Juan Luna and Cocoy Laurel's muses - An Enigmatic Love Story. Part Two.

 Victor "Cocoy" Laurel did not only painted Nora Aunor in 1970 which was featured in a magazine that I blogged Cocoy Laurel painting article found today c/o Isidra Reyes. He also wrote songs dedicated to his muse.



The missing 1970 Cocoy Laurel portrait painting of Nora Aunor.

It appears that Cocoy painted two portraits of Nora Aunor in the 1970's or thereafter and are both missing to this day.

One evidence of this painting is the above highlighted link of an article that proves that Cocoy gifted his love interest and muse Nora Aunor a portrait - this painting is currently missing. Cocoy Laurel missing 1970 portrait painting of Nora Aunor.

Another portrait was featured in their first movie together "Lollipops and Roses" which I blog initially declaring that Cocoy painted Nora only three times that in a portrait. Click here for the story of Cocoy Laurel's three Nora Aunor paintings. How so wrong I was as this journey of discovering the corpus artis opus of Cocoy Laurel seems to take me to a labyrinthian road of revelation.


Not 2 but 20 paintings of Cocoy Laurel with his muse Nora Aunor.

Now it appears that he might potentially have painted Nora Aunor about 20 times. Below are links related to this story.



Cocoy Laurel wrote songs for his muse.

The first song that painter Cocoy Laurel wrote for Nora Aunor is the song Nora, I still Love You! and can be heard in this YouTube channel by  Relish Pinoy.

This song along with a painting (Cocoy Laurel's 'Mona Lisa') is featured in Laurel-Aunor starred movie "Lollipops and Roses" which reminds me of Mona Lisa. It is just a shame that this painting is missing. I hope that one day this painting will surface again.

What Cocoy Laurel did in painting Nora Aunor and writing song dedicated to her is a reflection of their close friendship and deep connection indeed.

It could be that Cocoy Laurel composed several songs for Nora; nevertheless, his other song which he dedicated to his muse is a song titled "Love Song". A beautiful ballad.



"Love Song" a song for Nora Aunor from Cocoy Laurel.

A beautiful ballad that tells a story of romance, longing, friendship and relationship.

"There is a love song, I written it for you because I love you so', as the song goes to tell us the story of Cocoy Laurel expression of love to Nora.

Cocoy Laurel sang his song with emotional ability to express the journey of his love that is full of sentiments. He wrote and sang "if you're lonely, then it will be the friend you need to see you through". 

Indeed, a poignant lyrics that he never missed to support his muse throughout her career in the entertainment industry as she goes through the ups and downs of life in the spotlight.

Laurel's deliberate and expressive delivery of his lyrics and the touching melody he created is remarkable in its emotional impact to the listeners.

Towards the end of the songs refrain, he wrote and sang "when the laughter turns to tears and the moments turn to years, through it all - you'll always hear this love song. Love Song just for you."

A powerful lyrics indeed combined with Cocoy Laurel's brilliant storytelling ability mixed into his poignant and poetic emotional musical delivery that created a moving experience for his audience.

Here is a link for the complete lyrics of "Love Song" from Relish Pinoy.



Links for Cocoy Laurel's portrait painting of Nora Aunor in 1970.

Juan Luna's Dreams of Love.

On the other hand - Juan Luna painted his wife and called it "Ensuenos de Amor" - a Spanish phrase that translates to "dreams of love" or the variation "daydreaming of love. 

A painting of extreme desire from the painter. Why would Juan Luna call this painting 'Dreams of Love'? 

A wife ideally implies that there is love in the relationship right? Why does Juan Luna seem to explore his romantic ideal in a painting or in a title of a painting? 

"Ensuenos de Amor" was painted in 1890, about five (5) years into their marriage and two (2) years before he would kill his wife. The title of the painting is poignant indeed as it may be that he is already trying to daydream of a true devotion and love from his wife. Was this painting telling us of the crack in their marriage?

You see, when a painter depicts a sleeping muse in art, it holds a deep symbolic and thematic significance which could signify upon concepts such as inspiration, vulnerability, tranquility and an expression of the unconscious mind. Does this mean that Juan Luna unconsciously suspecting a love lost?

Ensuenos de Amor is a phrase that reflects unresolved feelings from past relationship or even from the current one. This may indicate a readiness to fall in love which Juan Luna obviously is deeply in love with Paz as romanticized in the painting. It is indicative of his readiness to love fully. Perhaps his subconscious portrayal acknowledging his deepest devotion to his wife is not reciprocated? I ask this question because we now know that he indeed murdered his wife in a moment of rage from a suspicion of adultery.

Does Juan Luna loves his wife more when she is asleep as oppose to when she is awake?

However, the phrase Ensuenos de Amor though signify a variety of things and can be interpreted in many ways, it is also a desire for connection. Did Juan Luna felt that he loves Paz more than Paz loves him? Hence the title in his painting? Hence the eventual crime of passion? We can only speculate.


Hopeless Romantics.

Both Juan Luna and Cocoy Laurel where obviously hopeless romantics, there paintings of their muse where an expression full of love and longing - both in their own unique and different ways.

Part Three coming soon.


































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