Portraits of Apolinario Mabini, Felipe Agoncillo displayed in Smithsonian exhibit

Two Filipino paintings are currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, United States.

The Portrait of Apolinario Mabini by Fabián de la Rosa and the Portrait of Felipe Agoncillo by Félix Resurrección Hidalgo are showcased as part of the "1898: US Imperial Visions & Revisions" exhibition.

Mabini was an adviser in Emilio Aguinaldo's revolutionary government in 1898 while Agoncillo was the representative of the Philippines to the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish-American War.

The paintings belong to the National Fine Arts Collection and the National Library of the Philippines Collection, respectively.

According to the National Museum of the Philippines, this is the first time that a major exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution featured artworks from the National Museum and National Library.

The Smithsonian is the largest complex of museums, education and research centers in the world.

"The 1898 exhibition focuses on American wartime imperialism at the turn of the 20th century and the lasting effects that it had on the annexed territories of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines," the National Museum said on Facebook.

A website will also accompany the exhibition to provide information, educational resources, and translations of select texts.

Co-curated by Taína Caragol and Kate Clarke Lemay with assistance from Carolina Maestre, the exhibition will run until February 25, 2024.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News