Emiliana Yriarte Trinidad

Emiliana Yriarte - Trinidad was born in Caingin, San Rafael, Bulacan on January 14, 1878. Her parents were Antonio Piernavieja and Bonifacia Yriarte - Trinidad. Emiliana’s father was an Augustinian friar priest from Valladolid, Spain. According to the history of San Juan de Dios Church in San Rafael, Bulacan, Piernavieja served as the town’s parish priest from 1868 to 1873 and 1875 to 1877. During his tenure as a parish priest, he built the church’s convent and a bridge that connected the towns of San Rafael and Baliwag, Bulacan. According to some historians, Piernavieja was also Jose Rizal’s character inspiration behind Padre Bernardo Salvi from his novels, Noli Me Tangere (1887) and El Filibusterismo (1891). Because of conspiring with Spanish Authorities, Antonio Piernavieja got killed by Filipino Revolutionaries in Maragondon, Cavite in 1897 during the height of the Philippine Revolution. Her mother, Bonifacia Yriarte - Trinidad came from an affluent family. It was also said that she had 2 or 3 children from Piernavieja. Emiliana was taught to be religious by her father.
Juan Luna became a private tutor of Emiliana Trinidad, teaching her to paint and draw. Juan Luna fell in love and tried to court Emiliana Trinidad. Juan Luna gave her drawings, sketches, and paintings. In 1895, Emiliana posed for the painting Una Bulaqueña. One of the other prominent paintings was the Tampuhan, however, Emiliana made it clear that she was not the subject of Tampuhan. Emiliana’s family did not approve of Luna because of the huge age gap between the two and the issues that surrounded Juan Luna during their time. Another theory was because of Luna’s involvement with the murders of his wife and mother-in-law, Paz Pardo de Tavera and Juliana Gorricho de Pardo de Tavera.
Juan Luna probably stood as the matchmaker between Emiliana Trinidad and his friend, Dr. Isidoro De Santos. Isidoro De Santos was also a Filipino patriot and fought together with other Filipinos for Philippine Independence. He was also one of the doctors that tried to save Juan Luna from a heart attack in which he succumbed in 1899 in Hong Kong. After the Philippine Revolution, Emiliana became one of three partners of Isidoro De Santos. Emiliana was wealthy enough not to depend on Isidoro De Santos. They had five children. Isidoro De Santos died in 1939.
The family of Emiliana’s youngest daughter, Edita De Santos - Orosa, inherited most of her mother’s Juan Luna paintings and sketches including the Tampuhan. To keep it safe during World War II, Emiliana Trinidad sold the "Una Bulaqueña" for ₱200 Japanese Military notes. It is said that Jorge Vargas bought the painting for the Malacañang Palace where it stayed until it was retrieved by the National Museum after the EDSA Revolution 1986. Emiliana Trinidad attempted to retrieve the painting during the Marcos Sr. regime but failed. The Una Bulaqueña is still on display at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila and was declared as a National Cultural Treasure in 2008. Emiliana Yriarte - Trinidad died on March 22, 1971, at age of 93. She was interred at Sanctuario de San Antonio in Makati.