Luna and Pardo de Tavera lived happily for the first few years of their marriage. They had a son, Andres, who would later become one of the Philippines’ most discerning architect in the pre-war period. One of his most notable projects is the Crystal Arcade building, which was erected in 1932. Luna and Pardo de Tavera also had a daughter, Maria, who died during childbirth.
Textbooks have always painted a positive image of the life of Juan Luna: an ilustrado, a part of the Propaganda Movement, and the Philippines’ foremost master painter. And yet we gloss over the most glaring, terrifying, and tragic event that haunted Luna all throughout his life and beyond: He killed his wife and her mother.
In 1886, when Luna was 29 years old, he married the love of his life, Maria de la Paz Pardo de Tavera, or simply Paz. After marrying, they sailed to Europe, making sure to stop by Venice and Rome before finally settling in Paris. Two years earlier, Luna had created the "Spoliarium," which won one of several gold medals at the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes.
Textbooks have always painted a positive image of the life of Juan Luna: an ilustrado, a part of the Propaganda Movement, and the Philippines’ foremost master painter. And yet we gloss over the most glaring, terrifying, and tragic event that haunted Luna all throughout his life and beyond: He killed his wife and her mother.
In 1886, when Luna was 29 years old, he married the love of his life, Maria de la Paz Pardo de Tavera, or simply Paz. After marrying, they sailed to Europe, making sure to stop by Venice and Rome before finally settling in Paris. Two years earlier, Luna had created the "Spoliarium," which won one of several gold medals at the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes.
Monsieur Dussaq in the Life of Juan Luna
Monsieur Dussaq in the Life of Juan Luna
Life in Paris was romantic, until the arrival of one Monsieur Dussaq into the life of Juan Luna and Paz Pardo de Tavera. In 1892, four years into their marriage, Luna and Pardo de Tavera’s marriage was already on the rocks. Luna’s temper, like his brother Antonio’s, was not one to be toyed with for he had very poor control over his emotions. For Luna, anger and jealousy were two deadly tempests that also made him crazy.
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| A Portrait of Paz Pardo de Tavera by Juan Luna |
Earlier in the year, Pardo de Tavera made the mistake of speaking to Luna quite fondly of a certain man whom she had met in Mont-Dore, a mountainous vacation destination in central France. Luna did not like what he heard. Months later, on September 4, 1892, Dussaq called on the Luna residence looking for Pardo de Tavera. Luna became enraged.
Luna threatened Pardo de Tavera that he would harm her if she continued to speak to other men, especially Dussaq. When he was not convinced of her fidelity, he made good on his threat, eventually assaulting and beating her. As if those were not enough, Luna also destroyed Pardo de Tavera's clothes, prompting her to leave him and seek refuge elsewhere.
Luckily, Doña Juliana, Pardo de Tavera’s mother, heard the commotion and immediately summoned her sons to protect her daughter from Luna, who threatened to shoot them with his revolver.
Luna threatened Pardo de Tavera that he would harm her if she continued to speak to other men, especially Dussaq. When he was not convinced of her fidelity, he made good on his threat, eventually assaulting and beating her. As if those were not enough, Luna also destroyed Pardo de Tavera's clothes, prompting her to leave him and seek refuge elsewhere.
Luckily, Doña Juliana, Pardo de Tavera’s mother, heard the commotion and immediately summoned her sons to protect her daughter from Luna, who threatened to shoot them with his revolver.
How Juan LunA Murdered His Wife
and Mother-in-law
Weeks later on September 22, 1892, Pardo de Tavera’s brothers Trinidad and Felix came to visit and check on her and her son, who was sick at the time. The visit was brief, because the brothers decided to get breakfast at a nearby café.
Doña Juliana and Pardo de Tavera decided that they did not want to be left alone in the house, so they went downstairs and made their way to the café. But in the doorway, they saw Luna holding a gun. He fired multiple times at Pardo de Tavera and her mother, who screamed and ran back upstairs and locked themselves in the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Felix heard the gunshots and ran back to the house immediately. Luna was prepared for them, and also fired at them, seriously wounding both brothers. Afterward, he went upstairs and looked for the two women, whom he found cowering on the bathroom floor.
He pointed his revolver at Doña Juliana and killed her with one shot to the head. Then, he turned his gun on his wife, and also shot her in the head. Somehow, she survived the gunshot, but eventually died in the hospital 11 days later.
sources: LIMOS (2019) Retrieved from June 18, 2019
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