Juan Luna bronze bust turned over to National Museum

The "Bust of Juan Luna y Novicio" by the Spanish sculptor Mariano Benlliure has been turned over to its permanent home in the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) in a ceremony on Tuesday.

It was turned over by MIB Capital Corporation, formerly known as Multinational Investment Bancorporation (MIB), which had the sculpture in the company's vault since 1978.

The event and formal signing of the turnover agreement was held at the Spoliarium Hall in the National Museum of Fine Arts, with Luna's bust a few steps away from his iconic painting.

It was attended by MIB officials, the NMP's Board of Trustees, government officials such as Senator Nancy Binay, Philippine First Lady Maria Louise "Liza" Araneta-Marcos, and the principals of Salcedo Auctions who provided critical scholastic research on the art piece.

The event was in line with the 101st anniversary since the bust was given as a gift to the Philippines from Spanish donors on October 12, 1922; the 166th birth anniversary of Luna on October 25; and Museums and Galleries Month.

"Bust of Juan Luna y Novicio" has had quite the journey.

Benlliure and Luna are good friends from the Filipino painter's days in Rome.

Benlliure created the bust's plaster in 1884, the same year that Luna won the First Class Medal at Madrid's Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes for Spoliarium, Luna's magnum opus, which helped spark nationalist awareness that would later culminate in the revolution against Spain.

After it was given to the Philippines in 1922, the bronze bust has been part of the art and history collections of the National Library, as documented in the Catalog of Paintings, Sculptures, and Historical Objects, published in 1938.

Heritage advocate Isidra Reyes—who was also at the event—owns a copy of the magazine as part of her personal collection and has done a significant amount of research about the sculpture.

The bust was believed to have been lost in the Battle of Manila and during the destruction of the National Library and National Museum collections 78 years ago, in February 1945.

However, it was kept in MIB's vault for most of the time since its acquisition in 1979, in order to preserve the integrity of the important piece.

It was discovered last September at an event by Salcedo Auctions. NMP called on the premier auction house to halt the selling of Luna's bust, as it was most likely the original piece.

Salcedo Auctions' research proved that it was the exact sculpture and that it rightfully belongs to the museum. The premier auction house complied to give the piece to NMP as a gesture of civic responsibility and goodwill as a gift to the nation.

"For those of us who work in the National Museum, it's always like a great joy na mahanap and ibalik 'yung nandito dati," National Museum Director General Jeremy Barnes told GMA News Online in an interview after the ceremony.

"Ang daming object na nawala sa war, sa World War II. Nawasak talaga ang buong lungsod ng Maynila, ang daming nasira, ang daming nawala. And so every time we find something that we thought was lost, especially something as important and beautiful as this bust, it's really a cause for great celebration," he added.

"So today, we are really welcoming it home and sharing this great moment with everyone."

Now that the sculpture is in its true home, NMP is very proud to be a haven of beautiful works by Filipino artists and pieces that have interesting backstories.

"So itong rebulto ni Juan Luna, it's a masterpiece. It's really beautiful. It shows Luna as a young man in the same year he painted Spoliarium. At fascinating 'yung kwento niya since it was lost in the war, and then nandito siya, katabi ng Spoliarium. So bagay na bagay siya dito sa National Museum of Fine Arts," Barnes said.

With the painter and his painting in the same hall, NMP is "very happy to make this connection, bring different objects together para 'yung kwento ng mga painting, mga likha, ay isang magandang experience sa mga bisita natin."

Apart from being an exemplary work by the Spanish sculptor, the bust is symbolic of a turning point in the Philippines' journey toward independence.

The public will be able to view "Bust of Juan Luna y Novicio" at the Spoliarium Hall starting Wednesday, October 11.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News