In this essay I want to analyze 'Spoliarium', a famous painting by Filipino artist Juan Luna. 'Spoliarium' is a manifestation of the Romantic period, especially due to the visual elements depicted in the painting. Unlike the neoclassical piece "Oath of the Horatii", the colors in "Spoliarium" are vague and not so solid, blending into chiaroscuro or the play of light and shadow. The scene is chaotic, showing the fallen gladiators being dragged mercilessly across the chamber floor by their Roman oppressors. The characters have no emotional control and convey the pain and suffering endured by gladiators. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Additionally, the focal point depicts the act of hostility between the Roman soldiers, evident through the diagonal lines that give a sense of action to the scene. On the left side of the painting, a crowd of men can be seen cheering and witnessing the bloody spectacle, while on the right side, in stark contrast, a woman is crouching and crying on the floor. Luna appealed to the emotions, unlike classical artists whose characters possessed emotional restraint. The entire painting rejects the precepts of order and harmony for the explicit denotation of the bloody bodies, the Roman soldiers, the crying woman and other elements, establishing a powerful connotation. The Spoliarium is often interpreted as a visual representation of the suffering experienced by the Filipino people during the Spanish colonial period. However, to truly understand the work in an artistic sense and appreciate its sublimity, the interpretation of the Spoliarium should not be imposed or answered for us. In my personal analysis of the painting, the Spoliarium mainly talks about the prejudices existing in society (represented by the gladiators as oppressed and the Roman soldiers as oppressors) and how superiority dominates and divides humanity. Injustices are committed against those who have no power and who strive to fight for their freedom, but are instead cast into darkness while others simply watch without much concern for the oppressed. These apathetic spectators are symbolized by the cheering crowd on the left, awaiting the next gladiatorial spectacle. Furthermore, the mourning woman represents the suffering of the marginalized or those who were unable to act during the time of the Moon (such as women and children) and could only bear to watch the violation of human rights, whether against them or those around them. This piece is thought-provoking because it does not hold back from realistically depicting the suffering that must have been endured and does not romanticize the torture seen not only in the painting but also in the world around us. References Buenconsejo, J. E. (2006). Juan Luna: The Filipino as a painter. Philippine Heritage Library.Dela Paz, C. (2019). Juan Luna's "Spoliarium" and its socio-political meaning. Journal of the Philippine Art History Society, 10(1), 45-58. Diokno, M. (2018). A Nation Reborn: Art and National Identity in the Philippines, 1850-1970. Ateneo de Manila University Press.Gomez, C. (2016). Light and shadow: the chiaroscuro technique in Juan Luna's "Spoliarium". Philippine Art Review, 23(2), 12-23. Laya, J. (2015). The triumph of Juan Luna: the greatest Filipino painter of all time. Central Books Supply, Inc. Luna, J. (1884). 'Spoliarium' [Oil on canvas]. National Museum of Fine Arts, Manila, Philippines.Quindoza-Santiago, D. (2012). Juan Luna: the Filipino as artist and patriot. Filipiniana Book Guild. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Reyes, RT.