Last look: Juan Luna's long-lost painting on display at Ayala Museum for only 10 days
Juan Luna's long-lost masterpiece Hymen, oh Hyménée! will be mounted in a one-object exhibition at Ayala Museum from Oct. 7 to 16. This is the last chance the public has to see what is known as the "holy grail of Philippine art" before the piece is returned to its owner.
Luna painted Hymen, oh Hyménée! in Venice during his honeymoon with his wife Paz Pardo De Tavera in 1886. The piece was a direct reflection of that happy time in the artist's life, with its depiction of a Roman wedding and the title beseeching the Greek god of marriage, Hymen, for a blessing. Because of its personal subject, Luna kept Hymen, oh Hyménée! away from the public eye, refusing to submit it to competitions.
Eventually, though, Luna did submit it to the 1889 Paris exposition, where it won the bronze medal and gave the Spoliarium artist even more acclaim.
The piece stayed with Luna until his death in 1899, after which it remained unaccounted for. That is, until 2014, when art collector and León Gallery founder Jaime Ponce de Leon found it after a 10-year search across Europe.
At a forum in Siliman University in 2024, Ponce de Leon, who is an alumnus of the university, shared how he finally tracked down the painting.
"I think being at the right place and the right time played a big role in the acquisition of this painting. It also involved a lot of knocking [on the] homes of the nobility. I had to befriend the groom of the duchess of Alba, and all the royalty in Europe, just to be able to see this painting,” he said.
“It involved so much work, so many trips, so much courage to just try everything to find it. And here it is now,” he added.
Ponce de Leon unveiled Luna's masterpiece in 2023 at Ayala Museum's Splendor: Juan Luna, Painter as Hero exhibit, coinciding with the Philippines' celebration of its 125th year of independence.
This year ends the three-year loan of the piece to Ayala Museum.
Accompanying the one-piece exhibit is Martin Arnaldo's documentary Hymen, oh Hyménée! Juan Luna’s Long-Lost Masterpiece, tracing the recovery of the artwork and Luna’s struggles as part of the 19th-century Filipino diaspora, according to Ayala Museum.
Get your tickets to the display here.
