15/09/2025
Have you ever seen the Spoliarium in person? 🖌️
Juan Luna's 1884 masterpiece serves as a powerful and enduring metaphor for the political corruption in the Philippines and its assault on the dignity of Filipinos. While the painting depicted the exploitation of gladiators in ancient Rome, it was originally interpreted as an allegory for the Philippines under Spanish colonial rule. Today, its symbolism remains strikingly relevant to current events.
The fallen gladiators represent the Filipino people, especially the poor and marginalized, who are exploited and betrayed by corrupt officials.
The Roman soldiers dragging the bodies represent corrupt politicians and public officials who brazenly steal public funds intended for social programs and infrastructure. They manipulate the system for personal gain and profit from the public's misfortune.
The indifferent Roman spectators are the powerful political dynasties and their elite cronies who are insulated from the struggles of ordinary Filipinos. Like the unbothered crowd, they look down upon the masses' suffering without accountability.
The scavenger on the left are the private contractors, fixers, and other opportunists who collude with politicians to siphon off public funds. They feed on the corruption, profiting from "ghost projects" and overpriced deals.
And the wailing woman and the old man represent the grieving victims of corruption—families who lose loved ones due to poor health services, communities devastated by disasters due to substandard infrastructure, or citizens demanding justice for a country plagued by crime and violence.
Juan Luna's Spoliarium reminds us that corruption isn't just a political problem—it's a brutal spectacle that robs the Filipino people of their humanity. What will it take for the audience to stand up? 🇵🇭
| The Spoliarium is prominently displayed in the main gallery of the National Museum of Fine Arts
