 |
On February 13, 1960, the brothers Eugenio and Fernando Lopez opened the Lopez Memorial Museum to the public.
Dedicated to the memory of their parents, Benito and Presentacion, the collection of books, art, and Rizal
memorabilia revealed to the public eye extent of the Lopez collection. That Eugenio or Eņing was an ardent
collector of books was well-known; it is the art collection, the bulk of which are Luna and Hidalgo paintings,
and Rizal memorabilia that became the object of public interest. In Claro M. Recto's speech for the opening of
the museum, he reiterated Rizal's praise for the two painters and their achievement in the Exposion of 1884.
He quoted extensively-in Spanish-from the speech that Rizal gave in Madrid in honor of the two painters.
The amplitude and quality of the Luna and Hidalgo collection owned by the Lopezes was, at the time, unmatched.
Housed in a remarkable building designed by Angel Nakpil (this has sadly been torn down), the new position of
the Lunas and Hidalgos made available to a public was an indulgence that no other private local collection had
done before.
The museum's inauguration had President Carlos P. Garcia giving the address with Cardinal Rufino Santos blessing
the building. First Lady Leonila D. Garcia appeared in numerous newspapers unveiling the plaque, as the event
had enough celebrities to merit being mentioned in the society columns. One column in the Manila Bulletin, in
keeping with social column commentary, gives us details: "Music from Bohol was played during the unveiling,
which was explained by the presence of the President. (sic) Another highlight, to our mind was the drizzle
that proved damaging to the pouf hairdos of many women guests. We figure the poufs went down about an inch,
not only because of the light drizzle but also because they had to cover their heads with paper the ladies
themselves fashioned out a newsprint. A woman from New Zealand in costume, Guide Range Rotomar, here on a
visit on the invitation of the Lopezes, wore Kiwi feathers for a cape and a colorful headband and dress."
While such details may seem facetious, these external manifestations (the poufs, the Kiwi flown in from New Zealand, the music from Bohol) are very
telling signs, as society in hushed tones whispered the cost of the museum and its contents to have been in the area of two million pesos. The
museum, aside from simply being a thoughtful memorial to loving parents, was the typical largesse that Eņing practiced when it came to his
philanthropic activities. Raul Rodrigo writes in the biography of the family: 'Philanthropy is something of a tradition within the Lopez family,
dating back to the first Eugenio Lopez's efforts to help poor of Jaro. Eņing himself liked to speak out about the social responsibilities of big
business long before it became fashionable. 'Rodrigo considers the Lopez Museum as one of Eņing's largest philanthropic endeavors. Not only did
the museum's creation extend Eņing's philanthropic hand, it also heralded the emergence of an important art patron in the Philippines.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preparing for a new hang at the Lopez Museum, a work by J. Elizalde Navarro, one of his early pieces, dated 1971 is brought out. Untitled, the
white assemblage was unusual for a man whose works are familiar to me as being characterized by violent color. This work revealed another Navarro,
one who was experimental and willing to work out an alternative visual language. While his sculpture at the Ateneo Art Gallery, 'Homage to Dodgie
Laurel' (1969), probably introduces Navarro's work as a sculptor (if it is necessary to use such labeling), Untitled is but one example of the
more interesting imagery and material that Navarro explored. Straddling the two cannons of fine art tradition, Navarro sought to work out the
challenge and limitations inherent in both painting and sculpture. The 1960s and 1970s brought about a new wave of 'thinking' artists, or at
least, developments abroad pushed local artists to re-consider their practice beyond the modernist framework as espoused by Greenberg. The work
is not avant-garde, but it does help art history focus on a strand of artistic development that went beyond the PAG (Philippine Art Guild) or
the AAP (Art Association of the Philippines) whose importance in Philippine art history has been over-emphasized. Bought in 1999 under the new
acquisitions program of the Museum, the Elizalde Navarro is but one of the many acquisitions made in the last five years. While the Luna and
Hidalgo collection are potent pillars on which a museum can build its collection from, extending the collection through acquisition is an activity
the museum would not practice until the 90s. To confront the collection's history is to face up the upheavals of the nation's political pendulum
and the idiosyncratic hand by which family fortunes swung.
Eminent historian Renato Constantino was given the first curatorial position in the museum, from 1960 until 1972, and during his directorship,
he acquired Luna's Espaņa y Filipinas, thus adding an important piece to the already notable collection. When Constantino left in 1972 there was
an hiatus in the activities of the museum. Consequently, acquisitions for the collection went down from a trickle to a full stop. The years between
1972 to1986 proved unremarkable in the museum's history, except for the occasional scholarly publication which kept the museum in step with current
concerns. Production came in spirits: the Ochidiana Philippiniana in 1984, The Complete Writings of Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing in 1981 and
Juan Luna: The Filipino as Painter published in 1980 was the only book which made any reference to the art collection. All were encouraged by
Oscar Lopez, the son who shared his father's interest in book collecting. In 1986, the museum moved premises leaving the vast Nakpil building
for the present one in Benpres. The move also came with a new director, Roberto Lopez, Eņing's youngest son. It was now the 1980s after the
Marcoses had fled the country; the Lopezes had begun to re-establish their empire. The museum being an important legacy of the older Lopez
continued undisturbed, going with the tide of the new decade.
 back to top
| read page 2 ģ
Adapted: BluPrint Magazine, Volume 4/6 2000. Stories From A Recent Hanging by Yeyey Cruz
Lopez Memorial Museum » InFocus: Stories From A Recent Hanging by Yeyey Cruz
|
|
|
