3D Painting in the 1500s

What I like about travelling is the handful of learning I get out from it. It teaches me a lot of things; from the people I meet, from the people I'm with, and from the day to day experiences in general during my travel period. Every time I go to Manila, I always think of Makati right away or The Fort. It's modern, clean, safe, and it gets me closer to the future. Yet I never thought I'd like Manila, the city, very much too. I don't feel totally safe at all if I walk on the streets, but the walk, in my experience, was all worth it because of the sites I visited. 

I'm vocal about this penchant I have for the old, the antiquated, and the historic. So my Manila trips will not be complete without stepping foot on the old Philippines. Yes, I have my own share of 'photo shoots' in Intramuros. I've walked on the streets of Binondo while looking for real Chinese food. I strolled around Quiapo though I was walking too fast. Thanks to my paranoia. Yes, I didn't feel safe walking. I was wary, but I loved the experience. I loved what I saw.

A lot of us have lived most of our lives in the Philippines. We've gone out of country and seen the beauty of some other parts of the world and maybe that make us oblivious or unaware of what we really have.  I love history and art and I know I have an eye for good art and I know a little about history, but I did not know about trompe l'oeil until a travel buddy told me about it. Looking at the word itself, I right away thought it's only a European thing, but we actually have it here in the Philippines. It's difficult to pronounce I know, but surely you'll be amazed once you have your formal introduction to this kind of art. I'm not going to do the introduction so I'll let Master Wiki take care of that. 

So this was in San Agustin Church, Manila. I only knew Manila Cathedral, which happened to be close that time. :-( I probably heard about San Agustin church before, but I was not expecting something marvelous inside. The entrance fee was worth the art exhibit I got to witness. From afar, the baroque architecture of the church was already noticeable. When I got in, the musty smell, which I liked by the way, already took me to the bygone era. The doors were grand and the ceilings were celestial. The ceiling though was the main attraction. Let me tell you more about what was jaw-dropping in my experience. 

Domed ceiling seen from the original entrance of the church. The brick detail is such an attraction.

The altar, the chandeliers, and the gold accents.

This is the kind of art I'm talking about. Don't be fooled by it. Those aren't carvings but murals, specifically called Trompe L'Oeil. Who would expect that 3D already exists during the ancient times!

View form the balcony where the choir usually stays.

Take a look at the faux carvings. Trompe L'Oeil , an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that depicted objects exist in three dimensions. 

I'd like to say this is the gallery. Paintings are displayed depicting significant events and people in San Agustin church back in the days. 

Aside from the ceiling, this spot is another favorite of mine. The concrete materials used on the first floor and the Capiz windows on the second floor are conspicuously reminiscent of the Spanish colonization. 

The courtyard.

The choir area at the balcony where you can see the large song guides with notes that they preserved.

One of the seats where the members of the choir take during mass and other special church events. 

Everything inside and outside the church is a piece of art including the carvings on the choir seats you see above.

Now this one's a grumpy tourist posing in front of other tourists. Look away!

I'd like to credit @AlexanderTravels on Instagram for taking these photos. Follow him to see beautiful photos from his travels around the globe. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram @RedEye0920 :-)