VILLARAZA, Jhayverick T.

BSEE – 2EA
LESSON 4 Content and Artwork Analysis
Activity – Choose any famous Filipino painting or Sculpture. Analyze the artwork
using the three
different planes: semiotic, iconic and contextual.

SEMIOTIC PLANES
The picture represents a pivotal period in Roman history, focusing on the bloodshed brought
on by gladiatorial contests. The word "spoliarium" comes from the Latin word "spoliarium,"
which refers to the underground basement of the Roman Colosseum where the gravely
wounded and dead gladiators are deposited and disposed of after all of the day's battles.
Fallen gladiators are dragged by Roman soldiers in the center of Luna's painting, who are
more likely to be slaves or soldiers from conquered countries, as well as traitors or prisoners
from Rome itself; on the left, scavengers eagerly await their chance to strip the combatants
of their metal helmets and other armory. The painting's right side has a solemn tone to it.

ICONIC PLANES
Perhaps the most famous artwork by a Filipino is "The Spoliarium." Juan Luna, a
Filipino painter, won the gold prize for this painting at the Exposicion de Bellas Artes in
Madrid in 1884. It's a reenactment of a Roman circus, complete with dead gladiators
being taken from the arena

CONTEXTUAL PLANES
Spoliarium is a Latin word that refers to the Roman Colosseum's basement, where the
fallen and dying gladiators are deposited, stripped of their worldly goods. The
Spolarium depicts man's and the world's cruelty and heartlessness. It employs
primarily dark colors to evoke the dismal feelings associated with death, pain, war, and
other forms of intense sorrow in people who look at it. Although it is intended to convey
a message, the Spolarium is a historical artwork that is based on facts and
occurrences. The Spolarium is an artwork that serves as a reminder of man's depravity
and recurrent occurrences, much as the picture in our day.