PAINTING LUNA WITH WORDS

Heroes are kababayans, 

Monuments are reminders

Heroism in our hearts!

What do we know about Juan Luna, the first Filipino achiever abroad? Why was his Php 46M "Parisian Life" painting controversial? Luna Walk is an activity that answers all those questions, and more. 

On October 23, 2003, Juan Luna's 146th birth anniversary, the first walk from Luna Monument to San Agustin Museum/ Monastery was initiated by Prof. Eric Zerrudo with his students in the UST Cultural Heritage (Graduate) Studies Program. It was continued by the GSIS Museum of Art since 2006, and on October 20, 2012 in celebration of the 155th birth anniversary of Juan Luna, I participated this historical heritage walk. This could be the last of the Luna Walks by GSIS Museum, as the Parisian Life will already be transferred to its new home, the National Museum of the Philippines, this week. We gathered at the GSIS Museum located at the GSIS Headquarters, Financial Center in Pasay City. We were given shirts, snacks, and briefing about this annual activity. Then we rode to our assigned vans. 

Bahay Nakpil-Bautista in Quiapo, house of the original owner of Juan Luna's Parisian Life,
 introduces the different players of the Philippine Revolution hence it is also called the Katipunan Museum.

Nakpil-Bautista House is a typical Filipino bahay na bato designed by Arch. Arcadio Arellano where there are large capiz windows and heavy use of wood in the upper story. This structure of the Filipino house conforms to the climate of the Philippines. For a long time,  "Parisian Life" hang on its living  room as it was Juan Luna's gift to his friend Dr. Ariston Bautista Lin, who was a Filipino philanthropist. Ariston married Petrona Nakpil and had this house built in 1914. They were childless so they invited the family of Petrona to live with them. We were welcomed by one of the heirs who also maintain the house, Bobby Viola, who was very accommodating, she let us own the house for a while. 

A feel of Quiapo can be had by looking over the barandilla of this bahay na bato.

One of Petrona Nakpil-Bautista's siblings celebrates 145th birth anniversary this year, Julio Nakpil, the Philippine composer who served as commander for revolutionary troops in Northern Luzon under Andres Bonifacio during the Philippine Revolution. He composed a song that Bonifacio liked for the Philippine National Anthem, "Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan," (The Great Hymn of the Tagalogs) but it was rejected in favor of Lupang Hinirang. Julio married Bonifacio's widow, Gregoria de Jesus.  

Gregoria de Jesus joined the Katipunan before she married the Supremo, Andres Bonifacio.
She wrote  ten words of advice to her countrymen and one of which is, "Be afraid of history, it unearths everything."

Gregoria married Andres in 1893 when she was only 18 years old at the Binondo Church (where the first Filipino saint Lorenzo Ruiz is now enshrined). They married twice as the Katipuneros did not recognize the Catholic rites. The other marriage was by Katipunan ceremonies. She was the founder and vice president of the women's chapter of Katipunan, She took care of the revolutionary group's documents and seal. She had a son by Supremo Bonifacio, Andres de Jesus Bonifacio who died in infancy due to smallpox. Aling Oriang as Gregoria was fondly called, was the muse or Lakambini ng Katipunan, the unofficial First Lady of the Philippines at the time when Andres was the unofficial President. Widowed in 1897, she married Julio Nakpil, 2nd Presiding Supremo of the Katipunan in 1898. Oriang and Julio lived at the mezzanine or entresuelo of the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista. Oriang had six children. One of them is Juan Nakpil, National Artist for Architecture who designed the Quiapo Church, and the other one Caridad, who married Carlos Santos Viola, a devout Catholic who designed the Iglesia Ni Cristo churches in the Philippines. Other children are Julia, Josefina, Francisca, and Mercedes.  

Ryan Palad, Director of the GSIS Museum of Art and GSIS VP Nora Saludares
install the  full  story  of the Parisian  Life  painting by Juan Luna which  was
donated by  Arch  Bulanadi  of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

This year, I witnessed history as it continues to happen at the Nakpil-Bautista House. The GSIS Museum donated the exact text that explains the story behind the Parisian Life. It was enshrined right under the original spot where the original painting once hang. Today, there is a replica that serves the purpose of reminding every visitor or tourist that the controversial painting used to live there, and what it really meant to the Filipinos. 

This old photograph is proof that the Parisian Life was originally
hung in that  same spot where  the  reproduction is  now placed.

One set of furniture does not originally belong to the Nakpil-Bautista House.
It is donated by Doroteo Ongjungco in Tondo as it was used by Philippine heroes like
Bonifacio and Mabini when Rizal organized La Liga Filipina,
an organization that would work for social reforms in peaceful manner.
But Rizal was deported to Dapitan, and it opened an avenue for the revolution.

Next stop was the National Art Gallery of the National Museum of the Philippines. 

It used to be the old Legislative Building. 

Before entering, I took a photo of the President of Philippine Commonwealth, Manuel Luis Quezon.

It was on this building that Quezon, Laurel and Roxas took their oath.

Before entering, I noticed a marker on the wall at the right side of the main entrance: 
the framers of the 1935 Constitution!
I knew that we had a kababayan among those gentlemen so I looked closely
and searched for the single Lopezeño depicted by the marker.

 Vicente Salumbides, Representative from Tayabas Province, Lopezeño. 

When I saw this marker, I remembered that from Julianito Villasanta's book Pelikula at Pulitika,
he mentioned Vicente Salumbides as one of those responsible why women had the Right of Suffrage in the 1935 Philippine Constitution ---way ahead from women in other countries.  

Juan Luna's Spoliarium greeted us. It is the largest painting in the Philippines,
depicting dying gladiators being dragged away from the arena.
It won the first Gold Medal of a Filipino abroad as it was submitted to the
Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1886 by Juan Luna.
Silver Medal was likewise won by a Filipino, Felix Resureccion Hidalgo 

On our way to the galleries after the lecture about the Spoliarium, we heard a familiar voice
briefing  throngs of  students/ teachers/ tourists who were about to visit the National Museum.
And how could we be wrong? It was the voice of our family's visual artist, the museum guide: Mr. Jesusito R. Arella, Jr. 

Luna was born on October 23. This has already been corrected in documents but not yet on this marker.  

Flower offering at the Luna Monument in Intramuros was an important part of the Walk.
This monument immortalizes the contributions made by Juan Luna to the Philippines.

At the San Agustin Museum, Luna's crypt could be found. When Juan Luna died in Hongkong
 and his remains were taken home to the Philippines, he was denied to be buried
by the friars until finally, he was buried on this place, also under the care of the priests. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Manila is part of luna walk to show the original work of Filipino artesans
before the coming of the Spaniards: the gold ornaments and jewelry
that were eleborately designed and crafted by our ancestors' hands. 

Incidentally, there was a Claudio Bravo exhibit and we were amazed at  his works  on   charcoal and color.

We saw it on its last day.

Some of those in exhibit were portraits of Imelda Marcos, Tingting  Cojuangco,  etc. 

Save the best for last... final chapter of the Luna Walk was a lecture about the Parisian Life painting of Juan Luna that became controversial when it was sold by the GSIS Museum for a sum of PhP 46 million ten years ago. That makes this Walk more historical as it is the 10th anniversary of this work of art at the GSIS Museum and the Philippine Government as well; the 120th year of the painting, prelude to the 150th birth anniversary of its original owner Dr. Ariston Bautista Lin; and... it might be the last year of the Luna Walk under the GSIS Museum as this Luna painting will already be transferred to the National Art Galleries of the National Museum.  

She is right there on the wall, in a room that is solely hers, the Luna Room at the GSIS Museum.

Without the lecture about this painting. one will not easily appreciate it.
Once understood, it will be realized that the purchase had been worth it. 

It was not my first time to listen to the lecture of Prof. Michael 'Xiao' Chua regarding the Parisian Life. I even learned about its interpretation through the original lecturer, Prof. Eric Zerrudo, but I enjoy it every time, for it takes me back to the years of Rizal and the Propaganda Movement, what transpired in our national struggle, up to the present. And that is what some teachers miss in teaching history. We have to show the connection. We learn from the past and live in the present to prepare for the future! The purchase was controversial because why would the GSIS "waste" Php 46 million for a single painting? But why not, if it can move millions of Filipino spirits into patriotism? One of the reasons why the Philippines is not loved by many Filipinos is because we do not know our story as a people. We cannot love something that we do not know fully well! Honestly, I am guilty of being one of those who criticized this purchase in 2002. But now that a lot of people have seen this work of art and listened to the story behind it, I am sure that it has not been a bad purchase at all. Without it, a three-hour lecture would not have been as effective. I learned from the lecture that the assessed the value of the Parisian Life  today is Php 200 million. But it's not for sale. 

Luna Walk is indeed a feel of history, getting to know the heroes and other participants in history books as real people... as one of us, as kababayans. From the year 1892,  twelve decades ago, Parisian Life's Journey is far from over as she continues to be transported from one place to another, seemingly saying: "Look at me, I am you. Are you still sitting on this cafe as you cannot move freely? Do something as you are alive. Free yourselves from anything that binds you now. As I continue my journey, I will inspire you to love your country." This figure that represents the mirror image of the map of the Philippines makes Juan Luna an artist for all time. Immortal!