Ayala Museum's One-Painting Exhibit: Hymen, o Hyménée

  Ayala Museum had a One-Object Exhibition, open to the public, Juan Luna "Hymen, Oh Hyménée!” from 2025, October 6 to the 17th,  and after getting our passes, we walked into the dark room that exhibited the  painting that was lost for 125 years. Hymen, Oh Hyménée! is considered the Holy Grail of Filipino artworks.

  As we laid our eyes upon the long-lost masterpiece, we learned that the painting represented a Roman wedding, and the bride represented the painter’s wife, Paz Pardo de Tavera. We were also trying to look for the groom in the picture, but we realized that it was an ongoing wedding in which the bride was being escorted to her groom by her relative (perhaps?) as the bridesmaids sent her off. We also found a cute little turtle in the painting, with very good details, and thought it wanted to know what was going on. This turtle might represent something else, as well as the goat and other details you can find in the artwork. The people in the painting were really intricate and realistic, which makes Juan Luna’s talent in art very admirable. The scene of the wedding felt like an actual wedding with all the flowers scattered on the floor, people wishing the bride happiness while chanting Hymen’s name for well wishes, and the variety of traditions depicted in the painting made it feel more real as well. 

A little later, we watched Martin Arnaldo’s documentary "Hymen, Oh Hyménée! Juan Luna’s Long-Lost Masterpiece,” and it briefly discussed the life of Juan Luna and his other artworks, such as The Death of Cleopatra. That is when we  also learned that this masterpiece has been lost for 125 years since Philippine independence and that it was also considered the Holy Grail of Philippine artworks.  

Overall, this experience was mesmerizing and wonderful, as we were able to see the authenticity of Filipino art and learned about a side of Philippine history we didn’t know about. The feeling I get from the painting really does feel like you are at the wedding, watching the bride have her happiness. As we left the exhibit, we knew that this was an experience that we will never forget.