Spoliarium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
| Spoliarium |
| Juan Luna, circa 1884 |
| oil on poplar |
| 400 × 700 cm |
| National Museum of the Philippines |
The Spoliarium is a painting by Filipino artist Juan Luna. The painting was submitted by Luna to the Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1884, where it garnered a gold medal. In 1886, was sold to the Diputacion Provincial de Barcelona for 20000 pesetas. It currently hangs in the main gallery at the ground floor of the National Museum of the Philippines.
[edit] Aesthetics
The Spoliarium measures four meters in height and seven meters in width. The canvas depicts a chamber beneath a Roman arena, where bodies of dead gladiators are being dragged into a shadowy area, presumably to be put in a bigger pile of dead bodies.
[edit] In Popular Culture
- Filipino alternative rock group The Eraserheads' album Sticker Happy contained a track named Spoliarium.
- Ryan Cayabyab composed the opera Spoliarium, which chronicles the creation of the eponymous painting and Juan Luna's trial for the murder of his wife. Soprano Fides Cuyugan-Asensio wrote the libretto. A recorded version was released for commercial distribution in 2006.
