National Museum Puts Rizal's P31-M Sculpture on Display

A clay sculpture made by national hero Dr. Jose Rizal of his sleeping wife Josephine Bracken was put on public display yesterday at the National Museum of Fine Arts for the first time as part of the commemoration of the 128th anniversary of his martyrdom.

- By GHIO ONG

Rizal sculpted "Josephine Sleeping" presumably while he was in exile in Dapitan City in Zamboanga del Norte province between 1895 and 1896.

According to the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP), Rizal's artwork "depicts Josephine Bracken, his common-law wife, peacefully reclining on a divan... with her body partially under the sheets and her right arm modestly covering one of her breasts." Inscribed on the artwork is RIZAL.

The NMP added that the sculpture "honors the woman he loved and with whom he spent his final moments before his martyrdom, beyond his achievements and patriotism."

The artwork is now on display at the Spoliarium Hall of the National Museum of Fine Arts, which also houses Juan Luna's "Spoliarium" and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo's "The Assassination of Governor Bustamante."