Topless “selfie” of Jose Rizal resurfaces
JOSE RIZAL – The topless “selfie” of the Philippine national hero has resurfaced on social media.
Taking a solo photo using a smartphone camera is called a selfie. Before selfie became a trend on social media, the national hero already did it. Since there was no such gadget in Rizal’s time, the national hero’s selfie is a self-sketch of his reflection in the mirror.
Fortunately, a copy of the sketch was made available. The original sketch is thought to have been destroyed during WWII. The young Jose Rizal was topless in the aforementioned sketch. His thick black hair was brushed up, his right hand was raised, and his closed fist rested on his right jaw.
The copy of his selfie was posted on Facebook by Ambeth R. Ocampo, a Filipino historian, author, and columnist. It was posted on February 12, 2023. Her post was captioned: “RIZAL’S SHIRTLESS SELFIE. We all know Rizal in an overcoat, but in his youth, long before he became National Hero; he took off his shirt, posed in front of a mirror, and drew a selfie.”
“This drawing reproduced in Austin Craig’s ‘Life, lineage and labors of Jose Rizal’ (1913) is unlocated and believed to have been lost or destroyed during the 1945 Battle for Manila,” she added.
Some people who commented on Ocampo’s Facebook post claimed that Rizal appears to be deep in thought or “bored” due to his hand’s position. Ocampo explained that Rizal was looking in the mirror and drawing his reflection. Perhaps he rested his head on his hand to avoid distraction while completing the sketch.
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