A pivotal moment in history or just another blip in history? This painting by Filipino artist and revolutionary activist Juan Luna raises this question as it is yet another example of how history has captured the act of war through commissioned work. Painted in 1887, it showcases the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, and emphasises the victory of the Spanish against the Turks. The naval engagement took place in the waters off southwestern Greece between the allied Christian forces of the Holy League and the Ottoman Turks during an Ottoman campaign to acquire the Venetian island of Cyprus. With Christians winning the war and more than 40,000 men dying within four hours of the battle, did it hold any historical significance at all? And why did it make Luna a popular artist? Who was Juan Luna and why did he paint The Battle of Lepanto? To know more about the subject of the painting, one has to know the background of the artist - his roots. The well-known Filipino painter Juan Luna was born on October 23, 1857, in Badoc, Ilocos Norte. He attended Ateneo de Manila and the "Academia de Dibujo y Pintura" in Manila, where he also studied design. Juan Luna went to Spain in 1877 to study at the Escuela de Bellas Artes in Madrid for the Art of Designing, where he received his pilot's license at the age of 17. He was selected by the Philippine government to become a ‘pensionado’ (a Philippine student whose expenses are paid by the government while he studies abroad) in Europe with a stipend of six hundred pesos per year for four years due to his exceptional painting skills. It was agreed that he would produce a picture each year for use on the various government buildings. His greatest work, "The Spolarium," was awarded a gold medal at the National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid in 1884. He won a second gold medal at the Barcelona Exposition in 1888 for the "Battle of Lepanto." Through King Alfonso XII of Spain's influence, the Spanish Senate ordered Luna to paint The Battle of Lepanto. King Alfonso XII planned to hang Francisco Pradilla Ortiz's 1878 grand prize-winning masterpiece La Rendicion de Granada (The Surrender of Granada) alongside Luna's The Battle of Lepanto. However, it was not just Luna’s painting skills that caught the attention of authorities, but also his adventurous life during which he went back to the Philippines in 1891 and was taken by the Spaniards and held at Fort Santiago in 1896 because they thought he was connected to the Katipuneros, who were planning a revolt against the Spaniards. In 1897, he was eventually released and then travelled to various East Asian nations before becoming ill and passing away on December 17, 1899, in Hong Kong. The Battle of Lepanto of 1571 and its historical significance The Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states led by Pope Pius V, defeated the Ottoman Empire's fleet in the Gulf of Patras on October 7, 1571, in the naval battle known as the Battle of Lepanto. The Holy League included Spain and its Italian territories, several independent Italian states, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The coalition's main powers were the Spanish Empire and the Venetian Republic, as the league was largely funded by Philip II of Spain and Venice contributed the most ships. Lepanto is the last major naval battle in the Western world that was almost entirely fought between galleys and galleasses, which were direct descendants of ancient trireme warships. The conflict was essentially an "infantry battle on floating platforms”. What makes it so significant is that it was the largest naval conflict in Western history since classical antiquity, involving over 400 warships. Though Ottoman wars in Europe would continue for another century, the Holy League victory is significant in the history of Europe and the Ottoman Empire because it marked a turning point in Ottoman military expansion into the Mediterranean. It has been compared to the Battle of Salamis for a long time because of its tactical similarities and crucial role in defending Europe against imperial expansion. It also had a significant symbolic significance during a time when Europe was torn apart by its religious wars following the Protestant Reformation. Lepanto was a moral victory more than a military one. The Ottoman Turks had terrorised Europe for decades, and Suleiman the Magnificent's victories raised serious concerns in Christian Europe. The loss at Lepanto further exemplified the fast crumbling of Ottoman could under Selim II, and Christians cheered and gained hope through this victory. What does the painting show and why is it a masterpiece? The significance of the "Spanish victory against the Turks" is emphasised in Luna's The Battle of Lepanto. Consequently, Queen Regent Maria Christina of Austria, the widow of King Alfonso XII of Spain, unveiled Luna's masterpiece painting and Pradilla's Larendición de Granada at the Senate Hall of Madrid in November 1887. The Spanish victory at Lepanto, on the other hand, was more than just a victory over the Turks. At Lepanto, the invading Islamic forces were defeated by Catholics. As a result, this painting depicts both public pride in the Spaniards' Catholicism and public pride in the Spaniards' role in the victory at Lepanto because the battle ended in a Catholic victory. The painting gained the title of ‘masterpiece’ as it skillfully captured both sides of the story while highlighting the victory of the Spanish. Capturing the act of war which was only heard of decades later is truly a skill that not many artists have and Luna through his bold brushstrokes captures the battle scene beautifully. Next up in Behind the Art: Why is The Third of May (1808) by Francisco Goya called the world’s first modern painting? 📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don't miss out on the latest updates!
