As I entered the doors of my favorite Philippine museum for the fourth time in recent years, I felt a deep yearning to share why this place is a must-visit.
The National Museum of Fine Arts was most recently in the limelight because this was where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was administered his oath of office on June 30. Built between 1918 and 1926, it was known as the Old Legislative Building. In 1945, Japanese forces used this structure as their stronghold for several days until American forces bombed the building, causing massive destruction. Rebuilding started in 1949 and so many improvements have been introduced since then. On Sept. 20, 2010, by virtue of RA 10096, it was declared a National Historical Landmark.
Today, the four-story structure is home to 29 galleries filled with works of 19th century Filipino masters, National Artists, leading modern painters, printers and sculptors from various sources.
I have many favorite pieces which I visit every time and there are also new exhibits that are given a chance to be in the limelight, like for example, art created in celebration of “500 Years of Christianity.” Because I am a Cebuano, I felt an emotional connection to them.
There is no entrance fee. You only have to go through security and registration, and with just a few steps inward, you are in the Main Gallery and the “Spoliarium” welcomes you to this treasure of a place. It took Juan Luna eight months to paint this award-winning masterpiece which earned him the first Gold Medal in the 1884 Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes. It is a depiction of Romans’ barbarism and inhumanity in the treatment of dying gladiators.
The Province of Barcelona acquired the “Spoliarium” in 1885 but years later it was severely damaged in a fire so it was sent to Madrid for restoration where it stayed for 18 years. In 1956, the campaign to return the painting to the Philippines started and with much help and support from Spain, it found its way home on Jan. 10, 1958.
It is also, by the way, the largest painting in the Philippines. Its sheer size is too much to take in the first time you see it. I, for one, found it too dark. But this is why I am completely fascinated by the work of Luna because his pieces cover a whole range of emotions for me—from heavy to light. His very controversial “The Parisian Life,” acquired in a Hong Kong Auction by the GSIS amid much furor, is the star in my favorite nook in the pink-walled gallery filled with framed strokes of his genius—and his madness.
Fernando Amorsolo’s name is forever etched in history as the first ever National Artist of the Philippines and the “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art” truly found his niche in barrio landscapes and portraiture. His last unfinished portrait of Florencia Gonzales-Belo (mother of Vicky Belo) from 1972 is on display beside a table with his art paraphernalia along with many of his masterpieces.
The sculptures of Guillermo Tolentino are hard to miss in this massive complex. Not only is there a whole room filled with busts of historical figures, massive statues can be found outside the premises as well. I wonder how many sculptures he had done by the time he died at 85. Honored as the National Artist for Sculpture in 1973, he was interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Vicente Manansala’s work has always been legendary but spending time looking at his work distributed in many galleries (the collection from the IRRI alone is spectacular) I found something surprising. He has plenty of Western-style pieces, albeit much smaller than the cubist murals he is known for, and I was truly drawn to them. Shortly after he died, he was conferred the honor of National Artist for Visual Arts in 1981.
A nominee for National Artist for Visual Arts, Painting, Sculpture and Mixed Media in 2009, Frederico Alcuaz was never conferred the title by order of the Supreme Court amid controversy, yet he is widely known for his gestural paintings. I found myself staring at floor length displays of his work on what looked like a very thick cloth (I learned later it was fleece wool and was used by artists as an alternative artwork medium) that was visually stunning.
The wood carvings of Jose Alcantara that occupy a whole room is a testament to his genius and its centerpiece is the 50 feet long wall sculpture commissioned by the Philam Life Foundation in 1961. The foundation turned it over to the National Museum after a change of ownership of the building where it was originally placed.
There are many, many more artists that are worthy of mention whose works are perfectly displayed in this edifice for all to see and appreciate. What I share here is only the tip of a huge iceberg that beckons every Filipino to come and visit when you are in this area of Manila.