España y Filipinas
Encyclopedia
España y Filipinas, meaning “Spain and the Philippines” in translation, is an 1886 oil
on wood by Filipino painter, ilustrado
, propagandist, and paladin
, Juan Luna
. It is an allegorical depiction of two women together, one a representation of Spain
and the other of the Philippines
. The painting, also known as España Guiando a Filipinas ("Spain Leading the Philippines"), is regarded as one of the “enduring pieces of legacy” that the Filipino
s inherited from Luna. The painting is a centerpiece art at the Luna Hall of the Lopez Memorial Museum
.
s” while the Filipino woman was illustrated as “graceful” and brown-skinned
. Both were wearing female dresses known as traje de mestizas or "dress of the mestiza". The dressing of the women in traje de mestizas shows the cultural character, class consciousness, and social transformations resulting from 19th century Hispanization. Both women have their back
s to the viewer, heading towards a far-away horizon, while embarking on the steps of a staircase. Side by side in the painting, Spain was shown to be leading the Philippines along the path to progress
and development. The taller and maternal white figure of a woman is Spain, a representation of the "benevolent image of colonialism", is pointing ahead and guiding the "humbly dressed" Filipina to the "right way". The painting appeared in the book entitled El legado de España a Filipinas or "the Spanish legacy in the Philippines" with the accompanying caption stating: España guiando a Filipinas por la senda del progreso, or “Spain leads the Philippines on their way to progress”. It is further described as a painting that once linked the colonized with its former colonists, a "bucolic allegory" of the master and the servant "walking hand in hand".
painting that revealed the true hope and desire of Filipino propagandist
s during the 19th-century: assimilation with Spain, reform, equality, modernization, and economic improvement. Contrary to Jose Rizal
’s estimation that Luna was a “Hispanophile
”, or a person who could never go against Spain, the España y Filipinas portrait
is a “less combative posture” of Luna for showing to Spain and the viewers of the painting the needs of the Philippines at the time.
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
on wood by Filipino painter, ilustrado
Ilustrado
The Ilustrados constituted the Filipino educated class during the Spanish colonial period in the late 19th century....
, propagandist, and paladin
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
, Juan Luna
Juan Luna
Juan Luna y Novicio was an Ilocano Filipino painter, sculptor and a political activist of the Philippine Revolution during the late 19th century...
. It is an allegorical depiction of two women together, one a representation of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the other of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The painting, also known as España Guiando a Filipinas ("Spain Leading the Philippines"), is regarded as one of the “enduring pieces of legacy” that the Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
s inherited from Luna. The painting is a centerpiece art at the Luna Hall of the Lopez Memorial Museum
Lopez Memorial Museum
The Lopez Museum is a Philippine art and history museum and library located in Pasig City, Philippines at the ground floor of the Benpres Building, Exchange Road corner Meralco Avenue, Pasig City.- History :...
.
Description
The Spaniard woman or “Mother Spain” was drawn with “wide strong shoulderShoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
s” while the Filipino woman was illustrated as “graceful” and brown-skinned
Brown people
Brown people or brown race is a political, racial, ethnic, societal, and cultural classification, similar to black people and white people. Like these, it is a metaphor for race based on human skin color, reflecting the fact that there are shades of skin colour intermediate between "Mediterranean" ...
. Both were wearing female dresses known as traje de mestizas or "dress of the mestiza". The dressing of the women in traje de mestizas shows the cultural character, class consciousness, and social transformations resulting from 19th century Hispanization. Both women have their back
Back
- People :* Adam Back, British cryptographer* Charles Back, South African winemaker* Chris Back , Australian politician* Ernst Emil Alexander Back , German physicist* Frédéric Back , Canadian animator...
s to the viewer, heading towards a far-away horizon, while embarking on the steps of a staircase. Side by side in the painting, Spain was shown to be leading the Philippines along the path to progress
Social progress
Social progress is the idea that societies can or do improve in terms of their social, political, and economic structures. This may happen as a result of direct human action, as in social enterprise or through social activism, or as a natural part of sociocultural evolution...
and development. The taller and maternal white figure of a woman is Spain, a representation of the "benevolent image of colonialism", is pointing ahead and guiding the "humbly dressed" Filipina to the "right way". The painting appeared in the book entitled El legado de España a Filipinas or "the Spanish legacy in the Philippines" with the accompanying caption stating: España guiando a Filipinas por la senda del progreso, or “Spain leads the Philippines on their way to progress”. It is further described as a painting that once linked the colonized with its former colonists, a "bucolic allegory" of the master and the servant "walking hand in hand".
Historical significance
Although an oil on canvas masterpiece that projected a close bond between Spain and the Philippines through feminine figures, it is a propagandaPropaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
painting that revealed the true hope and desire of Filipino propagandist
Ilustrado
The Ilustrados constituted the Filipino educated class during the Spanish colonial period in the late 19th century....
s during the 19th-century: assimilation with Spain, reform, equality, modernization, and economic improvement. Contrary to Jose Rizal
José Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
’s estimation that Luna was a “Hispanophile
Hispanophile
Hispanophile is a word with two meanings. The first meaning refers to a person who is fond of Spain, its people, or its cultures, and it can also be the corresponding adjective. The second meaning generalizes the first one to all Spanish-speaking countries...
”, or a person who could never go against Spain, the España y Filipinas portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
is a “less combative posture” of Luna for showing to Spain and the viewers of the painting the needs of the Philippines at the time.
See also
- SpoliariumSpoliariumThe Spoliarium is a painting by Filipino artist Juan Luna. The painting was submitted by Luna to the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1884, where it garnered a gold medal. In 1886, it was sold to the Diputación Provincial de Barcelona for 20,000 pesetas...
- Las Damas RomanasLas Damas RomanasLas Damas Romanas , also known as The Roman Maidens, The Roman Women, or The Roman Ladies, is an oil on canvas painting by Juan Luna, an award-winning Filipino painter, patriot, hero and one of the Philippines' first "international artists" who had been considered as one of the most important...
- The Death of CleopatraThe Death of CleopatraThe Death of Cleopatra , also known simply as Cleopatra, is an 1881 painting made by the award-winning Filipino painter and hero Juan Luna. The famous painting was a silver medalist or second prize winner during the 1881 National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid...
- The Blood CompactThe Blood CompactThe Blood Compact is an award-winning 1886 “historic and historical” painting by Filipino painter and hero Juan Luna.-Description:...
External links
- España y Filipinas image from flickr.com
- Other paintings by Luna at flickr.com
- Juan Luna painting collection at lopez-museum.org