7 Gorgeous Church Ceilings That Will Compel You To Look Up
The Philippines has some of the most beautiful church architecture, enhanced by ceiling paintings executed by local masters
Church going is so ingrained in the Filipino culture. Community quarantine won’t stop the faithfulness in the Filipino. It’s hard to imagine going through Holy Week without visiting a church, but here we are, attending mass and religious gatherings online at home, through our mobile and computer screens. “Look up… and see how everything changes,” The Little Prince writer, Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said.
Balilihan Church Ceiling in Bohol, executed in 1937-1938. These ceiling paintings are considered to be the most preserved paintings of Raymundo Francia. | Courtesy of Project Kisame
Heed Saint-Exupery's words, and have a look at these 7 gorgeous church ceilings. You may even want to see them in person once community quarantine is over:
7 Beautiful Church Ceilings
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7 Beautiful Church Ceilings
San Agustin, Church Intramuros
The ceiling paintings of San Agustin Church. Painted by two Italian scenographic painters Cesare Alberoni and Giovanni Divel-la in 1876, the artworks were done in grisaille and quadratura styles, and also employ the trompe l'oeil technique, which makes the paintings look like an architectural space. The painting style of San Agustin Church was copied by several other churches in the country in the succeeding decades, and have opened a new kind of sensibility and appreciation for church interior decoration.
Photo Credit: @la
San Sebastian Church, Quiapo, Manila
The ceiling paintings of San Sebastian Basilica in Quiapo, Manila. Painted by the masters and students Lorenzo Rocha, Felix Martinez and Toribio Antillon of the premiere art school "Academia de Dibujo, Pintura y Gravado" from 1888-1891, the artworks were unique to the country as they were painted directly in steel.
Photo Credit: @tamayotristan
Santiago Apostol Parish Church of Betis, Guagua, Pampanga
The ceiling paintings of Santiago Apostol Parish Church of Betis, Guagua, Pampanga. Three generations of art can be seen on the ceiling program: the 1895 work of Mariano Henson, the 1939 paintings of native artist Macario Ligon, and the 1985 re-painting work by Ligon's nephew and apprentice Victor Ramos.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Project Kisame
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Nuestra Sra. del Pilar Parish Church of Sibonga, Cebu
The ceiling paintings of Nuestra Sra. del Pilar Parish Church of Sibonga, Cebu. Probably the earliest surviving artwork of Cebuano master Raymundo Francia, the 1924 ceiling paintings were meticulously done in fabricated wooden panels. Glorious scenes of the Creation of the World, the Seven Sacraments, and the Salvation History of Mankind will take the viewer's breath away.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Project Kisame
San Miguel Arcangel Parish Church of Jagna, Bohol
The ceiling paintings of San Miguel Arcangel Parish Church of Jagna, Bohol. Also a masterpiece of Raymundo Francia in 1928, they were re-worked by Jagna's native artist Rosalio Ortiz, a celebrated muralist that have earned successes in several national painting competitions. The paintings depict the lives of the saints and the Seven Sacraments.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Project Kisame
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Santo Nino de Anda Parish Church of Anda, Bohol
The ceiling paintings of Santo Nino de Anda Parish Church of Anda, Bohol. Done from 1923-1925 by Ray Francia, they are probably the best preserved Francia works that were painted over steel. The paintings of the Holy Trinity and the Seven Sacraments on its octagonal dome is a sight to behold.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Project Kisame
San Juan Bautista Parish Church of Jimenez, Misamis Occidental
The ceiling paintings of San Juan Bautista Parish Church of Jimenez, Misamis Occidental. Painted in 1896 by a Spanish painter from Bilbao, Julio Sanz Cruzado, these paintings in canvas have survived for more than a century, in spite of its exposure and deterioration by the elements. The paintings were recently restored in 2003 by the National Museum of the Philippines.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Project Kisame
Recommendations by Joel Aldor of Project Kisame from an article originally published in Metro Home and Entertaining, Vol. 11, No. 6.
Original Article By Flexi Sarte
Images Courtesy of Project Kisame
