ELLEN JOY TANIONGON

1ST YEAR BSEntrep

ART APPRECIATION-1ST CRITIQUE

The Spoliarium is a breathtaking and enormous artwork that measures 13.8 ft by 25.18
ft and is located on the first floor of the National Art Museum. It is an oil painting on
canvas created by Juan Luna, a well-known Filipino artist. The painting took Luna eight
months to complete, and when it was submitted to the Exposición Nacional de Bellas
Artes in Madrid in 1884, it won the first of three gold medals that were to be given out. A
Roman circus, a sizable outdoor amphitheater utilized for public events under the
Roman Empire, is claimed to be replicated in the environment.It emphasizes the dead
and dying gladiators who are taken to the bodies of other gladiators while they are
stripped of their clothing and weapons. A crowd of spectators may be seen on the
painting's left side, perhaps content to just guess about the gladiator slaughter. While on
the right side, there appear to be grieving family members looking through the piles of
dead bodies in the background for their departed loved ones. It is a darkly colored
artwork with a gloomier theme.

The painting has an overall Renaissance vibe to it. The lines are soft, granting a
naturalistic and realistic scene. The form and sculpt of the bodies are similar to body
types common in Renaissance paintings. The bodies are rather proportionate. The
colors used are mostly shades of black and brown; there are also touches of white, red,
and blue. The color scheme ultimately enhances the naturalism and realism of the
painting, as well as depict a tragic story through the dark shades. There is the presence
of chiaroscuro in the painting, giving an eerie look to the artwork. The use of light and
dark also makes the painting more stunningly tragic by giving emphasis to the remains
of gladiators. The harmony of the elements and principles of art in the painting reflects
the brilliance of the master painter, Juan Luna.  The mood and visual effect that this
painting portrays can be considered to be suffering, mourning, pain, and defeat.

This piece of art reflects the artist's inner political and sociocultural viewpoints as well as
his or her feelings. The gladiators in the image are covered in blood and were once a
representation of greatness and splendor, but now they are being dragged like slaves.
The gladiators portray our nation, the Philippines, as a nation that was once clad in rich
culture, but it took a turn for the worse, causing them to be dragged like slaves, stripped
of weapons to fight, and clothes to keep dignity. Roman colonizers who deprived us of
our dignity, strength, and will by dragging the remains of the gladiators are portrayed.
According to legend, the spectators stood in for Filipino individuals who had the power
to help their country but chose instead to stand by and witness its destruction. The
mourners, on the other hand, stand in for the Filipinos who still aspired to greatness.
The poorly lit lamps stand for the people's scant amount of optimism. As a result, the
Spoliarium has done a fantastic job of capturing the essence of the political, social, and
moral life of the Filipino people throughout the time of Spanish colonization.Luna’s
Spoliarium will forever have a spot as one of the most remarkable treasures of the
Philippine Arts because of its significance as a subject, brilliance as an artwork, and
splendor as a masterpiece. It is a milestone touching the hearts of true Filipinos and it
makes our loud disposition as a country known for the unwary masses. Truly, the
Spoliarium is a painting to be celebrated by the Filipinos.