Writing Philippine History of Ideas and Fernando Amorsolo's Modern Art

Abstract

Writing Philippine history of ideas requires that we problematize the discipline of intellectual history itself. Rethinking of itself vis-a-vis cultural and social history, Philippine history of ideas would no longer rehearse the development of philosophy in the Philippines, but also of art, religion, etc. The paper discusses how Amorsolo may be considered a modern painter. Amorsolo’s art eludes comprehension because his notion of subjectivity as well as intersubjectivity transgresses the Cartesian break between subject and object. As a modern painter, he positioned himself as an individualist, but was still able to communicate to his culture.