The Other Juan Luna Painting
What does Luna’s ‘Portrait of a Lady’ tell us?
Many people who are familiar with Juan Luna’s works know, without a doubt, his most famous masterpiece, ‘Spoliarium.’ It’s difficult to miss the colossal artwork when visiting the National Museum. Placed as the main gallery’s centerpiece, the painting is the first one to greet visitors. When I first visited it in March 2022, I was one of the many enthusiasts who stood in front of Luna’s work and tried to dissect its figures.
However, we’re not here to talk about ‘Spoliarium,’ but rather the other equally famous and very much controversial Juan Luna painting, titled ‘Portrait of a Lady.’
Who is the lady in the painting?
The painting hangs on a wall in the Luna-Hidalgo exhibition hall. It shows a woman laying down on the bed and holding a rosary. The sleeve of her nightgown has slipped, revealing her right breast. A bible or prayer book sits next to her left side on the sheets.
‘Portrait of a Lady’ is an undated painting in oil and was once titled, ‘Paz Pardo de Tavera’ after Juan Luna’s wife. However, there are many who argue that the figure is not Luna’s wife, since she looks nothing like her when compared to pictures of Paz. Others counter that perhaps Luna meant to create the painting an idealized version of his wife, while a juicier take is that this is actually one of his girlfriends. After all, Luna was no saint.
Let’s take a quick look
One of my favorite analysis about ‘Portrait of a Lady’ was given by art historian, Ramon Villegas, in an article with Esquire. According to Villegas, the painting is a “very Victorian concept” and “that contrast of seductiveness and the symbol of devotion (rosary), a secret life with public piety.”
I agree with this take. I like the dynamics of placing two opposing concepts in the same picture. The slipped sleeve, the pink blush on her cheeks, and the intimate way that she is posed, contrasting the religious act of saying her bedtime prayers. It seems as though Luna wants us to see two polar sides of the same woman.
If this is indeed his wife, Paz, the portrayal makes sense. According to descendants, she was not a conservative when compared to Filipino counterparts. Paz grew up in Paris with a European background, so I’m not surprised that Luna decided to portray her more liberal side.
Is it really cursed?
Aside from the other interesting details pointed out in this post, another controversial idea is that the painting is cursed and brings misfortune to whoever owns it. Believers might say that it’s only natural for Paz to haunt her portrait, considering that Luna shot and killer her, two years after the painting was supposedly created.
As an enthusiast of the occult, it was only logical that I visit the artwork in person. When I saw it in the exhibition hall, I was with other passing visitors, so I can’t say that I was spooked. However, the painting is hauntingly beautiful and I recommend the readers to visit it when they can.
In the same article with Esquire, they trace the artwork’s grim provenance. From illness to bankruptcy, and even possibly, murder, it looks like Luna’s ‘Portrait of a Lady’ has a very checkered past. The last notable owner of the painting was Mrs. Imelda Marcos, former First Lady and wife of the late dictator, who donated the artwork to the National Museum. It was displayed in the president’s office in 1983, three years before they were ousted and forced into exile in Hawaii.
Whether the artwork is truly haunted or the fates are purely coincidental, there’s no denying that Luna’s painting attracts a certain energy to it that makes the viewer’s eyes linger a little longer.
