There were only two Filipino painters who attained international recognition during the Spanish times and they were Juan Luna for his Spolarium, which won a gold medal at the Madrid Exposition, and Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo who won international recognition for his Cristianas Expuestos al Populacho. What they actually proved during their time was that Filipinos could paint like Europeans. Spolarium and Cristianas Expuestos al Populacho both had a classic European themes that dated back to Roman times. Even when Luna and Hidalgo painted Filipino themes, their paintings had a European light. This clearly shows that they were more influenced by European paintings than what they actually saw in their own country. It was not till the coming of Fernando Amorsolo that Philippine scenes would be painted with a Philippine light. In short, it was Amorsolo who first captured the exact illumination of the Philippine Sun.
There is no doubt, however, that Luna’s Spolarium made an impact in Madrid during his time. The Philippines was the ne plus ultra of the Spanish Empire. It was the Philippines that made the Spanish Empire the very first where the sun never sets. So impressed were the Spaniards by Luna’s Spolarium that they commissioned him to do the painting of the Battle of Lepanto for the hall of the Spanish senate. And no less a personage than Queen Regent Maria Cristina unveiled the painting, with Luna assisting her. After that, the Queen invited him to attend the opening of the senate session and he was seated in the section reserved for royalty.
Luna married Paz Pardo de Tavera, youngest sister of Dr. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, an academician who wrote many political, social and cultural papers. In a fit of jealousy, Luna shot his wife in Paris and he was sentenced to prison, but was freed in just five months on the grounds that he committed his crime in a fit of insanity.
In 1896, he and his brother Dr. Jose Luna were arrested for alleged complicity in the Revolution. Juan was released and he went to Madrid to ask the Queen for his brother Jose’s release.
The Lunas were a very distinctive family. Another brother, Manuel, was a violin virtuoso and conductor; another brother Joaquin became a senator and still another Antonio was a general. Our present generation know very little about the Lunas.