Eyes here!

Two weekends ago, Your City Promdi decided to revisit the National Museum of the Philippines.

Partly, it was out of a sense of pride in being able to tour my Fil-Am companion through some of the treasures of Philippine's culture and arts. Partly, it was because I am curious to see new exhibitions and galleries.

Kalabaw, the BPI Philamlife Manasala Series (No. 2), by Vicente Silva Manansala. (Photo by Your City Promdi)

True enough, there was a newly opened exhibit in the Old Senate Hall showing the history of the Philippines.

The National Museum soft-opens the exhibition of Filipino Struggles Through History to the public today at the National Museum of Fine Arts. As a major highlight of its commemoration of National Arts Month 2018, the National Museum today reopens the Old Senate Session Hall of the National Museum of Fine Arts at the Old Legislative Building, which has been closed for the past two months, with the installation of the major part of Filipino Struggles Through History, also known as History of Manila, the monumental series of paintings by National Artist Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco (1912-1969) that were commissioned in 1968 for Manila City Hall by Mayor Antonio J. Villegas. Learn more about this artwork by checking our official Facebook page. #natmuseumph #NationalMuseum #pambansangmuseo #pamana #instakultura #kulturaph #artph #artsmonth2018 #pusuanangsining

A post shared by National Museum PH (@natmuseumph) on Feb 15, 2018 at 1:51am PST

I was able to visit galleries that I don't remember seeing before, although I have a vague sense that they have been there sometimes. Pardon me for not being sure! I only have short legs and the museum is very big, and I get tired, and so I am never able to complete circling the galleries on any of my excursions.

Re-curated

There were also a few artwork that I'm pretty sure were re-curated, meaning that they used to be part of an old gallery, but are now part of another. This is the first time that I really noticed this at the National Museum of the Philippine,s and really appreciated it. I think it allowed me to sense new layers of meaning, and see a different kind of beauty in them because of the change in their environment.

Eyes here!

Sharing with you here some of the pieces that drew my eyes on this visit:

Portrait of Serapia N Santos y Aduna (1881-1940) by Ramon Peralta y Resurrecion. . . . . . #art #museum #lady #painting #filipina

A post shared by Angeli Alba (@sweetangel03lc) on Feb 25, 2018 at 6:50am PST

Color outside the lines. (Anyone care to help a girl out? I forgot to take a photo of the title plate, and now don't know how to credit both the artist and the model.) 😭 . . . . . #art #museum #lady #filipina #portrait #fashion

A post shared by Angeli Alba (@sweetangel03lc) on Feb 25, 2018 at 6:55am PST

I was drawn to this portrait because of the recurrence of frames. Why are these various depictions of life so segregated? Is the girl at the back another framed picture or playing outside and seen through a window? Why does the picture in the fan look like a continuation of the background frame? And is there a framed photo of me somewhere looking at this particular art? (Portrait of a Lady by Ireneo L. Miranda) . . . . . #art #lady #portrait #frames #question #museum

A post shared by Angeli Alba (@sweetangel03lc) on Feb 25, 2018 at 7:01am PST

Blue room. I don't usually like statues, so didn't enter this gallery. But there is something mesmerizing about the stillness of everything viewed through the doorway. . . . . . #art #frames #statues #backlight #contrast

A post shared by Angeli Alba (@sweetangel03lc) on Feb 25, 2018 at 7:08am PST

Mother Nature by Vidal A. Tampinco . . . . . #art #nature #sculpture #museum #filipino

A post shared by Angeli Alba (@sweetangel03lc) on Feb 25, 2018 at 7:10am PST

And a bonus!

The juxtaposition of these two museum patrons in monochrome against the bright teal of the room, while they quietly consider the women loudly on display. . . . . . #art #museum #peoplewatching #painting #nudes

A post shared by Angeli Alba (@sweetangel03lc) on Feb 25, 2018 at 7:17am PST

 Hope you enjoyed! Do visit the National Museum if you can, and really look at the artwork there.

Or if you have favorites from a previous excursion there, do share them in the comments with me.