‘Hymen, oh Hymenee!’ Long lost and now found

BY BENJIE LAYUG

LAST June 14, I was invited to see what was widely revered by art collectors and connoisseurs as the “Holy Grail” of Filipino art and a National Treasure—the long-lost Hymen, oh Hyménée! (also known as Boda Romana) of Filipino painter Juan Luna. The piece was showcased at an immersive, single-work exhibition at the Ayala Museum, in cooperation of León Gallery, titled Splendor: Juan Luna, Painter as Hero, which runs until December 31, 2023.

The occasion was equal to my seeing the monumental 25-foot Spoliarium, which won a gold medal at the 1884 Exposicion National de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Spain, another oil-on-canvas painting of Luna that graces the halls of the National Museum of Fine Arts.

This canvas work, started in 1886 and completed in early 1887 during his honeymoon in Venice, officially catapulted Luna into the league of “master painter,” cementing his standing in the world’s artistic capital and confirming his undeniable genius and artistry in the face of racial bias, a predicament Filipinos all over the world face, even today. This iconic masterpiece was last seen in public in Paris 132 years ago, at the iconic Exposition Universelle de 1889 (the same event for which the Eiffel Tower was built as a centerpiece), a major world’s fair that commemorated the centennial of the French Revolution and showcased the latest advances in art, technology and culture. Here, it won the bronze medal. The painting remained in Luna’s hands until his death in Hong Kong in 1899 after which the painting disappeared into private hands and became the stuff of legend.

Translated as “Roman Wedding,” Hymen, oh Hyménée! recreates a scene of a Roman wedding ritual, specifically the bride’s entrance into the groom’s chamber. The painting draws upon the ancient Roman tradition of invoking Hymen (the Roman god of marriage), through ritual songs dating back to the 5th century BCE. A documentary by Martin Arnaldo traces the recovery of the artwork while, at the same time, capturing the dilemma of the late 19th-century Filipino diaspora, which, arguably is still true for his countrymen living and working abroad today. It was shown in the Samsung Premiere Room of the exhibition space and, on July 8, will be aired on CNN Philippines, with replays on July 9 and 10.

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‘speed climbing’ BY JUSTIN WERFEL

The

Edited by David Steinberg/Anna Gundlach

London prosecutor calls oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey ‘a sexual bully’ who preys on men

LOndOn Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey got a thrill preying on other men and escalated his behavior from touchy-feely advances to hostile fondling and worse, a prosecutor told jurors Friday during Spacey’s sexual assault trial in London.

Spacey is “a man who does not respect personal boundaries or space, a man who it would seem delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable—a sexual bully,” prosecutor Christine agnew said in her opening statement. “His preferred method of assault is, it appears, to grab aggressively other men in the crotch.” defense lawyer Patrick gibbs said Spacey denied all allegations of nonconsensual activity and told jurors to ask themselves as they listened to the evidence what—if anything—had occurred when he was with the men. He suggested the alleged victims had other motives and said that Spacey had left himself open to opportunists when he came out as gay in 2020. what has been reimagined with a sinister spin?” gibbs said. “what has been made up or twisted and why and when because all of these allegations happened a long time ago.”

Spacey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges involving four men and allegations that date from 2001 to 2013, when he worked at London’s Old Vic Theatre. The charges include sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

The stakes for the american actor are high. a conviction could send him to prison, while an acquittal could allow for a career comeback.

He said jurors would hear truths, half-truths, deliberate exaggerations and “many damned lies.” Spacey, wearing spectacles and dressed in a light gray suit, white shirt and gold tie, leaned forward behind a window in the dock, listening intently as his lawyer provided a brief overview of the case. gibbs will present a longer opening statement after the prosecution rests its case.

The actor served as the Old Vic Theatre’s artistic director from 2003 until 2015. The four men who have accused Spacey of sexual assault, now in their 30s or 40s, did not know each other, but all “had the misfortune to attract” his attention, agnew said. AP