Name: France Patrick V.

Iligan Course/ Year: BSCpE-2

Subject: Readings in Philippine History Date:

THE WORKS OF LUNA AND AMORSOLO

Juan Luna, the older brother of General Antonio Luna, was one of the many celebrated Filipino
painters of Philippine history. He excelled in the classical style as manifested in his works showing
figures in theatrical poses, creating classical balance in his paintings. Being exposed to the European
culture portrayed the European way of life in some of his works like the La Madrileña and The
Parisian Life. He also did paintings on the Spanish and Roman history as shown in The Battle of
Lepanto and the well-renowned gold medalist Spoliarium. In his career, he adapted the European
manner of painting which focused on terary scenes, like Hymen o Hymenee and The Roman Dames,
and historical events, like The Blood Compact and the award-winning The Death of Cleopatra. He
often incorporated allegories and political commentaries to most of his artworks just like when he
painted España y Filipinas to represent the Filipino propagandists’ desires for reform, equality,
modernization, and economic improvement in the Philippines through the guidance — not the
control — of the Spaniards. He also depicted the beauty of the Filipino women in his paintings like La
Bulaqueña and Tampuhan. Receiving his first international award for The Death of Cleopatra made
him a well-known Filipino artist all over Europe and the world. From then on, his works garnered
successive international recognitions and his career as an artist flourished. Later, he would
participate in the revolution as one of the many political activists that time. Meanwhile, Fernando
Cueto Amorsolo, titled as the “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art,” was the first Filipino to be
recognized as a National Artist of the Philippines. Growing up in the small town of Date, his simple
rural life reflected most of his masterpieces portraying pastoral sceneries. After earning his degree in
Arts, he went to Spain and the United States and came back the master of the backlighting
technique which became his striking trademark. Still focusing his artworks on the simple life in the
countryside, Amorsolo painted well-illuminated landscapes showing traditional Filipino customs,
culture, fiestas, and ordinary occupations as seen in his Planting Rice, The Palay Maiden, and many
others. He also gave importance to the beauty of a Filipina, highlighting simple yet good-looking
faces and well-shaped bodies in his nude sketches, as well as in the Lavanderas and Women by
the Stream. Other than that, he also did portraits of prominent individuals like Manuel Roxas and
himself, in addition to historical events like The Making of the Philippine Flag. At the peak of his
career, the Philippines was dragged into the Second World War and his life as an artist was greatly
affected. From here, his artworks portrayed human suffering, despair, grief, and tragedy, just like in
his Defense of a Filipina Woman’s Honor and The Burning of Manila. He went back to his usual
art style years after the war ended. Hereafter, he garnered numerous awards and citations, being
recognized as the most influential artist of his time. For Luna, he was able to prove to the world how
Filipinos deserved to be acclaimed for their brilliancy, treated equal with foreigners in terms of
talents, and not called as “indios” just like how the Spanish colonizers treated them. As to
Amorsolo, his artworks were reflections of the hard work of the Filipino obreros and
testimonies of the purity and peace of the rural areas where happiness and love is fostered even by
living a simple life. Though both artists belonged to different eras in the historical timeline of
the country, Juan Luna and Fernando Amorsolo became symbols of the greatness of the Filipinos,
not only for their art, but because of their love for the motherland and its people as shown in their
paintings.