CRITIQUE PAPER ON SPOLIARIUM VISIT IN A MUSEUM

BODY

It currently hangs in the main gallery at the ground floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts in

Manila, and is the first work of art that greets visitors upon entry into the museum. This painting

features a glimpse of Roman history centered on the bloody carnage brought by gladiatorial

matches. Spoliarium is a Latin word referring to the basement of the Roman Colosseum where

the fallen and dying gladiators are dumped and devoid of their worldly possessions.

At the center of Luna’s painting are fallen gladiators being dragged by Roman soldiers. On

the left, spectators ardently await their chance to strip off the combatants of their metal helmets

and other armory. In contrast with the charged emotions featured on the left, the right side

meanwhile presents a somber mood. An old man carries a torch perhaps searching for his son

while a woman weeps the death of her loved one. Its also depicts an event during the Roman

Empire, where bloodied bodies of gladiators, who were drawn as slaves, are dragged mercilessly

away by men from the wide and powerful arena towards an unknown darkness, and where other

tragically killed gladiators are brought. A cheering crowd, screaming for blood can be noticed

from the left side of the painting while to the right a woman who is in crouched and seemingly in

sorrow.

The Spoliarium (often misspelled Spolarium) is a painting by Filipino painter Juan Luna. The

painting was submitted by Juan Luna to the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1884 in

Madrid, where it garnered the first gold medal (out of three). Juan Luna gained great popularity

among the Filipinos because of this painting.

Well, the first thing we'll notice about the painting is its size itself. Standing at 4.22 meters in

height and 7.675 m in width (to be precised),

ABSTRACT

Viewer of the painting will feel dwarfed by the large painting and may feel overwhelmed by the

magnanimity of it. The next thing we'll notice about the painting is the rich in colors used.

Mostly, the painter made use of warm colors for his work of art, with reds being a central color

that attracts the most attention. As what other's personal experience, the colors are striking and

quite unique.

Definitely, the painting shows a tragic event. But it also shows a deeper meaning, especially for

the Filipinos during the time of the Spanish colonization. According to some art experts, the

fallen gladiators who are being dragged in the painting are the Filipino people, while the men

dragging them are representative of the Spanish rule. It is believed that the woman crouched on

the right side of the painting is the Mother Country or the Inang Bayan who weeps for her

Philippines. The blood thirsty crowd to the left represents the social cancer on that time. Truly,

there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the painting Spolarium.

No doubt that the painting commands attention and gives off a majestic aura. It is the largest

painting in the Philippines so far.

Its reflect the other unique personalities of Juan Luna- a prolific artist with so much ambitions in

life, is an art giant which can be likened to Hercules, of Greek Mythology, who has a kind of
strength that is truly beyond compare, Indeed, the Spoliarium of Juan Luna gave him the chance

to tell the whole world that painting is not a mere art of mixing and integrating different colors;

to make a masterpiece livelier and more historically relevant. But it is an expression of one’s

idea of liberty, self-respect and his or her dynamic views about the varying social ills of a nation.

Spoliarium was the best masterpiece of Juan Luna, because it had perfectly exemplified what it

takes to be a world- renowned painter at a very young age of 24. Best of all, his artwork was able

to surpass beyond expectations the works of both the Spanish and Italian painting masters during

his time. While in Rome, he was able to integrate, the classical masterpieces of Michelangelo

and Rafael to make the Spoliarium as glaringly excellent as the freedom of his fellow Filipinos.

Imagine this. He had explored successfully the historical beauty and significance of his

creativity, on a large canvass which had measurements of 4×7 meters. Without expecting much

from this piece of historical interest, it had become an immediate and overnight sensation for the

Filipino people in those times of political uncertainties. The major reasons behind these

unforgettable adulations for Juan Luna can be clearly divided into two major things: First, it had

unquestionably bagged the first three Gold Medals in the said global and prestigious competition.

Second, it had gained international prominence among newspaper columns in Madrid, Barcelona

and Paris.

REFERENCES

Title : Spoliarium

Artist : Juan Luna Y Nocvicio

Year : 1884

Place : Madrid, Rome

Oil on canvas