National Museum of the Philippines — National Art Gallery
The first artwork you see once inside the museum is the famous Spoliarium painted by Juan Luna during 1884. I believe that the gladiators that are being dragged are the Filipinos during the Spanish colonization wherein the Filipinos are forced to follow the Spaniards. The woman found on the right side is a Filipina who weeps for her country, the Philippines.
This artwork represents a Filipina wherein she’s wearing a Baro’t Saya and holding up the “pamaypay”. The painting has symbolisms that shows the values of a Filipina. For me, the painting behind her represents herself whenever she’s in the farm. The “panliligaw” is also seen on the fan in which it represents that way back, courtship is present and important to a Filipina.
The painting is about the “comfort women” who were forced into sex slavery by the Japanese during the World War II. As seen on the painting, there are two Japanese soldiers killing the family members of the wife who is about to get raped by the Japanese soldiers in their house located in Ermita. There are two young girls in the background, one stabbed to death ad the other one is naked and wounded which appears that the young girls were raped. The husband appears to be stabbed by the other soldier when he was trying to save his family.
This painting represents that even if a child died at an early age, the memories shared or even the mere existence of the child is not to be forgotten.
For me, this painting is a representation of the reality. The painting shows that when a peasant dies, not a lot of people gather to bid their last farewells to the peasant but when a rich person dies, a lot of people gathers to bid their last farewells regardless of not knowing the rich in person.
This artwork shows that during the implementation of Martial Law, justice is not served to the people who deserved justice. Different drawings were shown around Marcos in which I believe that in order for the United States to give merit for the Philippines, Marcos has been doing inhumane doings to our fellow countrymen.
The painting has symbolisms wherein the Filipinos, regardless of the job and the age, gathers in one spot as if the Philippines is holding its funeral.. The representation of this painting is that in order to save the Philippines, the Filipinos are gathering to save the country from falling apart.
In my own opinion, the woman in the painting portrays a Filipina who would leave the country to work and support her family because she does not look towards the direction that has the word nation written below. I believe that the painting shows that despite of wanting to work in the Philippines, she is forced to leave the country because they believe that by leaving the country, they could give their family a better life.
