The ''Chula'' series or ''Chula'' studies is a succession of paintings created by
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
painter and revolutionary activist
Juan Luna about the so-called "''chulas''" or working-class women of
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
[ Luna is well known for illustrating "striking and commercially lucrative"][ depictions of "women of the streets" of Madrid.][Owen, Norman G]
Masculinity and National Identity in the 7-9th Century Philippines
University of Hong Kong, raco.cat[Masculinity and National Identity in the 7-9th Century Philippines]
University of Hong Kong, raco.cat Exemplars of these are Luna's ''Una Chula I'' ("A Chula" No. 1) and ''Una Chula II'' ("A Chula" No. 2) paintings.[Reyes, Raquel A.G]
Love, Passion and Patriotism: Sexuality and the Philippine Propaganda
books.google.com
Definitions
Chulas refer to the ''barrio-bajo'' women, meaning "poor-district" or lower class Madrileñas of Spain. According to José Rizal
José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is considered the national he ...
, the Philippine national hero, chulas are attractive women with black, deep, and passionate eyes wearing mantilla
A mantilla is a traditional Spanish and Latin American liturgical lace or silk veil or shawl worn over the head and shoulders, often over a high comb called a '' peineta'', popular with women in Spain, as well as in Latin America. It is also wor ...
s and carrying fans, who are "always gracious", full of conflagration, affection, jealousy and "sometimes" of revenge.[
]
The ''Chula series''
''Una Chula I''
The ''Una Chula I'' is an 1885 painting by Luna depicting a street woman from Madrid who is turning her head flirtatiously. The Madrileña is naughtily and alluringly looking back at the spectator. Her head is skewed coquettishly with a complicit facial appearance. The female's façade, body, and bosom are "playful" and indicating a pretense of "sexual promise".[
]
''Una Chula II''
The ''Una Chula II'' ("A Chula" II) is an 1885 painting by Luna portraying another lower class Madrileña. The woman is sitting squarely with arms resting on a chair, a pose that "almost mannishly exuding (…) sexual confidence and worldliness". The woman is holding a lit cigarette between two fingers in a flirtatious way. The burning tip of the cigarette acts as an enhancement to the female's "painted lips" that supports a "slight smile". The woman is gazing towards the viewer of the painting unembarrassed suggesting a persuasive provocation.[
]
Description and comparison
According to one Spanish aficionado of Luna's paintings who was quoted by Graciano López Jaena
Graciano López y Jaena (; December 18, 1856 – January 20, 1896), commonly known as Graciano López Jaena, was a Filipino journalist, orator, reformist, and national hero who is well known for his newspaper, ''La Solidaridad''.
Philippine h ...
, Luna's depictions of chulas are "real chulas who stupefy". The same connoisseur stated further that "Luna’s chulas are "free and easy chulas" that are witty and with facetiousness and swagger.[ Luna's portraits of chula women embodies the emergence of chulas who deserve admiration, one reason why Luna was successful in selling these type of paintings to rich friends and various commercial companies in Madrid and Paris.][
]
References
External links
*Image o
Juan Luna's ''Una Chula I''
from ''Love, Passion and Patriotism: Sexuality and the Philippine Propaganda'' by Raquel A.G. Reyes, page 44, at books.google.com
{{Juan Luna
Paintings by Juan Luna
Paintings in the Philippines
1885 paintings
Working class women
Philippine paintings