Spoliarium
From WikiPilipinas: The Hip 'n Free Philippine Encyclopedia
|
| Spoliarium |
| Juan Luna, circa 1884 |
| oil on poplar |
| 400 × 700 cm |
| National Museum of the Philippines |
The Spoliarium is a painting by Filipino artist Juan Luna. The painting was submitted by Luna to the Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1884, where it garnered a gold medal. In 1886, was sold to the Diputacion Provincial de Barcelona for 20000 pesetas. It currently hangs in the main gallery at the ground floor of the National Museum of the Philippines.
[edit] Aesthetics
The Spoliarium measures four meters in height and seven meters in width. The canvas depicts a chamber beneath a Roman arena, where bodies of dead gladiators are being dragged into a shadowy area, presumably to be put in a bigger pile of dead bodies.
In this emotional work, the contrast between the eager audience on the left side of the painting and the mourners on the right creates tension and drama. The cruelty to the victims is thought to symbolize the Spaniards' treatment of the Filipinos at that time.
[edit] In Popular Culture
- Filipino alternative rock group The Eraserheads' album Sticker Happy contained a track named Spoliarium.
- Ryan Cayabyab composed the opera Spoliarium, which chronicles the creation of the eponymous painting and Juan Luna's trial for the murder of his wife. Soprano Fides Cuyugan-Asensio wrote the libretto. A recorded version was released for commercial distribution in 2006.
[edit] Original Source
| This page was adapted from the English Wikipedia. The original article was at Spoliarium. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Wikipedia, WikiPilipinas also allows reuse of content made available under the GNU Free Documentation License. See full disclaimer. |
Guillermo, A.G. "Spoliarium." In CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, Vol. IV, p. 288. Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1994.
