Spoliarium
19th Century
Juan Luna
 The 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.
The Spoliarium is the most valuable oil-on-canvas painting by Juan Luna,
a Filipino educated at the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura (Philippines)
and at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, Spain. With a size of
4.22 meters x 7.675 meters, it is the largest painting in the
Philippines. A historical painting, it was made by Luna in 1884 as an
entry to the prestigious Exposicion de Bellas Artes (Madrid Art
Exposition, May 1884) and eventually won for him the First Gold Medal.
Burning of Sto. Domingo
1946-1949
Fernando C. Amorsolo
Amorsolo was able to capture on canvas the magnitude of the fire as well
as the concerted effort of the firemen and the clergy to save the
sanctuary. Noteworthy was his rendition of intensity of the fire through
the application of hues, texture, and perspective, which were his
trademarks. His early works such as this have a hyper-realistic style.
The original church structure, which was of gothic architecture, was
previously located within Intramuros (Manila) and managed by the
Dominican Order. It was one of the landmarks of Old Manila and
frequented by devotees because of the alleged miraculous image of the
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (Nuestra Señora del Rosario de la
Naval). The image is now enshrined in the new church located in Quezon
Avenue, Quezon City.
One fine example of a historical painting, it depicts the destruction of
the Sto. Domingo Church brought about by the tremendous fire that
occurred in the 1940s.
Harana in Manila
1950s
Arturo R. Luz
The Harana in Manila shows seven geometrical figures playing musical
instru-ments and serenading the audience amidst fireworks (Fiesta time).
The semi-concave glass medium is made by one of the leading glass
manufacturers in the United States, the Steuben.
Although glass etching is not as popular as oil-on-canvas, art in glass
reached its peak in the creation of stained glasses for churches and
mausoleums. Contemporary visual artists contemplated of duplicating
European techniques by using their ingenuity in transforming an ordinary
glass into a work of art.
Arturo Luz, one of the leading contempo-rary painters, created an
experimental art and captured in glass one of the highlights of
Philippine tradition, the harana (serenade).
Mother and Child
1960s
Napoleon Abueva
The huge art piece is sculpted from solid adobe and shows abstract
figures of a woman in a sitting position and holding a child. The child,
meanwhile, clings on the head of his mother.
The subject Mother and Child is very popular among visual artists. The
National Museum prides itself with this Mother and Child sculpture
created by Napoleon V. Abueva, a pioneer of Philippine modern sculpture.
Mother's Revenge
19th Century
Jose Rizal
The sculpture in terra cotta (clay), Mother’s Revenge, is an allegorical
representation of what was happening in the Philippines during that
period. Shown is a mother dog trying to rescue her helpless pup from the
bite of the crocodile. The mother dog represents “mother Philippines”
and the patriots who are doing their best to save the defenseless
countrymen - the pup - from the cruelty of the Spaniards as represented
by the crocodile.
When Dr. Jose Rizal was exiled in Dapitan, Zamboanga, he made use of his
artistic talent to create a piece that would symbolize the martyrdom
and the exploitation of the indios by the colonizers. After more than
300 years of colonial rule, Rizal was the leading figure in the clamor
for independence.
Coronation of the Virgin
18th Century
The painting depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary ceremoniously crowned by
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, in the form of a
dove, as queen of heaven and earth.
The theme replicates the 5th Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary and the
Litany. It is one of the oldest artwork in the visual arts collection.
As a form of praise to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the theme is also used
as a figure title, “Reyna de los Cielos”, in the traditional May-time
festival, the Santacruzan.
An extremely rare icon belonging to the primitive school of Philippine
art. It is typical of the religious art produced during the 18th century
for household use (devotional piece).
La Descencion de Jesus
(The Descent of Jesus from the Cross)
1900s
Graciano T. Nepomuceno
The artwork in hi-relief is an interpretation of Reuben’s oil-on-canvas
original. It depicts the moment when Christ was taken down from the
cross by Joseph of Arimathea in the presence of His disciples and Mother
Mary. Noteworthy is the meticulous rendition of several figures with
anatomical and dimensional precision.
The relief is an interpretation of the 13th Station of the Cross as
found in all Roman Catholic Churches. The Stations of the Cross have
been an educational forum for the Catholic Church to bring the Biblical
events to the masses.
Graciano T. Nepomuceno was the leading sculptor and santero (icon maker)
during the early 1900’s. He was the predecessor of Guillermo Tolentino,
National Artist, in the University of the Philippines.
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