Philippine Style on Wood Screens: Early-Modern Altarpieces in Manila and the Archipelago

Abstract

Early modern altarpieces constitute one of the most numerous collections of art in the Philippines and one of the most characteristic elements of religious heritage. Even so, art historians have paid little attention to their development and their chronology. This paper aims to provide a formal framework to date the archipelago’s altarpieces from the sixteenth through the eighteenth century, highlighting both the European reference points and local artistic customs. After the fieldwork is described, a list of altarpieces located in various churches on the islands has been carried out, organising them both formally and chronologically. As a result, other pieces identified in the future would be easily dated following this pattern.