Splendor

Book excerpt: This book is published in conjunction with the exhibition SPLENDOR: Juan Luna, Painter as Hero, a multimedia exhibition mounted in celebration of the 125th anniversary of Philippine Independence and Nationhood. The exhibition and accompanying publication aim to capture a watershed moment in our history through the analysis and investigation of the long-lost painting by Juan Luna, Hymen, oh Hyménée! which received a Bronze medal at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. Organized around three main themes, namely: the world of 1889, the complex imagery of Hymen, oh Hyménée!, and the painter as hero, the exhibition hopes to be both a fitting introduction to this important cultural treasure and a compelling prompt to revisit our country’s journey to nationhood, amid a radically and rapidly transforming world surrounding it at that time.