
<div class="image-550">
<a href="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-4/juan-luna-y-novicio.webp" rel="lightbox">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-4/juan-luna-y-novicio.webp" alt="Juan Luna" />
</a>
<div>
(Juan Luna y Novicio)
</div>
</div>
<p>
Don Lorenzo Guerrero, the first painting tutor of Juan Luna, easily recognized the young man's natural talent and persuaded his parents to send him to Spain for advanced painting lessons.
</p>
<p>
Luna left for Barcelona in 1877, together with his elder brother Manuel, who was a violinist. While there, Luna widened his knowledge of the art 

and he was exposed to the immortal works of the Renaissance masters. One of his private teachers, Alejo Vera, a famous contemporary painter in 

Spain, took Luna to Rome to undertake certain commissions.
</p>
<p>
His artistic talents was established in 1878 with the opening of the first art exposition in Madrid, which was called the <a href="http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposici%C3%B3n_Nacional_de_Bellas_Artes_%28Espa%C3%B1a%29" target="_blank" class="news_link" title="Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes">Exposicion Nacional de 
Bellas Artes</a> (National Demonstration of Beautiful Arts).
</p>
<p>
From then on, Luna became engrossed in painting and produced a collection of paintings that he exhibited in the 1881 Exposition.
</p>


<div class="image-400">
<a href="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/Luna/spolarium_Juan_Luna.webp" rel="lightbox" title="Spolarium by Juan Luna">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/Luna/spolarium_Juan_Luna_t.webp" alt="Spolarium" class="image_300 ui-corner-all" />
</a>
<div>
(Spolarium by Juan Luna)
</div>
</div>

<p>
The famous masterpieces of Luna include:
</p>
<ul>
<li> 
<i>"Spoliarium"</i>, a painting he 
entered in the Exposicion General de Bellas Artes in 1884 in Madrid, where it won a gold medal. It currently hangs in the main gallery at the 

ground floor of the National Museum of the Philippines.
</li>
<li>
<i>La Batalla de Lepanto</i> (The Battle of Lepanto), commissioned by the Spanish Senate after he developed a friendship with the King of Spain.
</li>

<li>
<i>El Pacto de Sangre</i> (The Blood Compact) , which depicted the blood compact ceremony between the native chieftain Datu Sikatuna and the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, now displayed in Malacanang.
</li>
<li>
"Don Miguel de Legazpi", which was burned during the war.
</li>
<li>
"Governor Ramon Blanco".
</li>
</ul>

<div class="image-400">
<a href="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/The_Blood_Compact_by_Juan_Luna_large.webp" rel="lightbox" title="El Pacto de Sangre (The Blood Compact) by Juan Luna">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/The_Blood_Compact_by_Juan_Luna.webp" alt="The Blood Compact" class="image_300 ui-corner-all" />
</a>
<div>
(El pacto de sangre)
</div>
</div>

<p>
In 1885, Luna's <i>Odalisque</i> made Luna  officially accepted artist of the annual art exhibition in Paris, the "Salon of Paris". <i>Odalisque</i> was part of the painting collection of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal.
</p>
<p>
On December 8, 1886, Luna married Maria de la Paz Pardo de Tavera, a sister of his friend Felix and Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, the couple traveled to Europe and settled in Paris. They had one son, whom they named Andres, and a daughter who died in infancy. Luna who was fond of painting his wife, frequently accused Paz of having an affair with a certain Monsieur Dussaq.  On September 23, 1892, the jealous Luna, killed his wife and mother-in-law and wounded his brother-in-law, Felix. He was arrested and murder charges were filed against him.  Luna was acquitted of charges on February 8, 1893, on grounds of temporary insanity;  the <i>"unwritten law"</i> at the time forgave men for killing unfaithful wives. He was ordered to pay the Pardo de Taveras <i>a sum of one thousand six hundred fifty one francs and eighty three cents, and an additional twenty five francs for postage, in addition to the interest of damages</i>. Five days later, Luna went to Madrid with his brother, Antonio Luna, and his son, Andres.
</p>

<div class="image-400">
<a href="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/Luna/odalisque_Juan_Luna.png" rel="lightbox" title="Odalisque one of Luna's Academic Salon portraits (1885)">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/Luna/odalisque_Juan_Luna_t.png" alt="Odalisque by Juan Luna" class="image_300 ui-corner-all" />
</a>
<div>
(Odalisque one of Luna's "Academic Salon portraits" (1885))
</div>
</div>
<p>
Luna returned to Manila in time for the outbreak of the revolution against Spain. Unfortunately, on Sept. 16, 1896, he and his brother Antonio Luna were arrested by the Spanish authorities and accused of organizing a revolution together with the <i>Katipunan</i> Secret Society.
</p>

<p>
While in prison, Luna was still able to produce a work of art, <span class="news_link" title="Ecce Homo (Latin for Behold the Man), is a phrase uttered by Pontius Pilate at the trial of Christ; also the title of several works of art that portray Jesus Christ delivered to the crowd by Pontius Pilate">"Ecce Homo."</span>
</p>
<p>
When he was pardoned by the Spanish monarchy on May 27, 1897 and released from prison, he immediately went to Europe.
</p>


October 25, 1857: Juan Luna was born in Badoc, Ilocos Norte