In the painting Governor Dasmariñas, Hidalgo was able to expose the supremacy of the church over the Spanish government. A good example of a historical painting, it depicts the figures of a Dominican friar dictating on Governor Dasmariñas, who seems to be helpless, to sign a document allegedly authorizing the immediate military assistance to the king of Cambodia.
During the colonial period, the clergy was acknowledged as the power behind the government. There was no actual separation between the church and the state. Felix R. Hidalgo, a contemporary of Juan Luna, was one of the primemovers in using the visual arts in unmasking the true identity of the colonial rulers.
The artwork was formerly exhibited in the Malacañang Palace.