The Hidden Painting of Paete
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The Facade of the Paete Church |
Originally constructed by the Franciscans in the mid-1600s, the Church of San Santiago Apostol, more known as the Paete Church, houses some of the original works of Paete-born artist, Jose Luciano Dans.
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The smell of damp wood from my first visit in 2008 left a distinct memory that was rekindled four years later. |
According to some accounts, Dans mixed pulverized volcanic ash with pigments and fashioned his paintbrushes out of cat's hair. (Traveler on Foot) During the time of the Church's renovation in the 1840s, Dans painted the image of San Cristobal carrying the infant Jesus on planks of wood that had been joined together—most likely using the said materials. For more than a century, this painting of Dans captured the awe of tourists and church-goers.
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Paete-born artist, Jose Luciano Dans, painted the image of San Cristobal on 12 planks of wood that were joined together. |
Unknown to them, at that time, Dans' mural was made to hide a much older rendition of San Cristobal by an unknown artist. The earlier painting was directly painted on the walls of the Church in the 1780s, portraying San Cristobal in a completely different fashion albeit, the same theme.
Set amidst a backdrop of nipa huts, brown-skinned and bolo-carrying San Cristobal did not sit well with the taste of the friars. Mukhang indio (looks like a native Filipino), a moro, or a pirate. It could have been an equally interesting painting as Dans', having been made out of organic materials such as cow's blood, eggs and lime. (Asian Traveler Magazine)
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The much older mural of San Cristobal was painted directly on the walls of the Paete Church. |
But what really intrigues me up to this time is how, of all the many events that shook Paete, Dans' painting was never moved to reveal the indio-looking San Cristobal. There were the American and the Japanese occupations by which, the latter used the Paete Church as both a dungeon and a torture house (Wikipedia), without producing any hints of the hidden painting. Not even the powerful earthquake that destroyed the Church in 1937 did this.
It was already only recently when they discovered the hidden painting of Paete during a renovation in the 1980s.
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At the time of my visit in 2012, Paete was raising funds for the restoration of the San Cristobal murals, which costs around a staggering PHP 4.9 million. The Sagip San Cristobal page on Facebook has numerous links and photos citing the sorry state of the murals. Let's join Paetenos in preserving our cultural heritage.
Schedule a trip to Paete for your next family, school or company outing (it's near resorts like the Caliraya), make a donation, and spread the word! The Paete Local Tourism Office may be tapped for a guided tour. They may be reached at +63 (49) 817-1814.
All photos (c) The Smart Gypsy
Originally written on January 14, 2012
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