‘Tinikling Dance’ from 1947
Salcedo Auctions’ The Well-Appointed Life sale last Saturday, 12 September, delivered a spectacular showing, with new world records and standout results that reaffirmed the market dominance of the auction house, and the strength and enduring value of important Philippine art.
The most spirited bidding battles of the sale centered around the works of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, with collectors once again upholding his stature as one of the Philippines’ most sought-after masters. These were his idyllic visions of rural life, Planting Rice (1945) and Under the Mango Tree (1937).
But the excitement surrounding the master’s work reached fever pitch when two paintings, also from his celebrated Golden Period, came to the auction block. The Fruit Vendor (1939) achieved ₱23,360,000, setting a new world record for any work by the artist based on size. Tinikling Dance (1947) soared even higher, commanding a spectacular ₱38,544,000—more than four times its pre-sale estimate.
Fernando Amorsolo’s’ ‘Planting Rice’ (left) from 1945 and his 1937 work’ Under the Mango Tree’ both sold well above their estimates, affirming the artist’s position at the pinnacle of Philippine art.
National Artists led the sale, such as H.R. Ocampo’s ‘Fifty-Three D’ from 1953 and Legaspi’s untitled oil on canvas work from 1946.
Three National Artists, meanwhile, raised the flag for the modernists. Cesar Legaspi’s untitled oil on canvas from 1946, completed during the formative period when he helped establish the distinctive language of Philippine Neo-Realism, proved a major draw. An important work from this pivotal period in his practice, it fetched an outstanding ₱11,680,000, setting a new world record for the artist based on size. H.R. Ocampo’s Fifty-Three D also set a poignant achievement with its sale, with the proceeds helping fund the revival of National Artist for Dance Leonor Orosa Goquinco’s magnum opus, Filipinescas.
BenCab’s 2005 untitled acrylic on canvas work from his ‘Larawan’ Series
Another significant work that drew robust bidding was BenCab’s untitled acrylic on canvas from his acclaimed Larawan Series. Completed in 2005, the portrait of a fish vendor reflects the dignity and strong presence that distinguish the artist’s finest figurative works.
This was an auction of many highs, but two rare paintings by José Taviel de Andrade sparked one of the sale’s most unexpected bidding battles. A Spanish soldier and artist, Andrade once served as José Rizal’s personal escort. The extremely rare works from 1896—oil-on-board depictions of a bridge and a Spanish fort in Marawi—capture a precise and consequential moment in Philippine history.
The two paintings by Jose Taviel de Andrade set a new world benchmark for the artist.
Their backstory adds another layer of historical significance. The paintings once belonged to Don Ramón Blanco y Erenas, Marquis of Peña Plata, who served as Governor-General of the Philippines from 1893 to 1896, before eventually entering a private collection in Madrid. Their rarity and remarkable provenance clearly resonated with collectors and set a new world benchmark for the artist.
Elmer Borlongan’s ‘Ships Ahoy!’ from 2013
The first edition of Jose Rizal’s ‘Noli Me Tangere,’ accompanied by a polemic pamphlet
Other notable results included Elmer Borlongan’s Ships Ahoy! from 2013, further underscoring the strength and continued momentum of the contemporary Philippine art market. A first edition of José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, accompanied by a polemic pamphlet, likewise commanded an impressive ₱2,803,200, demonstrating the enduring collector appeal of objects that embody the country’s cultural and intellectual heritage.
This edition of The Well-Appointed Life reveals how Philippine art and historical objects continue to command serious attention, with historic works finding renewed relevance. This auction also shows that collectors are placing ever greater value on objects that speak to who we are and where we come from. With records broken across generations and categories, the sale cements Salcedo Auctions’ role in shaping the Philippine art market—and the enduring value of the works entrusted to it.
The full auction results will be available for registered clients at salcedoauctions.com. Consignments are now being accepted for Salcedo’s year-end marquee sale, ‘Under the Tree: The Wish List.’ For inquiries, send us a direct message, email info@salcedoauctions.com, or phone/SMS +63 917-1075581.
