A perspective on Juan Luna’s Spoliarium (1884)
The very large canvas portrays more than just the combination of oils, textures, and colors; it is the amalgamation of Juan Luna’s disposition behind different levels of meaning of his country’s current situation. From the perspective of the Filipino intellectuals in Madrid, they saw a country longing for recognition for its own achievements outside the colonizer’s shadow. Dr. Jose Rizal viewed the painting as a reflection of “spirit of our social, moral and spiritual life, humanity subjected to trials unredeemed, reason in open fight with prejudice, fanaticism and injustice.”
Juan Luna’s inspiration for the painting Spoliarium came from Numancia (1880), an award-winning painting by his Spanish teacher, Alejo Vera (1834–1923). During his time, it is a common practice for a student of the arts, to copy the works of his master as a basis of improvement. Juan Luna’s Boceto for Spoliarium (1883), a sketch that highlights the multiple figures and the ‘diagonal cross composition’ of historic paintings favored by the salon exhibitions at the time shows a closer resemblance with Alejo Vera’s, Numancia(1880).
Winning the first prize in Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1886, Spoliarium is a direct translation for the Roman Colosseum’s basement where bodies of dead gladiators are taken off and stripped of their armor. The diagonal movement can be seen evident in the painting, from the slain bodies, the men dragging them, the grooves of the floor tiles, and the blood stains. The dark and riveting painting falls under the movement of Realism, with the accurate, detailed, unembellished depiction of life. The play of different oils and colors sharpened the composition of light, justifying the chiaroscuro between the characters and the setting.
Still considered to be one of the greatest artwork from a Filipino artist, Spoliarium is Juan Luna’s form of awakening; the symbolism of the Filipino people’s ignorance, blindness, mental darkness, and oppression. Taken to the Museo del Arte Moderno in Barcelona and sent to Gen. Franco after the Spanish Civil war of 1937, it was repatriated in the 1950’s by the patriotic Filipinos and the sympathetic Spaniards. It can now be viewed as part of the main gallery of the National Museum of the Philippines.
According to the National Museum, “At the center of Luna’s painting are fallen gladiators being dragged by Roman soldiers. On the left, spectators ardently await their chance to strip off the combatants of their metal helmets and other armory. In contrast with the charged emotions featured on the left, the right side meanwhile presents a somber mood. An old man carries a torch perhaps searching for his son while a woman weeps the death of her loved one.”.
Juan Luna’s Spoliarium is indeed a historical painting that has won a lot of awards from Spain to the Philippines and even across the globe. Is Spoliarium Overrated or Underrated? It’s overrated for me as a call for action. But the painting itself is underrated, considering that it was back then. Juan Luna as really made an impact for the Art History of the Philippines.
Does “Spoliarium” promote Slacktivism?
Action says it all. in the end, it’s not about who did the most. We all have different circumstances. One thing that can be learned from the general view of Spoliarium is that action speaks louder than words. You’re right that it is a call to action, but it will remain as a call to act on something if we won’t do any actual actions.
Authored by Jose Salvacion and Bramwell Gonzales |Thank you so much for reading! Follow art in need for more similar stories: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin
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Sources:
In Focus: The Art of Juan Luna by Eric Torres, https://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/in-focus/the-art-of-juan-luna/
Juan Luna: The Tragic Life And Legacy Of The Renowned Filipino Master by Tet Defensor, https://ph.asiatatler.com/society/the-tragic-life-and-legacy-of-filipino-painter-juan-luna
Restoring the ‘Spoliarium’. https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/arts-and-culture/2006/07/17/347865/restoring-145spoliarium146
Blauearth. (2011, October 12). The Juan Luna Effect. BlauEarth. https://blauearth.com/2010/10/04/the-juan-luna-effect/.
In Focus: The Art of Juan Luna. National Commission for Culture and the Arts. (2015, May 17). https://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/in-focus/the-art-of-juan-luna/.
Official Website of the National Museum of the Philippines. (n.d.). https://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/nationalmuseumbeta/Collections/Spoliarium.html.