Century-old ‘Bust of Juan Luna y Novicio’ now in its permanent home at the National Museum
Over seven decades since it was believed to be lost in the Battle of Manila in 1945, the century-old Bust of Juan Luna y Novicio has finally found its forever home in the National Museum of the Philippines.
MIB Capital Corporation, formerly The Multinational Investment Bancorporation, brought Mariano Benlliure's masterpiece to the museum on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
The turnover ceremony celebrates the 101st anniversary of the time the Spaniards donated the sculpture to the Philippines on October 12, 1922, the 166th birth anniversary of Luna on October 25, and the Museums and Galleries Month.
Speaking to PhilSTAR L!fe, MIB Capitol Corporation Chair Marilou Cristobal described the piece as a "beautiful work of art" in terms of its subject and the creative genius who brought the bronze sculpture to life. She said it's a treasure that needs to be restored and cared for so that the next generation will see how art plays a significant role in honoring the Philippine Revolution.
"It reflects the timelessness of arts. When we were asked to turn it over, there is no arguing from within us because as we said this is going to survive us," she told L!fe.
"We wanna make sure within our lifetime we would handle it in the best way possible, and the best possible way was really the request of the museum to allow all these generations of Filipinos to have an opportunity to appreciate it," she added.
Since its acquisition in 1979, the bust has been kept in MIB’s vault to preserve the value of such an important piece. Apart from being an exemplary work by the Spanish sculptor, the Bust of Juan Luna y Novicio symbolizes a pivotal point in our nation’s journey fight for independence.
According to MIB, this historical artwork was offered to the nation in 1922 as a gesture of civic responsibility and goodwill by the Spaniards.
Moreover, Benlliure created the bust’s original plaster in 1884, the same year that his good friend Luna won the First Class Medal at Madrid’s Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes for Spoliarium—the magnum opus that ignited nationalism among Filipinos and would later culminate in the revolution against Spain.
The Bust of Juan Luna y Novicio by Mariano Benlliure Molded in Rome, 1884 Cast in Madrid, ca. 1920 Bronze (Photo by Salcedo Auctions)
Side view of the bust of Juan Luna y Novicio. (Photo by Salcedo Auctions)
Side view of the bust of Juan Luna y Novicio. (Photo by Salcedo Auctions)
Back view of the bust of Juan Luna y Novicio showing the artist’s signature, and the place and date when the original mold was created ‘Roma’ / ’1884’, engraved at the nape. (Photo by Salcedo Auctions)
The Bust of Juan Luna y Novicio by Mariano Benlliure Molded in Rome, 1884 Cast in Madrid, ca. 1920 Bronze (Photo by Salcedo Auctions)
Side view of the bust of Juan Luna y Novicio. (Photo by Salcedo Auctions)
Side view of the bust of Juan Luna y Novicio. (Photo by Salcedo Auctions)
Back view of the bust of Juan Luna y Novicio showing the artist’s signature, and the place and date when the original mold was created ‘Roma’ / ’1884’, engraved at the nape. (Photo by Salcedo Auctions)
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Meanwhile, Filipino Historian Michael Charleston Briones Chua, popularly known as "Xiao Chua," said that the turnover of the Bust of Juan Luna y Novicioa to the National Museum gives hope that there are still art pieces, which are probably in the possession of private entities, that Filpinos today can still enjoy.
"It makes it more exciting na mayroon pa tayong ma-appreciate na mga gawa ng masters at mga gawa about our heroes. It reminds us that history is ever fresh, ever new, and it restores hope to humanity," Chua told L!fe.
The Pinoy historian looks at this opportunity as an implication that Filipinos are actually "great people" worthy of other nations' respect.
"Kasi si Benlliure is Spanish naman yan e, but he was a noted sculptor, very famous, and he paid homage to Juan Luna y Novicio, who is not just a master artist of the Philippines but one of our patriots," he said.
He continued, "When you see this, side by side with Spoliarium you would also realize that ito yung Pilipino sa panahon na we are being belittled by some people, by some Europeans. We [are] actually a great people and these Spaniards paid tribute to us."
The artwork is now part of the NMP's National Fine Arts Collection and is available for viewing starting Wednesday, October 11, at the museum's Spolarium Hall.