Early life Born in the town of
Badoc, Ilocos Norte in the northern
Philippines, Luna was the third among the seven children of Joaquín Luna de San Pedro y Posadas and Laureana Novicio y Ancheta. In 1861, the Luna family moved to
Manila, and he went to the
Ateneo Municipal de Manila where he obtained his
Bachelor of Arts degree. He excelled in painting and drawing and was influenced by his brother, Manuel N. Luna, who, according to Filipino patriot
José Rizal, was a better painter than Juan himself. Luna enrolled at the Escuela Nautica de Manila (now
Philippine Merchant Marine Academy) and became a sailor. He took drawing lessons under the illustrious painting teacher
Lorenzo Guerrero of
Ermita, Manila. He also enrolled in the
Academy of Fine Arts (
Academia de Dibujo y Pintura) in Manila where he was influenced and taught how to draw by the Spanish artist Agustin Saez. Unfortunately, Luna's vigorous brush strokes displeased his teacher and Luna was discharged from the academy. However, Guerrero was impressed by his skill and urged Luna to travel to Madrid to further pursue his work.
Travel abroad In 1875 Manuel and Juan Luna travelled to Europe, where Manuel studied music and Juan painting. Juan entered the
Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, where he befriended the painter Don
Alejo Vera. Luna was unhappy with the style of teaching in the school and decided that it would be much better to work with Vera.
Artistic career '' of Juan Luna displayed at
Philippine National Museum of Fine Arts In 1883, Luna commenced work on the painting commissioned by the Ayuntamiento. By May 1884, he dispatched the expansive canvas portraying the
Spoliarium to Madrid for the annual Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes. Remarkably, he became the inaugural recipient of one of three gold medals bestowed at the exhibition, earning recognition from both connoisseurs and art critics in attendance. On June 25, 1884, a gathering of Filipino and Spanish nobles organized an event to celebrate Luna's triumph in the exhibition. During the event, Rizal prepared a speech lauding his friend, highlighting the two significant aspects of his artwork—the exaltation of genius and the magnificence of his artistic prowess. niece of Count
Enrico Morozzo Della Rocca, First
aide-de-Camp, Honorary General Adjutant to King Umberto, was sold for P31 million at the Leon Gallery auction on September 14, 2024. In 1885, Luna relocated to Paris, where he established his own studio and formed a friendship with Hidalgo. Honouring an agreement with the Manila City Council, he completed the artwork titled
El pacto de sangre (The Blood Compact) a year later. This painting portrayed the 1565
Sandugo (
blood compact ritual) between
Datu Sikatuna, a prominent ruler from Bohol Island, and the Spanish governor-general
Miguel López de Legazpi, surrounded by other
conquistadors. The piece now graces the walls of the
Malacañan Palace. This painting and a full-sized portrait of López de Legazpi were completed and returned to Manila in exchange for his scholarship. Luna frequently accused Paz of having an affair with Monsieur Dussaq. This culminated on September 22, 1892, when he shot the door his wife was behind, killing his wife and mother-in-law, as well as wounding his brother-in-law, Trinidad. He was arrested and murder charges were filed against him. Luna was acquitted of the charges on February 8, 1893, on the grounds that it had been a
crime of passion.
Temporary insanity; the "unwritten law" at the time forgave men for killing unfaithful wives. He was ordered to pay the Pardo de Taveras a sum of 1,651 francs and eighty three cents, and an additional 25 francs for postage, in addition to the one franc of claims for damages ("
dommages-intérêts"). Five days later, Luna went to Madrid with his brother,
Antonio Luna, and his son, Andrés.
Final years '' by Juan Luna In 1894 Luna moved back to the Philippines and traveled to Japan in 1896, returning during the Philippine Revolution of the
Cry of Balintawak. On September 16, 1896, he and his brother
Antonio Luna were arrested by Spanish authorities for being involved with the
Katipunan rebel army. Despite his imprisonment, Luna was still able to produce a work of art which he gave to a visiting priest. He was pardoned by the Spanish courts on May 27, 1897, and was released from prison and he traveled back to Spain in July. He returned to Manila in November 1898. Luna was named a member of the delegation to Washington, D.C. to press for the recognition of the
Philippine government. He traveled back to the Philippines in December 1899 upon hearing of the murder of his brother Antonio by the Kawit Battalion in
Cabanatuan.
Death He traveled to Hong Kong and died there on December 7, 1899, from
cardiac arrest. His remains were buried in Hong Kong and in 1920 were exhumed and kept in Andrés Luna's house, to be later transferred to a niche at the Crypt of
San Agustin Church in the Philippines. Five years later, Juan would be reinstated as a world-renowned artist and
Peuple et Rois, his last major work, was acclaimed as the best entry to the
Saint Louis World's Fair in
St. Louis, Missouri. Some of his paintings were destroyed by fire in
World War II. ==Media portrayal==