The Holy Grail of Philippine Art: Juan Luna's long-lost painting Hymen, oh Hymenee!

The Philippine Art scene was recently enlivened by the news of a homecoming. 

A return of a once thought-lost masterpiece whose existence, since its creation 136 years ago, was only affirmed through photographs and practice sketches. 

This masterpiece is the acclaimed Juan Luna painting, Hymen, oh Hymenee!

 Hymen, oh Hymenee! by Juan Luna (1887)

Considered The Holy Grail of Philippine Art, hopes of finding it after Luna's death were slim to none-until it was found and brought home by León Gallery director Jaime Ponce De Leon. 

Its century-old absence on Filipino shores has ended, and it is now the centerpiece of an alluring exhibition in Ayala Museum called Splendor: Juan Luna, painter as hero, in time with the 125th anniversary of Philippine independence.

 Splendor exhibition poster at Ayala Museum

A Juan Luna Painting That Challenged Prejudice

Hymen, oh Hymenee! was painted by Juan Luna in 1887 in Venice where he and his wife, Paz Pardo De Tavera spent their honeymoon.

Reflecting a joyous moment in Luna's life, the painting depicts a Roman wedding, with the procession resembling Paz's entry into his life and the title invoking the Greek god of marriage, Hymen to bless their marriage.

Details of the painting showing the bride in a white veil, followed by an entourage of bridesmaids and soldiers.

Unlike his other famous works, Spolarium (1884) and The Death of Cleopatra (1881), Hymen, oh Hymenee! was a personal piece for Luna. Hence, he always kept it private and initially, had no intention of submitting it to competitions. 

It was a turn of events that led to its submission to the renowned 1889 Paris exposition when his works intended for submission, Spolarium (Winner of the gold medal in the Nacional Bellas Artes in Madrid) and The Battle of Lepanto (1887), was forbidden to leave Spain. 

A poster promoting the 1889 Paris exposition.

Hymen, oh Hymenee! won the bronze medal in the competition, giving Luna great acclaim and proving to the late 19th-century world that Filipinos are not the uncultured race they were thought to be under Spanish rule. 

Even Jose Rizal, Philippines's national hero, sang praises for his friend Luna. In a speech with fellow Filipinos in France, he declares:

"Genius knows no country, genius sprouts everywhere, genius is like light, air. The patrimony of everybody, cosmopolitan like space, like life, like God."

Luna's achievement, not only with Hymen, oh Hymenee! but with his whole art career, made the case for him to be considered a hero, as someone who inspired the Philippine revolution and as someone who championed Filipino talent amidst the prejudice of the ruling Spaniards.

The Search For The Holy Grail of Philippine Art

Hymen, oh Hymenee! would be under Luna's care until his death in 1899. From then on, its whereabouts would be unknown. 

There are accounts that say it came to the possession of the Louvre and was destroyed in the World Wars.

Some say it has been burned by the Pardo De Tavera family out of resentment following Luna and Paz's tragic marriage. 

A faint account says that it came to the possession of an Aristocratic European family.

The last sighting of Hymen, oh Hymenee! in Luna's studio (Paris, 1885-1890)

Pinning on faint hope, Jaime Ponce De Leon, director of León Gallery in Makati city, followed unending leads, some giving progress; some leading nowhere, to find the lost masterpiece. 

Courtesy: Jaime Ponce De Leon's Instagram

De Leon's search for the grail started when he confirmed that it, indeed, exist. 

Friend and colleague, Eleuterio "Teyet" Pascual, confided to him in the early 2000s that he saw Hymen, oh! Hymenee inside a certain European home, vaguely recollecting his memory upon seeing the long-lost artwork. 

This memory, however, was all that Teyet shared to De Leon.

Teyet Pascual, Filipino socialite and art collector

With this small lead and a huge continent to scour through, the search proved insurmountable. 

De Leon thought otherwise, claiming that if it's for The Holy Grail of Philippine Art, he's willing to go search. He says in an interview: 

"I had this book, the nobilities of Europe. I went over it page by page, photograph by photograph. I had to knock on everyone's door." 

His search went on for years, roaming Europe, checking auction houses, and getting in contact with anyone who was linked with the Juan Luna painting, but to no avail. 

"It will always be futile, my hopes always dashed." 

A turning point in his search came in 2014 through an unprecedented call. 

"I was told to be in a certain city, in a certain address saying there was something important that I needed to see. I was told to be there at 10 am sharp." 

Without any idea what the meeting would be about, De Leon went promptly to the given address.

"I arrived at the said home at 10 am sharp and I was ushered by a butler to a specific room where I met the house's master. After the pleasantries, I was led to another room. Revealed beneath a dark velvet curtain is the grail. [The search was over,] and I could not believe what I saw."

Hymen, oh Hymenee! was in the possession of the anonymous European family since the 1920s. Becoming a prized possession of the family's head, it was not to be included in any form of auction or sale until his death. 

Now, with a new lord, the family was ready to let go of the painting and give it back to the hands of the Filipino people. 

De Leon made sure to acquire Hymen, oh Hymenee!, and after a meticulous 3-year process of authentication, the grail was finally brought home.

Courtesy: Jaime Ponce De Leon's Instagram

De Leon is silent on how much he paid for the painting, claiming:

"It is priceless, let's leave it at that." 

Splendor: Juan Luna, Painter As Hero Exhibition in Ayala Museum

Hymen, oh Hymenee! was brought back to the Philippines as early as 2017 but it remained kept in León gallery, waiting to be unveiled at the right occasion. De Leon confessed:

"Nobody. Even my employees didn't know about it. It was in a crate and the crate was all they could see." 

In 2022, De Leon was invited by Ayala Museum's director Mariles Gustilo, and Ayala Foundation's Joanna Duarte to talk about fundraising ideas. 

De Leon found this the opportune moment to reveal the lost masterpiece.  

Stills from the Splendor exhibition in Ayala Museum

Complemented with a book of essays by Ambeth Ocampo and curators Tenten Mina, Jei Ente, and Ditas Samson, and a documentary by Paris-based filmmaker Martin Arnaldo, the Splendor: Juan Luna, Painter as Hero exhibition was launched in Ayala Museum last June 9, 2023. 

The 125th celebration of Philippine independence made Hymen, oh Hymenee!'s reveal even more significant, garnering the attention that it rightly deserved.

Hymen, oh Hymenee! displayed in Ayala Museum

The exhibit is curated to inform visitors of the painting's context, the details of the painting, and Juan Luna's case of being a Filipino hero.

It's an exhibit showcasing only one painting but justifies how important Hymen, oh Hymenee! is, and why it's touted as The Holy Grail of Philippine art.

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The Splendor exhibit in Ayala Museum will run until December 30, 2023. The painting will rest from public view soon after.

It will still be in Ayala Museum's care for 3 years but it is unknown when it will be shown to the public again.

Ayala Museum allows walk-ins but it is recommended to book a visit in advance. Available tickets and schedules can be found on the Ayala Museum website.

Update (2/9/24): The Splendor exhibit's run is extended until March 24, 2024.

Update (8/13/24): The Splendor exhibit's run has ended.

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Photo gallery of my visit to see Hymen, oh Hymenee!:

Resources for further learning:

• Splendor exhibition companion book
• Notes on Hymen, oh! Hymenee by Ambeth Ocampo
• Splendor exhibition curator's tour