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Researched by: Angelene Beatrice Flores|2023, January
Juan Novicio Luna also known as “Juan Luna”
BORN: October 23, 1857
BIRTHPLACE: Badoc, Ilocos Norte
DIED: December 7, 1899 (aged 42) in British Hong Kong
NOTABLE WORKS: Spolarium, The Death of Cleopatra, El Pacto de Sangre, The River
Late in the 19th century, Juan Luna was a political activist, a sculptor, and a well-known painter from the Philippines. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1874; he then traveled to Rome to study his masters. As one of the first known Filipino artists, he attained prominence. His other paintings such as “Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes” and “La Muerte de Cleopatra” were displayed internationally and won prestigious awards. Juan Luna painted scenes from literature and history, some of which included political commentary. His paintings typically depicted characters in dramatic bearing, which was influenced by classical balance.
Spoliarium
DATE: 1884
ERA: Spanish Era
GENRE: Realistic and Representational Art
MATERIALS USED: Oil Paint on Canvas
CURRENT WHEREABOUTS: National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila, 1st floor main gallery.
The most recognizable artwork created by a Filipino is probably "The Spoliarium." Juan Luna, won the gold prize for this work in 1884 at the Exposicion de Bellas Artes in Madrid.
The term "Spoliarium " comes from the Latin for the Colosseum's basement whereas it depicts fallen and deceased gladiators with no longer possessing their armor or swords., mourning family members looking among the pile of dead bodies in search of their loved ones, and spectators who appear to watch the cruelly killing of the gladiators. The painting has often interpreted the brutality of the Romans as depicted in the painting as a metaphor for how the Spanish colonizers treat the Filipinos.
Juan Luna painted Spoliarium with the intention of awakening the Filipinos from their oppression, ignorance, and blindness. In essence, Spoliarium highlights the violations of human rights done by Spanish colonizers, and Juan Luna used it to demonstrate his devotion to his country.
REFERENCE
REFERENCE
Juan Luna. (n.d.) PHILIPPINE ART GALLERY. (n.d.). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from http://www.philippineartgallery.com/juan-luna.html
Need, A. in. (2021, June 11). A perspective on Juan Luna's spoliarium (1884). Medium. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://artinneed.medium.com/the-very-large-canvas-portrays-more-than-just-the combination-of-oils-textures-and-colors-it-is-f0e7c7fef856
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