A statement of resistance and a call for social reform, Luna painted the Spoliarium

as a response to the social and political conditions in the Philippines,

particularly the injustices and abuses under Spanish colonial rule, which took him
8 momths to complete. 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. The depiction of Roman cruelty in the painting has been
interpreted as an allegory for the state of the Philippines under the Spaniards.
The painting was made by Luna in 1884 as an entry to the prestigious Exposicion
Nacional de Bellas Artes and won the First Prize, when it bested Spanish artists
and won a first-class medal. Juan Luna’s inspiration for the painting Spoliarium
came from Numancia (1880), an award-winning painting by his Spanish teacher, Alejo
Vera (1834–1923). Juan Luna’s Boceto for Spoliarium (1883), a sketch that
highlights the multiple figures and the ‘diagonal cross composition’ of historic
paintings favored by the salon exhibitions at the time shows a closer resemblance
with Alejo Vera’s, Numancia.

The Spoliarium, after being exhibited in Rome, Madrid, and Paris, was bought by the
provincial government of Barcelona in 1885. It was stored in the Museo del Arte
Moderno in Barcelona until it was damaged during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. The
painting was then sent to Madrid for restoration and remained there for 18 years.
In the 1950s, efforts were made for its repatriation to Manila, and it was
eventually restored and donated to the Philippines by Gen. Franco. However, before
it was shipped to Manila, the painting was cut into three pieces. These pieces were
received by the Juan Luna Centennial Manila Commission in 1960 and were restored.
The restored painting was unveiled in the Hall of Flags of the Department of
Foreign Affairs in December 1962. Over time, the painting suffered damage due to
moisture and the joining of the canvas began to show. In 1982, it was cleaned by
Suzanno "Jun" Gonzalez and later moved to its current location in the National
Museum of Fine Arts.

Need, A. I. (2022, January 6). A perspective on Juan Luna’s Spoliarium (1884) - Art
in Need - Medium. Medium. https://artinneed.medium.com/the-very-large-canvas-
portrays-more-than-just-the-combination-of-oils-textures-and-colors-it-is-
f0e7c7fef856

Gaspar, J. (2018, January 4). “Spoliarium” by Juan Luna - Jordan Gaspar - Medium.
Medium. https://medium.com/@jordangasparr/spoliarium-by-juan-luna-f1b3103ef450

Dalisay, B. (2006, July 17). Restoring the ‘Spoliarium’ Philstar.com.

https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/arts-and-culture/2006/07/17/347865/restoring-
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