Tales of the Untold Past 01 - Portrait of a LAdy

Lately I have been digging our colorful history. I found a very good book in our school's library written by the great Ambeth Ocampo. From then, I couldn't stop myself from knowing more.

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We all know Juan Luna as a great painter in his time, one of Rizal's closest friends, the older brother of the great General Antonio Luna, probably anyone knows him because of his masterpiece, The Spoliarium. But our textbooks failed to tell us his dark side.

Juan Luna apparently killed his own wife. Luna's are known for their hot temper, and that temper led him into killing his own wife. The trouble began when Luna suspected his wife was having an affair (Ocampo, p33).

Years prior the killing, Luna painted a portrait of his wife. Then called Paz Pardo de Tavera and later renamed to Portrait of a Lady that is now in the possession of the National Museum. Before it landed in the museum, it was owned by different personalities including former First Lady Imelda Marcos and her daughter Imee Marcos.

The portrait is believed to remain haunted by a memory of a murder and a curse believed to bring misfortune to the personalities who have owned it. (src: esquiremag)

Prior owners of the portrait were said to be either put to financial trouble, get sick or worst dies. One of the prominent owners of the painting was Imee Marcos who had miscarriage during her possession of the painting. It was then passed to her mother, Imelda whose misfortune (Malacanang ouster) is not a secret to everyone.

There is also known records as to how the portrait found its way to Manila. Another owner of the painting claimed to have their house burned yet the painting was unscathed. Wow!

There are really colorful and dark stories behind the boring lecture we had in our elementary days, if only one will have to consider revisiting our past.