Juan Luna painted the Spoliarium, an oil painting on poplar, in Rome in 1884.

Lines, light,
shape, and time are the formal aspects depicted in the artwork. On the other hand, the concepts of
design inherent in the picture include proportion and coherence. According to Jose Rizal’s
interpretation, Spoliarium was a symbol of “our social, moral, and political life: humanity
unredeemed, reason and aspiration in open combat with prejudice, fanaticism, and injustice.”

Juan Luna's another masterpiece, “The Parisian Life” was created during his stay in Paris,
France from October 1884 to February 1893. The painting "The Parisian Life" was an oil on canvas
with a length of 22 inches and a width of 31 inches. The painting depicts a girl sitting on a sofa with
three gentlemen discussing the state of the country, which is under stress. In turn, the three
gentlemen were identified as Juan Luna, Dr. Jose Rizal, and Ariston Baptista, three national Filipino
heroes. The artwork "The Parisian Life" is also known as "Interior d'un Cafi," which translates to
"within a café. “The lady seated in the sofa has been characterized as a flirt and prostitute, according
to one popular interpretation of the painting. In contrast, Luna's personal experience with his wife,
who had an affair with another guy. According to another view, the lady is a reflection of the
Philippine archipelago.

Since the paintings incorporate persistence, patience, passion, a feeling of adventure, and
discipline, the qualities profound on both paintings are the same. These attributes can also be
viewed as a reflection of reality, with these five qualities manifesting themselves in our daily lives.
These attributes are replicated in reality since people and art (paintings, sculpture, etc.) are
inextricably linked.

From the time the Antipolo Fiesta painting was created until now (the twenty-first century),
Filipinos appear to have taken our identity's uniqueness for granted. The Filipinos are beginning to
be widely recognized as a result of the qualities by skilfully disguising and incorporating them in their
masterpieces, as the painting has a significance about the particular culture of Filipinos when the
painting was submitted. The significance of this picture depicts a rural area in Antipolo with a group
of people celebrating a fiesta. It represents the plentiful harvest of the Filipino Fiesta in Antipolo,
when Filipinos showcased and gathered various cuisines.

The Palay Maiden was painted in 1920, and it depicts the beauty of Filipina women, with the
palay "rice" symbolizing hope for the nation's rise. We, as Filipinos, appear to have taken the
distinctive aspect of our identity for granted in the period and world we now live in. This picture has
had a great impact on all of us till the twenty-first century, as people have come to accept the
unique physical characteristics and culture of Filipinos. In this painting, Amorsolo does not conform
to a Western standard of beauty by describing the face including eyes, nose,and the skin color.
Basically, the message here is about the ideal Filipina Beauty.

Both of these paintings have diverse meanings, and they have had a great impact on
everyone from that time period (19th century) until now. The artwork Palay Maiden (Dalagang
Bukid), for example, introduces everyone to a new understanding that Filipinos have distinct physical
qualities and cultures from those of other countries.

Recent political and economic events, as well as changes in the practice and distribution of
arts, particularly painting, have caused professionals to acknowledge the importance of painting
since it incorporates various components and serves as a message.