Lesson 3: Historical Paintings

WORKS OF JUAN LUNA and

FERNANDO AMORSOLO
HISTORICAL PAINTINGS

Are the visual representations of concrete

happenings on the life of people in a
specific period? The idea about certain
events and people is communicated or
expressed aesthetically through art with
form, technique, and style.
Are paintings always
considered primary source?
JUAN LUNA
Luna was a painter, sculptor and
a political activist of the Philippine
Revolution during the late 19th
century. He is also considered a
master Philippine artist for
paintings, which often depicted
his sentiments for country.
Initially trained as a seafarer, Juan began his art
apprenticeship at Manila’s Academia de Dibujo y Pintura
under Filipino painter Lorenzo Guerrero. He traveled to
Madrid, Spain in 1877 to continue his studies at the Real
Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. There he
excelled in the classical style.
  “Spoliarium” by Juan Novicio Luna,
as masterpiece created in 1884. It is
one of the prize possession of the
Philippine National Museum today.
Addressing two things from his
artwork, the glorification of genius and
the grandeur of his artistic skills.
 A Spoliarium is a Latin word
referring to the basement of the
Roman Colosseum where the fallen
and dying gladiators who fight to the
death for the entertainment of their
Roman oppressors are dumped and
devoid of their worldly possessions.

“Embodied the essence of our

social, moral and political
life:humanity in the severe
ordeal, humanity unredeemed,
reason, and idealism in open
struggle with prejudice,
fanaticism, and injustice.”
Can clear define where the lights
shine from above. Telling who is in
the center stage.
• The main actor of the painting as he is
being dragged by another gladiator
into the darkness,
• The warrior being drag can be
represented as Filipinos.
 The “Spoliarium” by Juan Luna is a detailed
image of the Filipinos history, it’s a
microscopic view of the past and the
forgotten memory of the Filipinos, it lets us
see the memory of those who live in the era
where the Filipinos are under the tyranny of
an overlord.
The Parisian Life, also known as Interior d'un
Cafi (also spelled Interior d'Un Café,
literally meaning "Inside a Café"), is an 1892
oil on canvas impressionist painting by Filipino
painter and revolutionary activist Juan Luna
 The woman in the painting has a 
“geographical likeness” to the mirror-
image of the archipelago of the
Philippines.
 The three gentlemen in the left corner were
identified as the three Filipino heroes, Dr. Jose
Rizal, Juan Luna, and Ariston Baptista,
discussing the state of the country being
under stress. The coat and hat at the couch
symbolizes Western lifestyle particularly
identifying the people of Spain.
 While the levels of beers in the table were
also interpreted on how the Spaniards take
advantage of the country.
FERNANDO
AMORSOLO
Fernando Amorsolo
(1892-1972) -delights
people of his
impressionistic technique
depicting idylic country
scene, beautiful maidens,
and colorfully dressed
peasanst planting or
harvesting rice.
Antipolo fiesta (1947 -this oil painting on
canvas depicts a rural scene where a
group of people are shown celebrating a
fiesta in Antipolo.
Palay maiden known as (Dalagang bukid)
this painting portrays a provincial filipina
beauty on dalagang bukid during a rice
harvest and dressed in and enveloped by
the colors of the Philippine flag.
What is the relevance of the
historical paintings in our
understanding of the Philippine
History?