
S7E11: Paint Me By Your Name
From The Colonial Department by Lio Mangubat
November 15, 2025 · 17 min · Season 7 · Episode 20
About this episode
The episode explores the impact of a new art trend in 19th century Manila amidst significant societal changes.
The nineteenth century—steamships, family names, world trade, foreign firms, liberal ideas. Great tides of change are roiling Manila. In the middle of the chaos, a new art trend captures the imagination of local elites. How are these letras y figuras holding a mirror to Philippine society? Cover Photo from the Ayala Corporation Collection. Follow us on IG: @thecolonialdept Follow us on TikTok: @thecolonialdept Email us: thecolonialdept@gmail.com References: Blanco, John D. (2009). Frontier Constitutions: Christianity and Colonial Empire in the Nineteenth-Century Philippines. University of the Philippines Press. Santiago, Luciano P.R. (December 1991). “Damian Domingo and the First Philippine Art Academy.” Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society, 19 (4), pp. 264-280. Flores, Patrick D. (17 November 2011). “Everyday, Elsewhere: Allegory in Philippine Art.” Contemporary Aesthetics, (0) 3 (Special Issue). “Lot 46. Jose Honorato Lozano, c. 1815-1885.” (2021) Salcedo Auctions. Quirino, Carlos (1961) "Damian Domingo, Filipino Painter." Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints, 9 (1), pp. 78-96. “Jose Honorato Lozano (c. 1815-c. 1885).” (undated) Christie’s. Sorilla…
People in this episode
Host: Lio Mangubat
Topics covered
- 19th century art
- Philippine society
- local elites
- cultural change
- steamships
- world trade
Keywords
- Philippine art
- letras y figuras
- cultural history
- Manila
- 19th century
- art trends
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Ayala Corporation
Books & works: Frontier Constitutions: Christianity and Colonial Empire in the Nineteenth-Century Philippines, Damian Domingo and the First Philippine Art Academy, Everyday, Elsewhere: Allegory in Philippine Art, Damian Domingo, Filipino Painter, Letras y Figuras: The 19th Century Philippine Art Form’s Origins and Legacy, Keyboards in the Nineteenth-Century Philippines
More episodes of The Colonial Department
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- INTERVIEW: Restoring historical markers with Project Panandito · May 23, 2026 · 51 min
- S8E4: Edison’s Cameras, Manila’s Trenches · May 9, 2026 · 16 min
- S8E3: Nobody Expects the Philippine Inquisition! · April 25, 2026 · 18 min
- S8E2: Riding a Tram in 1911 Manila · April 10, 2026 · 18 min
- INTERVIEW: Exploring the food history of the Philippines · April 4, 2026 · 38 min
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