Mahigit 130 taon na ang nakalilipas nang maglaho na parang bula ang isa sa mga obra ni Juan Luna na "Hymen, oh Hyménée!” Hanggang sa matagpuan na ito at ngayon ay masisilayan na rin ng publiko gaya ng isa pa niyang obra na "Spoliarium."
Nitong nakaraang linggo, pinasinayaan sa Ayala Museum ang "Hymen, oh Hyménée!,” na huling nakita ng publiko sa Paris. Nagpapakita umano ito ng seremonya ng kasal ng mga Romano.
Inabot ng 10 taon ang art collector at founder ng León Gallery na si Jaime Ponce de Leon, at sinundan ang iba't ibang impormasyon sa Europe bago niya nahanap ang "Hymen, oh Hyménée!”
Kuwento ni Ponce de Leon, 15 taon na ang nakalilipas nang madinig niya ang tungkol sa nawawalang "kayamanan" sa kasaysayan ng sining ng bansa.
“By then, it was the ultimate ‘Grail’ of Philippine Art. Much talked about by collectors, much revered, but nowhere to be found,” sabi niya.
Inilarawan ni Ponce de Leon, nagtapos mula sa Silliman University sa Dumaguete, ang kaniyang paghanap sa naturang obra ni Luna na, “a race where no one would share the map.”
“The dream of finding it would thus become a tireless obsession, and I would find myself haunting galleries and dealers — famous and some infamous — all over Europe, courting old maids and befriending aristocrats, and anybody everybody in between who had some connection to Juan Luna as well as to the Philippines,” kuwento niya.
“It would always be futile, and my hopes always dashed,” dagdag niya.
Ang nag-iisang patunay na totoo ang "Hymen, oh Hyménée!” ay mula sa isang larawan ni Luna na makikita ito, kasama ang iba pa niyang obra.
Ayon kay Ponce de Leon, nakatanggap siya ng tawag noong 2014 at sinabihan siya na "to be at the doorstep of a certain aristocratic, lordly home in a European city by 10 [a.m.] sharp.”
“And there I was. I could not believe what was revealed and finally lay before me. It was the ‘Grail’,” ayon sa art collector.
Bago ipakita sa publiko, nanatili sa isang kahon na nakalagay sa storeroom ni Ponce De Leon ang obra.
“And so here we are, ladies and gentlemen. The time has come to unbox the ‘Grail.’ The mystery has been solved. It has been found,” masaya niyang anunsyo nang ipakita ito sa Ayala Museum para sa “Splendor: Juan Luna, Painter as Hero” exhibit.
Itinuturing ni Ponce De Leon na end of an era ang pagkakabawi at pag-uwi sa Pilipinas ng naturang obra ni Luna.
“[I’m] relieved but also aware that it’s the end of a long and exciting journey,” pahayag niya. “It feels like the first day of a new chapter, but also the last day of an old one.”
Sabi pa ni Ponce De Leon, ang “Hymen, oh Hyménée!” ay paalala kung gaano kahusay at kinikilala si Luna bilang pintor, hindi lang sa Pilipinas kung hindi maging sa buong mundo.
“It reminds us that the first-ever world-famous Filipino was a painter,” pahayag niya.
“This is the first time that the long-lost painting will be seen on Philippine shores,” dagdag niya. “I’m just honored that León Gallery and I were able to play a role in this very important moment, and with Ayala Museum [being a venue] to share it with as many Filipinos as possible.”— FRJ, GMA Integrated News
