Spoliarium

Juan Luna
1884

When we think about works by Filipino painters, Juan Lunas Spoliarium always comes to mind and with good reason. It is hung on the walls of the National Museum in Manila amongst other artworks of equal value. Perhaps the painting is one of the remaining works of a national hero that it is held in such high regard, or for the message it conveys, or even just its sheer magnificence. Either way, Spoliarium represents the artist that lies in the blood of every Filipino. Spoliarium is a roman word for a hall in which defeated gladiators were stripped of their armour. It was reached by means of the mortuary door on the long axis of the arena, opposite the door through which gladiators entered. Upon looking at this artistic work of marvel, I was overwhelmed by its sheer size alone. Standing four by seven meters, it is as much a gigantic mural as it is a painting. The painting is generally dark where a thin red film overcasts its entirety, a product of the hand of the painter or the paintings age. Reds are obviously showcased with bloodlike intensity, affirming the gritty and bloody nature of roman tradition. The painting depicts gladiators who died in battle being dragged away in an unseen pile of corpses as onlookers watch and murmur amongst themselves, enjoying the performance of these ancient entertainers with a twisted sense of fulfilment. On the centre is a fallen gladiators lifeless body, dragged on one arm, serving as the focal point of the painting. Light illuminates him the most and dims further away from his body, like a

demented spotlight displaying his futile efforts to fell his adversaries. The onlookers are only partly lighted, as if asserting their anonymity from this barbaric performance. On the left are two old men who I reckon are roman officials. They seem to be distressed by the fate of the warriors or as I would prefer to think, trying to look as such to show the crowd their fake concern and thus get their sympathy. On the right is a woman. Her face cannot be seen; shes facing the other way. Her presence is odd because a spoliarium is no place for a woman. She seems to be mourning, perhaps one of the gladiators is a relative, or a lover. This is, for me, the most interesting part of the artwork. I see this painting as a reflection of the human condition through the eyes of the Filipino society. Even though it was made in the 19th century, I feel the message is timeless. The gladiators represent our ideals; mutilated and destroyed by an indestructible social norm: the Filipino apathy. The lack of any compassion towards the country, putting ourselves first and foremost, and the national identity as an expendable commodity just like the gladiators. I see the officials as, not just the government officials but also those who hold influence. Those who are powerful but choose to be powerless. Those who would rather serve themselves than be responsible. But they are not the ones who caused our demise. It is our greed, reflected by the crowd. The mastermind behind this chaos, this manic blood fest. We often let ideals like democracy, freedom and justice entertain us for a while until we turn them to something completely different, twisted and broken. Bending and wielding them so that they serve our selfishness, not caring about the implications. And the woman, the broken spirit of the Filipino people. Powerless against to what was becoming of her people. The only thing she could do was mourn, weep for the fate of what she upheld among others. It is perhaps because of this prophetic message that Juan Lunas Spoliarium lives on. A timeless, gruelling message that attempts to wake the sleeping Filipino spirit. It serves as a reminder for us that we havent beaten our inner demons, and until we do, there could never be hope for progress.