JUAN LUNA was LUNA was born in Badoc, Ilocos Norte, on October 23, 1857, and, like Hidalgo, was the third of seven children. Early in his life, the family moved to Manila and lived in Trozo. The young Luna received his early education at the Ateneo the Ateneo Municipal and and later at the Escuela Nautica de Manila. Manila . In 1873, he became an apprentice officer and traveled to various Asian ports. Whenever his ship was in port in Manila, he took painting lessons in the Academia the Academia de Dibujo Dibujo y Pintura of Pintura of Fr. Agustin Saiz.
Don Lorenzo Gue rero, whoe easily recognized the young man’s natural talent, was the first tutor of the young Luna. He persuaded Luna’s parents to send their son to Spain for advanced painting lessons. Luna left for Barcelona in 1877 together with his elder brother Manuel, who was a violinist. He entered the Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, where, in a year’s time, he won the only academic prize of his school. Not satisfied with the instruction in school, he took private lessons under Alejo Vera, a famous contemporary paiter in Spain. Like his teacher, Vera, too, had high regard for his pupil. Proof of this was his taking Luna with him to Rome to undertake certain commissions.
In Rome, Luna widened his knowledge of art, for he was exposed to the immortal works of the Renaissance masters. It was there that he painted his “Daphne y Cleo” for for which he received a silver palette from the Liceo Artistico de Manila. Manila. Subsequently, he exhibited several canvases at the Exposicion General de Bellas Artes in Artes in Madrid and won a silver medal (2nd class) for “La Muerte de Cleopatra.” This This painting was later purchased by the Spanish government for a thousand duros. Luna’s growing fame won for him a four-year four-year pensionadoship for the Ayuntamiento the Ayuntamiento de Manila.. Though under obligation to paint only one canvas, he gave the Spanish Manila government three; namely, “The Blood Compact,” now now in Malacanang. “Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi,” which which was burned during the war and “Governor Ramon Blanco” (which (which was part of the present collection). It was while still in Rome that Luna worked incessantly on the “Spoliarium.” He He entered this painting in the Exposicion General de Bellas Artes in Madrid, and it won one of the three gold medals. In the same exposition, Hidalgo won a silver medal for his “Virgen “Virgenes es Cristianas Expuestas al Because of the double victory of the two Filipino painters, Filipinos in Spain gathered to Populacho.” Because honor them. One of the Filipinos was Jose Rizal, who in boosting the two honorees also spoke for the first time of the conditions then prevailing in his country. Having attained fame, Luna now received various government commissions. These commissions produced his great canvases, such as “The and “España y Filipinas.” Battle of Lepanto,” “Peuple Lepanto,” “Peuple et Rois” and
Luna’s canvases show a distinct contrast to those of Hidalgo’s. In contrast to the ever delicate paintings of Hidalgo, Luna’s work show more drama and bravura. A forceful dynamic man, Luna has his personality stamped on every canvas of his. His power and joie de vivre were notable characteristics of his works. A Filipino art critic spoke of Luna thus: “Vigor and realism characterize his art. In a single brush stroke, he paints a fair of emotions that fills the beholder with drama dra ma and tragedy of his theme…Luna was graver, more profound profound in his emotions than Hidalgo. The latter was mre pure, more serene in his feelings.” Luna sought inspiration not from his contemporarries, the Impressionists, but from the Romantic Delacroix, Rembrandt and Daumier from whom he h e learned imparting power
and mysticism to his works. All these influences were incorporated in a style that was Luna’s own. In 1885, the painter moved to Paris and established his studio at 65 Boulevard Arago, near the studio of Hidalgo. Later he moved to 175 Boulevard Pereire. Lik e Hidalgo’s, his studio became a gathering place for the Filipino community in Paris. It was here where Rizal and other young Filipinos organized the Indios Bravos.
The following year, 1886, he married Paz Pardo de Tavera, with whom he had a son, Andres. The marriage ended in tragedy. Luna in a fit of jealousy, killed his wife and mother-in-law and wounded his brother-in-law, Felix, on September 23, 1892. He was acquitted of the charge of parricide and murder by the French court on February 7, 1893. Five days later, he moved with his son to Madrid, where he finished few paintings. On April 27, 1894, he returned to the Philippines after an absence of 17 years. While in Manila, he finished some Philippine scenes. Early in 1896, he again departed, this time for Japan. He returned a few weeks after the Cry of Balintawak. On the evening of September 16, 1896, he was arrested and confined for complicity in the Katipunan revolt. He was among those pardoned during the birthday of King Alfonso XIII on May 27, 1897. The following month, he left for Spain. In 1898, the executive board of the Philippine revolutionary government appointed him a member of the Paris delegation which was working for the diplomatic recognition of the Philippine Republic. When the Treaty of Paris was signed on December 10, 1899, he was named a member of the delegation to Washington to press for the recognition of the Philippine government. Upon hearing the death of his brother Antonio, Luna hurri edly returned to Hong Kong. On December 7, 1899, he suffered a severe heart attack and died before receiving medical attention. He was buried in Hong Kong. His remains were exhumed in 1920 and were kept in the house of his son, to be later transferred to a niche at the Crypt Chapel of San Agustin. Luna’s fame spread far and wide; he was acclaimed both in Europe and at home, yet there were skeptical Spaniards who took his race against him. Rizal defended him by saying, “Genius has no country, genius burst forth everywhere, is like light and air – the patrimony of all; cosmopolitan as space, as life as God.” https://lopez-museum.com/juan-luna/
Juan Luna Biography by Freeway, 2013
Juan Luna is considered one of the greatest Filipino artists in Philippine history with masterpieces such as Spolarium, The Death of Cleopatra and Blood Compact . Not only did he excel in artistry, but he was also a political activist during the time of the Philippine Revolution during the late 19thcentury. His close friendship with National Hero Jose Rizal has sparked Philippine nationalism and pride. Juan Luna was mostly known for his works as being dramatic and dynamic, focusing on romanticism and realism styles of art. Born on October 23, 1857 in the town of Badoc in Ilocos Norte, Juan was the son of Don Joaquin Luna de San Pedro y Posadas and Doña Laureana Novicio y Ancheta. Juan’s early interest in art was due to the influence of his brother, Manuel, who was also a painter. He received his degree in Bachelor of Arts at Ateneo de Manila and enrolled later at Escuela Nautica de Manila where he became a sailor. This did not stop Luna from his pursuit in developing his artistic skills. He took lessons under the famous painting teacher Lorenzo Guerrero and also enrolled at Academia de Dibujo y Pintura under the Spanish artist Agustin Saez.
In 1877, Juan Luna traveled to Europe to continue his studies and enrolled a t Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Fernando . It was in 1881 when he received his first major achievement as an artist and this is through winning a silver medal at the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Demonstration of Fine Arts) with his work The Death of Cleopatra. From there, he continued to gain recognition and respect as an artist. Juan Luna kept on impressing the European and Filipino society through the Exposición Nacional de B ellas Artes with outstanding works such as the Spolarium which won gold in 1884 and Battle at Lepanto in 1887. Juan Luna’s other popular works include The Happy Beauty and the Blind Slave, Tampuhan, Mestiza Lady at her Dresser and Roman Ladies. He died in 1899 at the age of 42 after he suffered from a heart attack. Today, several of his works can be found in esteemed museums in the Philippines such as the Lopez Museum and National Museum.
http://freeway.ph/juan-luna-biography/
On Oc tober 23, 1857, J uan Luna y Novic io , one of the first internationally-recognized Filipino painters, was born to well-off parents in Badoc, Ilocos Norte. Don Lorenzo Guerrero, the first painting tutor of Juan Luna, easily recognized the young man's natural talent and persuaded his parents to send him to Spain for advanced painting lessons. Luna left for Barcelona in 1877, together with his elder brother Manuel, who was a violinist. While there, Luna widened his knowledge of the art and he was exposed to the immortal works of the Renaissance masters. One of his private teachers, Alejo Vera, a famous contemporary painter in Spain, took Luna to Rome to undertake certain commissions. His artistic talents was established in 1878 with the opening of the first art exposition in Madrid, which was called the E xposi cion N acional de Bellas A rtes (National Demonstration of Beautiful Arts). From then on, Luna became engrossed in painting and produced a collection of paintings that he exhibited in the 1881 Exposition. The famous masterpieces of Luna include:
"Spoliarium" , a painting he entered in the Exposicion General de Bellas Artes in 1884 in Madrid, where it won a gold medal. It currently hangs in the main gallery at the ground floor of the National Museum of the Philippines. La Batalla de Lepanto (The Battle of Lepanto), commissioned by the Spanish Senate after he developed a friendship with the King of Spain. El Pacto de Sangre (The Blood Compact) , which depicted the blood compact ceremony between the native chieftain Datu Sikatuna and the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, now displayed in Malacanang. "Don Miguel de Legazpi", which was burned during the war. "Governor Ramon Blanco".
In 1885, Luna's Odalisque made Luna officially accepted artist of the annual art exhibition in Paris, the "Salon of Paris". Odalisque was part of the painting collection of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal. On December 8, 1886, Luna married Maria de la Paz Pardo de Tavera, a sister of his friend Felix and Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, the couple traveled to Europe and settled in Paris. They had one son, whom they named Andres, and a daughter who died in infancy. Luna who was fond of painting his wife, frequently accused Paz of having an affair with a certain Monsieur Dussaq. On on September 23, 1892, the jealous Luna, killed his wife and mother-in-law and wounded his brother-in-law, Felix. He was arrested and murder charges were filed against him. Luna was acquitted of charges on February 8, 1893, on grounds of temporary insanity; the "unwritten law" at the time forgave men for killing unfaithful wives. He was ordered to pay the Pardo de Taveras a sum of one thousand six hundred fifty one francs and eighty three cents, and an additional twenty five francs for postage, in
addition to the interest of damages . Five days later, Luna went to Madrid with his brother, Antonio Luna, and his son, Andres.
Luna returned to Manila in time for the outbreak of the revolution against Spain. Unfortunately, on Sept. 16, 1896, he and his brother Antonio Luna were arrested by the Spanish authorities and accused of organizing a revolution together with the Katipunan Secret Society. While in prison, Luna was still able to produce a work of art, "Ecce Homo." When he was pardoned by the Spanish monarchy on May 27, 1897 and released from prison, he immediately went to Europe. Luna also took part in the revolutionary government by accepting appointment by the executive board of the Philippine revolutionary government as member of the Paris delegation working for the diplomatic recognition of the Philippine Republic.
He was also member of the delegation to Washington pressing for the recognition of the Philippine government following the signing of the Treaty of Paris. His sentiments for the Philippines and the Filipinos made him decide to travel back to the Philippines in December 1899. However, he suffered a severe heart attack and died on December 7, 1899. References: Philippine News Agency https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/705/today-in-philippine-history-october-23-1857-juan-luna-was-born-inbadoc-ilocos-norte (This is an article written by Dr. Jose Rizal published in the magazine La Ilustracion - Revista Hispano-Americana on February 28, 1886 (Año 7, Numero 278), edited by Luis Tasso, Barcelona, Spain. Published in English by the Philippine Magazine on July 1929.)
Being a friend and compatriot of this illustrious artist, imposes on us a duty: temperance in our judgment and in our praise. The praises of a friend do more harm than the criticisms of an enemy, and they make the stranger laugh.
Luna's Early Life Luna's past is short, it is the story of a plant, hidden in the ground, which forces a passage to the light in spite of a thousand difficulties. Juan Luna was born on the 23rd of October, 1857, in Badoc, province of Ilocos Norte, island of Luzon. To be notable seems a quality inherent in his name. Manuel, his older brother, who died in the flower of his years, was a musician and artist from the heart, and, according to Juan Luna, had a stronger disposition toward painting than he had himself; Jose, younger than he, is one of the most able surgeons of the Archipelago, and faces a most brilliant future; the other ones who are still preparing for their careers have begun to win prizes in thier concourses. The parents of Juan Luna moved to Manila to continue the education which they have given their sons up to then, and have here Juan spent his childhood which like that of all Filipinos, was without promise or hope. Our artist obtained his elementary instruction in the colege of the Jesuit Fathers, and a proof of the wide horizon which the Philippines open to its youth is that Manuel and Juan, who
had no hope of becoming more than their parents, had to study pilotage, a profession which, good as it may be, did not correspond with their aptitudes. At the age of seventeen, Juan and his brother were already sailing the China Sea, first as apprentices, and later as pilots. Nevertheless, to both of them the sea offered something more than a way for ships; Manuel heard harmonies in the waves, and Juan saw light combinations, tones, and colors.
His Art But let us study the life of the painter. His taste for his vocation was awakened when he saw the drawings of his brother, Jose; he found them easy and copied them. Later he entered the Academia de Manila, and after a time took his master an Indio from the Philippines - not from India - named Guerrero and with him he studied Nature and for the first time handled colors. We saw his first canvases, painted in that country so hostile to art, although all its sons are born artists, and painted under a master who had virtually taught himself. But soon the palette of the master, as before that the lithographs of the Academy, offered no further mysteries to the talents of Juan Luna, and so his family decided at last to send him to Europe, together with his brother. When he arrived in Madrid, he took Don Alejo Vera as his teacher. To him he confesses to owe his taste and style, although the Academia de San Fernando had honored him with a prize during the one year he studied there. Together with Vera who loved him affectionately and who had great hopes for him, he roamed though Italy - the predilected aspiration of artists - and established himself at the side of Vera in Rome, never ceasing to listen to his counsel. There in that city, where every artist gather this freshest laurels, he contracted an intimagte friendship with Maximo Benlliure, the creator in Spain of a smiling sculpture. There he painted his first picture "Daphne and Cloe", which was awarded a silver medal at the Liceo de Manila; there, too, inspired by his master's work, "The Last Days of Numancia", he painted "The Death of Cleopatra", which was awarded a second prize in the Madrid Exposition of 1881, and which made a vivid impression on the entire press. It was then that a consejal in Manila presented a motion in the Ayuntamiento to award a pension extraordinary to Luna, a motion which, supported by the Philippine colony in Madrid and by Spanish painters in Rome, has the rare fortune to be considered, and, against all custom, even adopted. The Philippines ought to remember and love the name of Don Francisco de Rodoreda, one of the few who have been faithfully interested in the sons of this soil.
The Spoliarium In July, 1883, he began work on "The Spoliarium", unterrified by any obstacle. After eight months, and at great sacrifice, he completed it, and astounded all who came to his studio in the Via Margutta. The great Morelli saluted him with enthusiasm and recommended him to the admiration of his pupils. The Roman press, surprised in the encountering of his name, made him generally known. "The Spoliarium" was exhibited in the Palazzo della Esposizione, granted by the Italian Government for this purpose, and all Rome, even the King and Queen, rendered admiration and homage to "the stranger who treats national matters with such sentiment". Some time ater, "The Spoliarium" drew the attention of all Madrid in the Exposition of 1884. To speak of the impeso it made and of the praise it called forth, would be to repeat what the whole world knows. It obtained the first of first prizes, and the Filipino youth of Europe presented the illustrious artist with a palette decorated with laurels. "The Spoliarium" which fascinates and moves the be. holder, wresting tears from his somber eyes, is the condemnation of the despotism and barbarism of a great people by a smaller one, but desirous of light and liberty. The first copy of the painting was made by a Russian! Barcelona, which recently admired this painting, will have the fortune of keeping it, it having been acquired by the Committee of the Province.
The Blood Compact At present, Luna is finishing his "Blood Compact", a scene from Philippine history, in which the chief, Sicatuna, and Legaspi, first governor of the Archipelago, form a blood compact of eternal friendship. The painting catches the moment when Legaspi brings the cup filled with blood to his lips. This painting is the first which truthfully reproduces the customs and the dress of that epoch, now erased from the memory of our people, but preserved in foreign museums. At the same time, Luna is working on his "The Battle of Lepanto," which the Senate has ordered to match the painting "The Surrender of Granada".
The Future We would not be too hasty in our judgment, but we believe that Luna, for all his grand and beautiful past, will not sleep on his laurels, but is thinking of an even more brilliant future, and days of glory in store for both his country and his parents, whose hopes will be accomplished in their sons. In China, a country of rare excellence, where the greatness of the son passes to the father, but not from the father to the son, the progenitors of such illustrious citizens would already have been ennobled and treated with all veneration. But in the Philippines, the contrary is done, because, near as the Celestial Empire may be, it is not China, regardless of what they believe in Spain. Source 1. Juan Luna, The Philippine Magazine, Volume 26, Number 6, July 1929 https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1698/the-life-and-art-of-juan-luna-according-to-dr-jose-rizal In Paris, Juan Luna’s art changed. From historical subjects, he began to depict what he observed on the streets. Like the
women he saw in the cafes he frequented with Rizal and other friends. In his painting, The Parisian Life, where you can see Luna with Rizal & Dr. Ariston Bautista. After the spoliarium, this is Luna’s most famous work. In 2002, it was purchased by the GSIS at an auction in Hong Kong for P46 million pesos. Sauvage was a word to describe them (Rizal etc.) Nearly everything a young Filipino man could want was in Paris. Opportunity to be famous, to learn, to or ganize and to womanize. He studied art in Spain. They came to Paris to womanize??? During the time of Ilustrados, Paris was considered the se x capital of the world. Paz Pardo de Tavera, her mother was against them. Paz bought lipstick, put some on and he got m a and furious. He used his paint brushes to repeatedly hit paz w ith all the paints. Why she was primping herself – jealousy. Portrait of a lady & Parisian life – French women Angela Douche his number one model. Their marriage lasted for years and had two children, the eldest was andres and the youngest w as maria. When the youngest suddeny died of an unknown illness, the couple starte d blaming each other and eventually led yo tragedy. Crime of passion villa dupont – Juan luan got away with murder.
