Art Elements

How are the elements of art used in this artwork?

a. Lines: The lines that are used are free-form, with a mix of straight, curve, vertical and horizontal
lines.

b. Color: The colors that were used are very warm, focusing on yellow colors. It is a mix of light and
dark colors to intensify the shadows and lightnings of the scene.

c. Shape: It is representational shape since some shapes are drawn with some degree of visual
accuracy, thus it has a various level of details with a lot of art elements.

d. Texture: The texture that were used is a real texture, having smooth, silky and kind’ a fuzzy look.

e. Pattern: There is no pattern that takes place in this painting.

Subtext

What is/ are the emotional or intellectual message/s embedded in, or implied by, a work of art?

The message of these painting is that no gender equality and no womens right because in the painting
the Japanese soldier killed the woman and rape the other woman in front of her child. It’s like killing for fun or
killing by the order of the general. It shows the act of torture to the Filipinos during WWII and it shows no
mercy to all king of person even though childrens, womens, men, and elderly.

Addition to that, during this time, the Japanese army took over the Philippines to expand their powers.
As common thing during war, deaths, abuses and destruction of cities are everywhere during this times. One
specific example was the incident in Malate wherein many civilians and soldiers were killed by the Japanese
troops. Many are murdered brutally and most of the time women were raped relentlessly and passed over one
soldier to another. As shown from this painting, since we are under the Americans by those times, not only
Filipino women were raped but also several Americans. With the colors used in this particular painting, it
greatly strengthen the feel during those times. Just like Picasso’s Guernica, this painting really have portrayed
the hell and chaos war can bring to us. Paintings like this for me are not just a visual story-telling of our history,
suffering and regrets war leaves us. According to a saying, “You might be able to win a war, but in the end
everyone is still a loser.”

The pain was so intense that many, to survive psychically, buried these events in the deepest recesses
of their minds for many years. My generation had parents who were teenagers during the war and whenever
they were asked about those times, spoke little and with much reluctance.
Name: Jayson C. Dela Vega Date: Nov. 26, 2019
Subject and Section: Contemporary Arts – 12 Casimiro del Rosario Score:

INTERACT WITH AN ARTWORK

Artwork Analysis Chart

As a class group, in pairs or individuality, choose an artwork in an art gallery and analyze it.

Description

a. Exhibition: National Museum of the Philippines at the Fine Arts Building

b. Artist: Diosdado M. Lorenzo

c. Artwork Title: Rape and Massacre in Ermita

d. Date Created: 1947

e. Medium: Oil on canvas

Subject

a. Category of the artwork: Fine Art

b. Artwork’s subject matter: Tragedy and Violence taken in the History

c. Representational or Non- representational Art: Representational Art

d. List all the things you see in this artwork:

In Diosdado’s painting “Rape and Massacre in Ermita”, it is obvious that there is a

violence and threat that really catches anyone’s attention. The scene in the painting were
taken in a common family house. Five members of the family and two Japanese soldier.
One woman was lying on the floor, dead body with a knife cut in her heart. The second
woman was nearly naked, exposing her breast and trying to fought back to the Japanese
soldier, holding a knife and it seems that the soldier is attempting to rape her. Three
gentlemen that are also member of the family are evidently in pain. The first one is the
man, lying on the floor, still alive but nearly death due to his pain, the Japanese soldier
seems to shot him with a gun, focusing on his heart. The second man is at the back, really
shocked on what’s happening, half naked and obviously scared on what will happen to him.
And lastly, a young child on the crib, crying and really scared because of the violent scene
that happens to their family. The scene seems to be happened about an hour ago since
some of the member of the family are already dead , and a lot of furnitures, clothes and
things in the house are also already broken. It is indeed traumatic as what we’ve seen in the
artwork.