the ways and standards of the Westerners’ concept of art. Our experiences as a Filipino people are what make us unique. I could not imagine any other nation having the same experience in the same place and time.

The Battle of Imus by Rody Herrera depicts the first epic battle of the Filipinos in the province of Cavite in an attempt to revolt and overthrow the Spanish colonial government. This battle was a huge victory for the Filipinos and it alarmed the Spanish government in the country. The painting is beautifully created on canvas and is considered as one of the many famous works of art by Herrera that show the history and culture of the Philippines and its people. I sincerely believe in Herrera’s stand pertaining to what art is: that it should serve a purpose that is more than merely the aesthetic aspect of art. “Rody believes that painting should involve more than simply applying assorted colors to a canvas. It entails mental preparation and subject research, as well as a sense of history and a belief in the person to be painted, regardless of whether the subject is a national hero or not.” (Aguilar, 1999) In The Battle of Imus, Herrera proves to be a message bearer first and a painter second.

Moreover, if we apply the concepts in F. Landa Jocano’s The Vision of the Future Must

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