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SPOLIARIUM

The painting "Spoliarium" by Juan Luna depicts a bloody scene from Roman gladiator matches, showing the brutality and lack of value for human life at that time. While the scenarios have changed, the painting reflects that maltreatment and torment are still issues today. It also connects to the lack of freedom and hope during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, and parallels can be drawn to issues like extrajudicial killings today. Studying history through paintings like this helps students reflect on current problems and prepare for potential future issues.

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Kim Andre Macaraeg
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2K views1 page

SPOLIARIUM

The painting "Spoliarium" by Juan Luna depicts a bloody scene from Roman gladiator matches, showing the brutality and lack of value for human life at that time. While the scenarios have changed, the painting reflects that maltreatment and torment are still issues today. It also connects to the lack of freedom and hope during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, and parallels can be drawn to issues like extrajudicial killings today. Studying history through paintings like this helps students reflect on current problems and prepare for potential future issues.

Uploaded by

Kim Andre Macaraeg
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MACARAEG, KIM ANDRE S.

June 14, 2019


ECE-1 / A15
GED103 – Readings in The Philippine History

REFLECTION ABOUT SPOLIARIUM


The one that will primarily be caught someone’s attention during the visit in the National
Museum of Fine Arts is the painting “Spoliarium” made in the 19th Century by non-other than
famous Filipino artist Juan Luna. The painting gives me a glimpse of a Roman history that centers
a bloody carnage brought by gladiator matches. For me, the painting is full of charged emotions
on the left side while the right side features a somber mood. Overall, the paining portrays a various
emotion in which it shows the period when the people are too brutal and vicious to value the
importance of life. As it can be seen in the picture, the gladiator finds how useless one’s life as
they exploit it just for the sake of their entertainment.
Nowadays, the scenario that the Spoliarium is trying to portray is happening in different ways.
As I reflect, different maltreatment and torments is still happening. Furthermore, I can see that
fighting is naturally present in the blood of a Filipino people and the history proves itself and up to
the present.
In addition, Spoliarium pictures out death, absence of freedom, and loss of hope of country
which can be seen during the time when the Spaniards colonized the Philippines which in turn it
makes a significant historical impact that shapes the Filipino consciousness. Furthermore, I
realized that relentless extrajudicial killing that is happening on the country because of the war on
drugs campaign can be connected to the portrayal of the message of the Spoliarium. Countless
killing in police operations, and countless killed by unidentified hitmen. This only proves that the
history can make a significant contribution to reflect what is happening in the present.
To sum up, the Spoliarium awakes the unconscious minds of the Filipino people during the
time when there was still no democracy or freedom during the colonization of Spain. Furthermore,
it can be assumed that maltreatment and torments were rampant during the time when the
Spoliarium was made. Hence, as a student, it makes me realize that I should make a move and
learn how to fight and defend to protect human rights and the democracy we are living in and
learn to cherish the importance of history as it serves as a guide for us to reflect current issues in
the present more effectively and to prepare us what could might happen in the future.

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