The of Luna and Amorsolo 1

Readings in Philippine History
Module
Introduction
History is not only depicted in the novels, diaries, newspapers, poems, essay and
other historical sources but also in paintings. Most of the historical moments in Philippine
history are depicted in paintings where painters captured the scenes they observed or
thought of and translated in canvasses. Two famous Filipino painters; Juan Luna and
Fernando Amorsolo have been recognized for their valuable contributions in depicting the
lives and cultural aspects of the Filipinos during the Spanish era and Japanese occupation.
The Spoliarium of Juan Luna and Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers of Fernando Amorsolo are
just few of their many notable artworks.
This is the fourth series of the nine (9) historical accounts in Philippine history
presented in this module.
Topics
 Juan Luna
 Historical Background of Luna’s Paintings
 Fernando Cueto Amorsolo
 Historical Background of Luna’s Paintings
 Content Presentation of Some Paintings of Juan Luna
 Context Analysis of Some Paintings of Juan Luna
 Contribution and Relevance of Juan Luna’s Paintings in Understanding the
Grand Narrative of Philippine History
 Content presentation of Some Paintings of Fernando Amorsolo
 Context Analysis of Some Paintings of Fernando Amorsolo
 Contribution and Relevance of Fernando Amorsolo’s Paintings in Understanding
the Grand Narrative of Philippine History
Learning Objectives
After studying this lesson, the student should be able to:

1. Identify the symbolism used in the works of Luna and Amorsolo
2. Explain the importance of the works of Luna and Amorsolo in the grand narrative of
Philippine history
3. Evaluate the relevance of the works of Luna and Amorsolo to the present time.
Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources in Philippine History (Miguel, Rosario and Abalos) Page 72
The Works of Luna and Amorsolo (Module 4. PS 4.)
Introduction
Two famous Filipino painters are featured in this module, Juan Luna and Fernando
Amorsolo. Their artworks have been recognized as they depict the culture of the Filipinos
during the Spanish era and Japanese occupation. There were only few artworks made by
Juan Luna as compared to Amorsolo’s pieces.
Juan Luna (1857-1899)
Juan Luna was born on October 23, 1857 in Badoc, Ilocos Norte. He was the third
among the seven children of Joaquin Luna de San Pedro y Posadas (from Zambales) and
Laureana Novisio y Ancheta (from La Union). He married Maraia de la Paz Pardo de Tavera
and had two children. He was granted the title Licentiate Pilot for High Seas after passing
the government examination for sailors. He was also a member of the Hong Kong
Revolutionary Committee (Hong Kong Junta) that tried to convince Emilio Aguinaldo
during his exile in Hong Kong to return to the Philippines and take part in the armed
rebellion against the Spaniards.
Many Filipino middle class families had the chance to study not only in the
Philippines but in Europe as well , allowing them to be exposed to new ideas and ideologies.
It was during his time that Juan Luna became famous for his artistic works.
Historical Background of Luna’s Paintings
Many of Luna’s paintings illustrate literary and historical scenes that captured
political commentaries. The most important work of Luna is the Spoliarium, the largest
painting in the Philippines (4.22 m x 7.67 m). Luna spent eight months working on the
painting which is now displayed in the main gallery of the National Museum of Fine Arts. It
won three gold medals in the 1884 Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Spain.
Another work of Juan Luna is the La Muerte de Cleopatra (The Death of Cleopatra) which
won silver medal in the 1881 Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Spain. When the
Battle of of Lepanto, another work of Luna, won the gold medal in the 1888 Exposicion
Nacional de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Spain, Jose Rizal delivered a Congratulatory speech for
the success of Juan Luna.
Aside from the Award-wining paintings, Juan Luna is also renowned for the
following remarkable works: (1) the El Pacto de Sangre which shows the blood compact
between Datu Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi; (2) the Parisian Life which shows a
lady sitting uncomfortably in a couch in a public bar while being discretely observed by
three men who, according to public interpretations, resemble Jose Rizal, Juan Luna nd Dr.
Ariston Lin-Bautista; and (3) the Portrait of a Lady which was first title Paz Pardo de
Tavera, after the wife of Luna which shows a woman holding a rosary in a scene that seems
to be after a sexual interlude. However, the lady in the painting does not look like Juan
Luna’s wife at all. Some critics suppose that it resembles the image of Luna’s favorite model,
a Caucasian named Angela Duche while others believe the lady is an image of Luna’s
idealised vision of his wife. This particular painting is controversial for it contains no
foreshadowing to the tragedy of Luna’s marriage which ended with him shooting his wife in
September of 1892.
Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (1892-1972)
Fernando Amorso was born in Calie Heran (popularly known today as Pedro Gil) in
Paco, Manila on May 20, 1892. He studied at the Art School of the Liceo de Manila and at the
University of the Philippines’ School of Fine Arts. He worked as draftsman for the Bureau of
Public Works, as a Chief Artist of the Public Commercial Company and as a part time
instructor of the University of the Philippines.
Amorsolo painted and sketched more than 10,000 pieces over his lifetime using
natural and backlighting techniques, which gave him numerous awards and recognitions.
The themes of his paintings are mostly rural Philippine landscapes. Two of Amorsolo’s
award winning works are, (1) the Leyendo El Periodice which won second place in the
Bazaar Escolata in 1908 and (2) the Afternoon Meal of Rice Workers which won first prize at
the New York World’s Fair in 1939. Other works of Amorsolo include the Making of the
Philippine Flag, The First Baptism if the Philippines which was based on the accounts of
Pigafetta and Under the Mango Tree.
On April 24, 1972, Aamorsolo died from heart failure. In the same year, Amorsolo
was declared the first National Artist of the Philippines in painting. He is also considered as
the “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art.”
Historical Background of Amorsolo’s Paintings
Amorsolo’s painting depict life during the late American regime and the Japanese
occupation in the Philippines. He was known for his works focusing on rural landscapes
that show mastery in the use of light. Amorsolo’s significant paintings during the Japanese
occupation depict wartime atrocities particularly the suffering of the Filipinos under
Japanese authorities. Some of Amorsolo’s works presenting such scenes are the Bombing of
the Intendencia, the Bombing of the Legislative Building, the Rape of Manila and the
Burning of Sto. Domingo, all produced in 1942; Rizal Avenue in Ruins and Defense of a
Filipino Woman’s Honor in 1945 and the Burning of Manila in 1946.
Content Presentation of Some Paintings of Juan Luna
Four (4) Obra Maetras of Juan Luna is presented here, namely: Spoliarium, The Battle
of Lepanto, Parisian Life and Portrait of a Lady.
Spoliarium
The Spoliarium is a painting created by Filipino painter Juan Luna. Along with Felix
Resurreccion Hidalgo, he won the gold medal for this particular painting during the
Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1884, with Hidalgo winning a silver medal for his
painting "The Assasination of Governor Bustamante and his Son."
Spoliarium is Latin that refers to the basement of the Roman Coliseum where the
fallen and dying gladiators are dumped and devoid of their worldly possessions. According
to the Philippine National Museum, this painting is the most valuable oil on canvas painting
by Juan Luna. This painting has an incredible contrast between the left side and the right
side. The left side shows charged emotions and the right side of the painting shows a more
somber mood.
The first thing you will notice about the painting is its size. Standing at 4 meters in
height and 7 meters in width, the painting no doubt commands attention and gives off a
majestic aura. Any viewer of the painting will feel dwarfed by the large painting and may
feel overwhelmed by the magnanimity of it. It is the largest painting in the Philippines. The
next thing you'll notice about the Spoliarium is the rich colors used. Predominantly, the
painter made use of warm colors for his work of art, with reds being a central color that
attracts the most attention. In person, the colors are striking and quite unique.
The Spoliarium depicts an event during the Roman Empire, where gladiators die for
entertainment. The painting shows how gladiators are being dragged mercilessly by men
towards an unknown darkness, where other tragically killed gladiators are brought. To the
left is a cheering crowd, screaming for blood while to the right, a woman is crouched and
seemingly in sorrow.
The Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto (Spanish: La Batalla de Lepanto) is a famous painting by Filipino

painter and revolutionary activist Juan Luna. Luna is one of the first Filipinos to excel and
earn recognition in the international field of arts and culture (another one is Félix
Resurrección Hidalgo).Painted by Luna
in 1887, the masterpiece is about the
Battle of Lepanto of October 7, 1571. The
painting features Don Juan of Austria
(also known as Don John of Austria) in
battle while at the bow of a ship. It is
one of the “huge epic canvasses”
painted by Luna (the others are the
Spoliarium and The Blood
Compact).The painting is also known as
The Battle of Lepanto of 1571.
By becoming the second Filipino to win the first of the three gold medals during the
Exposicion General de Bellas Artes (National Exposition of Fine Arts) in Madrid, Spain in
1884 for his Spoliarium painting, Luna became famous and obtained commissions from the
Spanish government to create other canvasses. Although Luna decided to move from
Madrid to Paris, France in October 1884, he had to travel back and forth the two cities in
order to meet the demands for portrait jobs, including the task of assisting Filipinos to push
for reforms in the Philippines through the seat of the government of Spain in Madrid. Some
of the commissioned paintings were The Battle of Lepanto, together with Peuple et Rois and
España y Filipinas. It was the Spanish Senate, through the influence of King Alfonso XII of
Spain, who commissioned Luna to paint The Battle of Lepanto. King Alfonso XII's plan was
to hang Luna’s Battle of Lepanto side by side with Francisco Pradilla Ortiz’s 1878 grand-
prize winning masterpiece La rendicion de granada (The Surrender of Granada).Another
reason for commissioning Luna to paint The Battle of Lepanto was to compensate Luna for
not having been given the grand prize known as the “Prize of Honor” or “Medal of
Excellence”for Spoliarium. A biased jury, known as the "Jury of Honor" did not grant Luna
the prize because he was a Filipino and in spite of the fact that “public sentiment felt” Luna
“deserved the award”. One year after, The Battle of Lepanto became a gold medalist during
the 1888 Fine Arts Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain. During the victory gathering of Filipinos
in Madrid, Philippine national hero José Rizal praised Luna and Hidalgo for their
achievements, “mastery and nationalism” through a speech. Graciano Lopez Jaena, another
Filipino hero, also gave Luna and Hidalgo a “congratulatory speech” for their success.
The Parisian Life
"The Parisian Life" painting is also known as Interior d’Un

Café or "Inside a Café", even titled in some books as "The Maid" and
"Un Coquette" or literally someone who is one step lower than
prostitute painted by Juan Luna. He is known to use
prostitutes as models in his painting sessions for a very
obvious reason – they were paid cheap. In 1904 at the World Fair’s
Saint Louis Exposition in the United States, this painting won Silver
Medal.
Portrait of A Lady
This painting of Juan Luna, an undated work in oil

once entitled Paz Pardo de Tavera but which now goes by the
ID Portrait of a Lady, is said to carry a powerful spell. Those
who have come to own it over the years, it is believed, have
met terrible misfortunes, from unexplained sickness to bad
business to downright death. “Tsismis says its first owner,
Manuel Garcia, was forced to sell it because his business had
gone bad,” wrote the historian Ambeth Ocampo in his
book Looking Back. “Betty Bantug Benitez bought it and met a
tragic road accident in Tagaytay. The portrait then passed through the collection of Tony
Nazareno, who also suffered bad luck and sudden illness, so he sold it to Imee Marcos
Manotoc, who suffered a miscarriage. In the Luna-Hidalgo exhibition catalogue published

by the Metropolitan Museum, the provenance given is not Imee Marcos, but Imelda Marcos,
whose fate in 1986 we are all familiar with. She donated the painting to the National
Museum.”
Context Analysis of Some Paintings of Juan Luna
1. Context Analysis of Juan Luna’s Spoliarium
The painting shows a tragic event, definitely. But it also shows a deeper meaning,
especially for the Filipinos during the time of the Spanish colonization (which lasted over
400 years!). According to art experts, the fallen gladiators who are being dragged are the
Filipino people, while the men dragging them into the darkness are representative of the
Spanish rule. The woman crouched on the right side of the painting is believed to be the
Mother Country or the Inang Bayan who weeps for her Philippines. The blood thirsty crowd
to the left is a representation of the social cancer of that time. Truly, there is more than meets
the eye when it comes to Luna's painting.
The Spoliarium is famous among the Filipino people, to say the least. The fact that
Luna had gained recognition among other Spaniards in Madrid because of this painting has
given the Filipinos great pride. This also shows that the Filipinos have skills that can equal,
if not, surpass the Europeans of that time. This is why the painting, along with Hidalgo's, are
deemed National Cultural Treasures, because they were able to contribute to the
development of art in the Philippines.
The Spoliarium can be found in the Hall of the Masters of The National Museum of
the Philippines. Whether you are a foreigner or a local, take a few hours off your schedule to
visit the museum and learn more about Philippine culture and history through the eyes of
its artists. It is an educational and enriching experience.
2. Context Analysis of Juan Luna’s The Battle of Lepanto
Luna’s The Battle of Lepanto provides significance to the “Spanish victory against
the Turks”. For this reason, the widow of King Alfonso XII of Spain, Queen Regent Maria
Christina of Austria, herself was the person who unveiled Luna’s masterpiece painting at
the Senate Hall of Madrid in November 1887, together with Pradilla’s La rendición de
granada. However, the victory at Lepanto was not merely a Spanish victory against the
Turks. The victory at Lepanto was a Catholic victory over the invading forces of Islam. At
Lepanto a coalition of Catholics defeated the forces of Islam who were attempting to
conquer and subdue the West to force her citizens to submit to Islamic rule. Therefore, this
painting is a portrayal of national pride because the Spanish were instrumental in the
victory at Lepanto and it is also a portrayal of pride in the Spaniard's Catholicism since the
battle resulted in a Catholic victory. Both paintings are still currently displayed at the
Madrid Senate Hall. Luna also received, through the royal order of Queen Regent Maria
Christina, the Medalla de Isabela La Católica (Medal of Elizabeth the Catholic) from the
Ministry of the High Seas (Ministerio de Ultramar), for the Filipino's “outstanding service”
to Spain.
3. Context Analysis of Juan Luna’s The Parisian Life
The Parisian Life painting is one of Juan Luna’s obra maestras done in Paris, France
year 1892. This is not Juan Luna’s most popular painting – it is the “Spoliarium” but the
story behind it is very unusual. This painting is showing a lady wearing a flamboyant hat, in
a French dress with long sleeves, ruffled ends and length reaching beyond her ankles. Not so
far from her back are three men who look like making gossips about her.
The three men in "The Parisian Life" painting are actually heroes in Philippine
History: Jose Rizal, Ariston Bautista Lin and Luna himself. A "Kwentong Barbero" version of
this painting explains the story behind which is about these men in a coffee shop exchanging
glances over a prostitute: two of them planning who will be the first to hook her up tonight
and the other one sharing he just actually gone to bed with this same girl a night ago. What a
story all worth of a historical value and international award! But if one has an eye that can
see beyond this painting made in oil, this lady actually has a "geographical likeness" to the
mirror-image or the map of the archipelago of the Philippines. You put a map of the
Philippines over her and it seems she is really the Philippines at that time. Her knees (we
kneel when we pray) matched to Cebu in the map where Roman Catholicism started and on
her navel (means birth) is the Kawit, Cavite map where our First Independence was
declared and a lot more coincidences! Her left arm a bit detached in a downward slant
signifies the Palawan islands! She appears to be strangled too as there is a line on top of her
head because that time Philippines is under colony.
One very interesting fact about Luna is he is a man of temper and known about his
jealousy over his wife's alleged infidelity. After killing his wife, mother-in-law and wounded
his brother-in-law by gunshots he was never jailed for long in France because the Queen
Regent of Spain helped her as she is regarded as a "National Treasure" at that time because
of his paintings. In fact, he remains to be until today. Our previous administrations tried to
ask his “La Batalla de Lepanto" painting displayed in Senate Hall of Spain to be given back
to us until now but Spain insisted the painting should remain to them because it was done
when Philippines is still under colony of Spain.
The painting can be interpreted in three ways, by literal and popular interpretation
where the lady sitting in the sofa was identified as a flirt and prostitute, by tragic and
biographical interpretation which discusses the personal experience of Luna with his wife
who had an affair with another man, and by symbolic interpretation where the woman in
the painting has a “geographical likeness” to the mirror-image of the archipelago of the
Philippines.
With the third interpretation, Luna also exposed the Philippines in a disturbed state
during the Spanish Revolution in 1892 through the uncomfortable position and about-to-cry
face of the woman. The three gentlemen in the left corner were identified as the three
Filipino heroes, Dr. Jose Rizal, Juan Luna, and Ariston Baptista discussing the state of the
country being under stress. The coat and hat at the couch symbolizes Western lifestyle
particularly identifying the people of Spain. While the levels of beers in the table were also
interpreted on how the Spaniards take advantage of the country, and the newspaper
pointing the back of the woman tells how the Philippines was inspired by the French
Revolution.
4. Context Analysis of Juan Luna’s The Portrait of a Lady
The Mystery behind the Secret of the Woman of Juan Luna’s Famous Paintings Some
of the people know this portrait of a woman as the wife of Juan Luna. A woman in sleeping
dress, holding a rosary, and a book beside. Juan Luna named this portrait as the “Portrait of
Pas Pardo de Tavera”, but the mystery is that the woman in the portrait was not look like
his wife, because the face of the model or the woman in the portrait is not similar to the face
of his wife, so many others questioned that portrait and because some of the portrait of Juan
Luna has the same woman but it is the same to the portrait that Juan Luna named it after his
wife.
The said portrait of Juan Luna was kept now by the National Museum of the
Philippines, and named as the “Portrait of a Lady”. Some of the people also said that some
of the former owners of this portrait get unlucky in everything, so nobody else wanted to
owned or keep this portrait. Many others said that Pas Pardo de Tavera was killed by her
own husband which is Juan Luna, but there some others that said that it was accidentally.
Juan Luna accidentally shot Paz Pardo de Tavera together with the mother of Paz. Juan Luna
is trying to unlock the locked door by shooting the door knob, but he accidentally shot his
wife.
Content Presentation of Some Paintings of Fernando Amorsolo
There are three (3) master pieces of Amorsolo presented here, namely; Afternoon
Meal of the Rice Workers , Leyendo el Periodico, and The Rape of Manila.
Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers
Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers

by Fernando Amorsolo is a beautiful piece. It
has good combination of colors especially the
light ones. The story behind this painting is
really the one that is really captivating. It
shows how simple but happy the life of our
great farmers was simplicity was just so
perfect of the scene such an inspiring and
heart touching piece everything looks so
perfect and it suites to all Filipinos. This obra
maetra won first prize at the New York World’s Fair in 1939.
Leyendo el periódico
The Leyendo el periódico is the first winning piece of Amorsolo in 1908. To hone his
painting skills with utmost perfection, Fernando Amorsolo decided to enroll at the Art
School of Liceo, Manila. Conversely, Amorsolo had proven that poverty is not a hindrance
to be an achiever. In the said learning institution, he was bestowed the highest honors for art
excellence; for his enigmatic paintings and drawings respectively.
Amorsolo’s first success as a young

painter came in 1908, when his
painting Leyendo el periódico ("Reading the
Newspaper") took second place at the Bazar
Escolta, a contest organized by the Asociacion
Internacional de Artistas. The artwork depicts
the men and women in the rural community
dancing the traditional Tinikling. The people
depicted were all merry and happy. The
simplicity of the painting using light vivid
colors makes the scene natural.
The Rape of Manila
The Rape of Manila was an artwork of Fernando

Amorsolo done in 1942. The painting depicts the
suffering of the Filipinos as the hands of the Japanese
during World War II. This painting is just one of the least
known works of Fernando Amorsolo. The Rape of Manila
was an artwork of Fernando Amorsolo done in 1942. The
painting depicts the suffering of the Filipinos as the
hands of the Japanese during World War II. This painting
is just one of the least known works of Fernando
Amorsolo. The national artist with his usual theme of
sunny and vibrant Philippine countryside in his
paintings, switched to darker themes, one of sorrow and
destruction, during the Japanese Occupation. At the time
of the Battle of Manila, he was witness to the brutality
and suffering that the Filipino people went through, as he lived near a Japanese garrison in
the city. He took on the duty as a painter to paint the events he would see from his window
or his rooftop. Now we can see the pain and suffering that Manila had endured through
Amorsolo’s eyes, in full color–a true testament to an artist with a heart for his people.
Context Analysis of Some Paintings of Fernando Amorsolo
1. Context Analysis of Amorsolo’s Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers
In this painting, farmers are planting rice while others cooked food under a mango
tree. Filipinos typically love the shades of the trees, and we do so in order to cool ourselves
away from the sun which loves our lands. And it is in those moments of respite beneath a
cool shade that we are able to catch up with one another or share a meal or simply rest
alongside family and friends. The tree in this sense offers not only shade or protection for
us; it is like a second home for the farmer, another dwelling place where he can stay and be
with others as in a home. Trees are not only raw materials for wood and lumber, but their
shade has for millennia also been a home to mankind, a place of communion or solitude,
even of enlightenment. Under the cover of trees human beings feel secure and at the same
time admit that they are only dwellers of the land, dependent on its fruits and for its
protection. Today’s exploitation of our natural resources, their objectification as raw
materials for production in industries such as manufacturing and technology, are
antithetical to what Amorsolo’s works evoke.
The natural environment is not only a source of human production, but a home, a
life-world where our daily life unfolds. Amorsolo’s paintings show the possibility of still
being immersed in the natural world, in the extreme sense that there is no separation
between background and foreground, man and nature, subject and object. Again, there is no
clear focus in some of his works, signifying to my mind that his pictures can only be seen as
a whole, a whole not built by different parts (man, field, tree, sky), but as a synthetic whole
wherein to abstract one element out would change everything—or change nothing. For
nature and mankind are to be forever linked and shall remain the same even if they pass;
they both are born and then die, and then the cycle of nature and of life continues. In nature
nothing really changes even if everything changes. Likewise daily life is always the same but
also always different; it is always the same sun that in its rising calls on us to work and in its
setting invites us to rest; like the same yet always different meals we have to prepare and
happily take within a day.
2. Context Analysis of Amorsolo’s Leyendo el periódico
The title of his obra maetra does not fit the content. The characters depicted are people
in the rural area dancing the traditional Tinikling as a presentation of a fiesta. But the title
seems deviating what has been translated in the canvass, Reading a Newspaper. Maybe the
author wants to convey the observers the scene he was reading a newspaper and at the front
page of the newspaper he saw the picture he has drawn that captivated his heart because of
the natural setting and rural ambience presented. For me, I would prefer renaming the title
as “Tinikling sa Barrio” for it fits the picture appropriately. This title will make ordinary
people to understand immediately what the painting tries to convey. I think the title of his
artwork has no great bearing on the judgement of those panel but rather looked on the
originality and craftsmanship of his work. The meticulous chose of colors and the
shadowing gave outstanding aspects of the artwork.
3. Context Analysis of Amorsolo’s The Rape of Manila
The title for his painting perfectly suits the objects and characters in the canvass. The
sufferings of the Filipinos under the hands of the Japanese soldiers were translated in a
small canvass that everybody can easily grasp. The characters drawn gave emotions and one
can feel the agonies being experience by these victims during that time. The coloring and
vivid illustrations gave life to the characters and the use of limited characters to portray the
scene was absolutely perfect. More characters in the scene may distract the observers on
what the painter wants to convey. The less characters would rather gave a better message to
the observers. Sometimes The Rape of Manila has been misinterpreted with his another
artwork The Burning of Manila which was also done during the Japanese occupation. These
artworks are entirely different in nature though they were depicting the Japanese atrocities.
Contribution and Relevance of Juan Luna’s Paintings in Understanding the Grand
Narrative of Philippine History
The artworks of Juan Luna require better understanding and analysis in order to
extract what he really wants to convey. The Spoliarium portrays the sufferings of the
Gladiators which are the source of entertainment of the Romans but in his thoughts he was
trying to figure the atrocities of the Spaniards to the Filipino people. This painting reminds
every Filipinos the sufferings of their ancestors at the hands of the Spanish and was painted
in a big canvass to draw more attention and recognized and examine each character in the
painting. This painting has a very powerful message to the Spanish that the Filipinos are not
only mere Indios or low keyed people but they are also like them who have the talent to
excel.
The other artworks of Juan Luna are likened to the European artists in the Medieval
period by the use of colors and shadows. The characters portrayed in his canvasses convey
different meanings and draw various interpretations among observers.
Juan Luna’s materpieces are very indispensable in understanding our past
particularly during the Spanish period. The lives of the common people and Ilustrados
portrayed by him gave us some perspectives on how they lived and struggled. These
artworks are conduits in better understanding of the past.
Contribution and Relevance of Fernando Amorsolo’s Paintings in Understanding the

Grand Narrative of Philippine History
Anorsolo’s artworks differ from Juan Luna as it deals more on rural scenes. Vivid
colors and shadowing give life to the characters depicted by Amorsolo. What was
interesting about Amorsolo is the choice of his themes where most are rural scenes
considering that he grew up in an Urban area.
The great contributions Amorsolo were his portrayals of the sufferings of Filipinos
during the Japanese occupation. This give us clear picture how the Japanese maltreated our
fellowmen. He was a true witness of the struggles and sufferings of the Filipinos at the
hands of the Japanese. He translated all of these to his canvasses so that the Filipinos
particularly the next generation will know and remember.
While the camera were not yet perfect in terms of resolution those times, Amorsolo
captured vividly through his eyes and translated this in his canvass for us to remember and
pay tributes to these unsung heroes.
Exercise 4.7.
True or False: Write True if the statement is true and False if not.
___1. Luna is one of those three men featured in the Parisian Life artwork..
___2. Amorsolo painted the logo of Ginebra San Miguel.
___3. Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers by Amorsolo won second place in the Bazaar
Escolta Art Exposition in 1908.
___4. Luna murdered his wife.
___5. Spoliarium is the biggest Philippine artwork.
___6. The Battle of Lepanto of Luna won gold medal in 1889.
___7. Parisian life is a cursed artwork of Luna.
___8. Making of the Philippine Flag is an artwork of Amorsolo .
___9. Paz Pardo de Tavera is the original title of Portrait of A Lady by Luna.
___10. Luna is the seventh child of Joaquin Luna and Laureana Novisio.
Exercise 4.8.
1. Pick one master piece of Luna and give its importance to Philippine History.
2. Pick one master piece of Amorsolo and give its importance to Philippine History.
References
Asuncion, N. and G. R. Cruz. 2019. Readings in Philippine history. C and E Publishing.

Quezon City, Philippines.243 p.
Candelaria, J.P and V.C. Alporha. 2018. Readings in Philippine history. Rex Book Store.
Manila, Philippines. 144 p.
Constantino, R. 2010. A history of the Philippines. Monthly Press Review. Quezon City,
Philippines.
De Veyra, L. 2011. Word of the Lourd:Emilio Jacinto. TV5 The Evening News. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myaq1Usq0C0
Ileto, R. 1997. Pasyon and Revolution: Popular Movements in the Philippines, 1840-1910.
Ateneo de Manila University Press. Manila, Philippines.
Richardson, J. 2013. Emilio Jacinto, Kartilya ng Katipunan. In Declaration of Principles,

pp.121-137.
Tan, S. 2009. A history of the Philippines. University of the Philippinbes Press. . Quezon
City, Philippines.
Torres, J.V. 2018. Batis. Sources in Philippine history. C and E Publishing. Quezon City,
Philippines.682 p.

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The of Luna and Amorsolo 1

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Readings in Philippine History

After studying this lesson, the student should be able to:

Juan Luna (1857-1899)

Historical Background of Luna’s Paintings

Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (1892-1972)

Historical Background of Amorsolo’s Paintings

Content Presentation of Some Paintings of Juan Luna

The Battle of Lepanto

The Battle of Lepanto (Spanish: La Batalla de Lepanto) is a famous painting by Filipino

The Parisian Life

"The Parisian Life" painting is also known as Interior d’Un

This painting of Juan Luna, an undated work in oil

Manotoc, who suffered a miscarriage. In the Luna-Hidalgo exhibition catalogue published

Context Analysis of Some Paintings of Juan Luna

1. Context Analysis of Juan Luna’s Spoliarium

2. Context Analysis of Juan Luna’s The Battle of Lepanto

3. Context Analysis of Juan Luna’s The Parisian Life

4. Context Analysis of Juan Luna’s The Portrait of a Lady

Content Presentation of Some Paintings of Fernando Amorsolo

Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers

Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers

Amorsolo’s first success as a young

The Rape of Manila

The Rape of Manila was an artwork of Fernando

Context Analysis of Some Paintings of Fernando Amorsolo

1. Context Analysis of Amorsolo’s Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers

2. Context Analysis of Amorsolo’s Leyendo el periódico

3. Context Analysis of Amorsolo’s The Rape of Manila

Contribution and Relevance of Fernando Amorsolo’s Paintings in Understanding the

Asuncion, N. and G. R. Cruz. 2019. Readings in Philippine history. C and E Publishing.

Richardson, J. 2013. Emilio Jacinto, Kartilya ng Katipunan. In Declaration of Principles,

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