PSA: This is Your Last Chance to See Juan Luna's Long Lost Painting

(SPOT.ph) Every Filipino art lover knows that a pilgrimage to Juan Luna’s Spoliarium at the National Museum is a must. But did you know there’s another Luna masterpiece you should add to your art bucket list—one that’s previously very elusive? We’re talking about Hymen, Oh Hyménée! And if the chance to see this legendary work excites you, you’ll want to head to the Ayala Museum this October to catch it in the flesh before it’s gone. Here’s what you need to know about this limited-time exhibition.

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Hymen, oh Hyménée! by Juan Luna is considered by many art collectors as the holy grail of Philippine art. Painted around 1886 to 1887, during the height of Luna’s golden years, this depiction of an ancient Roman wedding ritual earned a bronze medal at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle—the same world’s fair that unveiled the Eiffel Tower as its centerpiece. It was with this piece that Luna reached the height of his renown, a triumph that propelled him into the ranks of the master painters and cemented his place in the global art scene.

But aside from being a snapshot of the genius of the late master, what makes Hymen, oh Hyménée! more fascinating is its elusive nature. For the longest time—roughly 130 years—the piece was considered lost, leading many art collectors to covet having this piece in their collection.

Covet is all they could do, that is, until art collector Jaime Ponce de Leon of León Gallery managed to get his hands on it. For about 10 years, de Leon became obssesed with finding Hymen, oh Hyménée!. He followed leads and clues all over Europe, until he finally acquired the piece in 2014. Lucky for us, in 2023, de Leon signed a long-term loan with the Ayala Museum and thus, Filipinos finally had a chance to see this piece in the flesh.

Alas all good things come to an end, and the long-term lease with the private museum is about to end this 2025. But before we bid adieu to this majestic oil painting, art-lovers everywhere will have one last time to view it from October 7 to 16 at the Ayala Museum.

Along with one last chance to view the painting IRL, the museum is also hosting a special screening of Martin Arnaldo’s documentary Hymen, Oh Hyménée! Juan Luna’s Long-Lost Masterpiece, which traces the recovery of the artwork and Luna’s struggles as a Filipino in the 19th century.

For 10 days, Juan Luna's masterpiece will be taking the center stage at the Ayala Museum's ground floor. Slots for public viewings of the painting are available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., every day (Monday, October 12 included). You may book your slots online through the Ayala Museum website.

• Local Rate (for local citizens who reside in the Philippines): P350 per head.

• Foreign Rate: P500 per head.

• Discounted Rate with valid ID (children aged 12 and below, senior citizens (local only), and persons with disabilities, both local and foreign, local undergraduate and high school students, teachers, museum workers, librarians, and AGC employees): P250 per head.

Payments are accepted through credit or debit cards, online bank transfers, GCash, and PayPal.

We recommend booking your slots ASAP. There will only be a limited number of visitors allowed at a time, so book ahead to ensure you can enter at your desired time.

Catch Juan Luna's Hymen, Oh Hyménée for one last time on October 7 to 16 at the Ayala Museum. For more information, visit the Ayala Museum's Facebook page.

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