by PNA
On October 23, 1857, Juan Luna, one of the first internationally-recognized Filipino painters, was born from well-off parents in Badoc, Ilocos Norte.
Don Lorenzo Guerrero, the first painting tutor of Juan Luna, easily recognized the young man's natural talent and persuaded his parents to send him to Spain for advanced painting lessons.
Luna left for Barcelona in 1877, together with his elder brother Manuel, who was a violinist. While there, Luna widened his knowledge of the art and he was exposed to the immortal works of the Renaissance masters. One of his private teachers, Alejo Vera, a famous contemporary painter in Spain, took Luna to Rome to undertake certain commissions.
His artistic talents was established in 1878 with the opening of the first art exposition in Madrid, which was called the Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Demonstration of Beautiful Arts).
From then on, Luna became engrossed in painting and produced a collection of paintings that he exhibited in the 1881 Exposition.
The famous masterpieces of Luna include:
* "Spoliarium," a painting he entered in the Exposicion General de Bellas Artes in 1884 in Madrid, where it won a gold medal. It currently hangs in the main gallery at the ground floor of the National Museum of the Philippines.
* "The Battle of Lepanto" commissioned by the Spanish Senate after he developed a friendship with the King of Spain.
* "The Blood Compact," which depicted the blood compact ceremony between the native chieftain Datu Sikatuna and the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, now displayed in Malacanang.
* "Don Miguel de Legazpi," which was burned during the war.
* "Governor Ramon Blanco."
In 1891, Luna returned to Manila. He went on a trip to Japan in 1896, returning in time for the outbreak of the revolution against Spain. Unfortunately, on Sept. 16, 1896, he and his brother Antonio Luna were arrested by the Spanish authorities and accused of organizing a revolution together with the Katipunan Secret Society.
While in prison, Luna was still able to produce a work of art, "Exce Homo."
When he was pardoned by the Spanish monarchy on May 27, 1897 and released from prison, he immediately went to Europe.
Luna also took part in the revolutionary government by accepting appointment by the executive board of the Philippine revolutionary government as member of the Paris delegation working for the diplomatic recognition of the Philippine Republic.
He was also member of the delegation to Washington pressing for the recognition of the Philippine government following the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
His sentiments for the Philippines and the Filipinos made him decide to travel back to the Philippines in December 1899. However, he suffered a severe heart attack and died on December 7, 1899.
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