The Philippine Exposition in Madrid 1887.

The Philippine Exposition of Madrid-1887 was the brainchild of Victor Balaguer, Spanish Minister of Overseas Colonies (Ministerio de Ultramar), who one-time championed Filipino representation in the Spanish "Cortes'. It highlighted not only native Filipino talents in arts, native handicrafts, flora, and fauna but it also presented other Pacific Islanders who were colonies of Spain. (Chamorros, Micronesians, etc.)

One feature of the exposition was the presentation of natives in giant pavilions, like big terrariums. The public could actually view or even interact with the scenes inside these enclosures as the daily lives and activities of the poor natives are being played out -- In truth, it was nothing but a human zoo.

Illustration print of the "Palacio Cristal" in the Parque del Retiro, Madrid, the building where the main presentations of the Philippine Exposition were held. One of its trivial attractions was the bamboo bridge in front of the palace.

Inauguration of the Philippine Exposition in Madrid 1887.
The painting shows some indigenous people of the Philippines paying their respect to the Regent Queen Maria Christina. The artwork is attributed to Spanish painter Francisco Javier Amérigo y Aparici (1842 - 1912)

The exposition was conceptualized as an international display of Spain to counter the growing influence of Germany in the Pacific (WesternCaroline Islands), as Spanish dominance on its Pacific territories was being put into a precarious situation due to German incursions. But what was supposed to be a celebration of an empire’s magnanimous outlook towards its subjects became a display of arrogance as the tribes were often laughed at and ridiculed by both the Spanish press and the public. Rizal himself writing to Blumentritt lamented the use of the Igorots and other minorities in the exposition. The artworks were lambasted by many critics as superficial.

Rizal criticized so much was the presentations of indigenous tribes from the Philippines in a giant terrarium..like a zoo

Filipinos in Madrid 1887. The men are dressed in European fashion while the women are in terno. No, they are not "illustrados", they came from different strata of 19th-century Philippine society, from different Philippine islands and minority groups. Sort of a tribal troupe presented in a giant terrarium that simulated conditions in the tropics, one of the main attractions in the Madrid Exposition of 1887 at Parque de El Retiro. In the expo itself, some of these men and women were shown in their traditional attires and costumes, of course, some in "bahag". 

These native Filipinos were said to have been paid by the Spanish Overseas Ministry. Notice the medals they wear, they were decorated by Queen Maria Christina for their participation. 

The Artworks 

Juan Luna presented three works; "Death of Cleopatra", "Una Mestiza", "Island of Guideca". Felix Ressureccion Hidalgo had two paintings, the most notable was 'La Barca de Aquironte."

The woman in Juan Luna's "Una Mestiza" is said to be Rosario Melgar, Juan Luna's sister-in-law, known by the nickname of Charing (which the painting also carries). It was one of Luna's 3 works presented in the 1887 Madrid Exposition. Other sources label the painting as "Una mestiza en su tocador", obviously referring to the lady in front of the mirror fixing her hair. Still, what seems to be a "bagatelle" of an opus became an object of discussion and debate among Spanish critics, charging that Luna's image of a Filipina is too European -"masyadong tisay"

 As Madrid presented different facets of Philippine Culture in the 19th century with Luna's work at the center of the maelstrom, the battle of definition became too personal for individuals like Jaena, Rizal et al. Was 19th-century "Illustrado mentality felt slighted as Luna, Hidalgo, and others were featured side by side with native Filipinos in "loincloth'?

Hidalgo's depiction of the Hellenistic concept of the afterlife, the boat trip to the underworld where souls are carried by Charon - the ferryman of Hades, across the river Acheron (Aqueronte)

Felix Lorenzo Martinez (1859-1916)
"El Deber Cumplido" - Mission Accomplished
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.

Native authors, writers, and folklorists were also included in the said exposition, receiving recognition from the empire for their outstanding works. One of them was none other than Isabelo de los Reyes.

The second part of "El Folk-lore Filipino" by Isabelo de los Reyes. Which earned him citations and a silver medal award at the Philippine exposition in Madrid in 1887.