Salcedo Auctions has assembled an Olympic-level lineup for its upcoming The Well-Appointed Life live and online auction, set for Saturday Sept. 14, 2024, 2 pm. After months of negotiations, rigorous assessments and valuations, Manila’s top auction house will present an esteemed lineup of Philippine art champions.
Many of the top highlights have published estimates in the high seven and eight figures. They are headed by an iconic BenCab, one of three works by the master in this sale. Born Benedicto Cabrera, the National Artist has changed his signature through the years, written as Ben Cabrera or simply Cabrera during the early phase of his career, before the emergence of his calligraphic-style signature, placed on the bottom part of an impressive 5 by 3-ft oil on canvas to go on the block for an estimate of P20,000,000 to P22,000,000.
Kiukok’s autograph as it appears on a rare painting that shows his humor, up for bidding at Salcedo Auctions’ marquee event, The Well-appointed Life sale, on Sept. 14
Ang Kiukok’s paintings of animals have always been a favorite among collectors, but his 1988 artwork listed in the catalog, published and originally from the collection of the country’s most important private art collector, is a rarity. Estimated at P15,000,000 to P16,000,000, it depicts a favorite subject in an uncharacteristic pose, revealing the National Artist’s playful side.
Mauro Malang Santos pays homage to his mother by using her maiden name to mark his paintings.
Women held a special place in Mauro Malang Santos’ heart. Apart from women being his favorite subjects, the artist also used his mother’s maiden name to treat his paintings as homage to her. In the room list are two artworks of women which Malang completed six years apart of each other. One is dated 1992, depicting a lady in traditional Filipino attire and holding a bouquet of flowers (estimated at P14,000,000 to P15,000,000), perhaps picked from a basket of blooms sitting on the floor between her legs. He painted a more daring composition of his muses in 1998 (estimated at P10,000,000 to P11,000,000), foregrounding his iconic Filipinas with one prominently displaying a tattooed arm.
Several highlights from The Well-appointed Life auction bear the signatures of Cesar Legaspi (left) and Fernando Zobel (right) who, incidentally, will be honored with a retrospective in Manila in celebration of his 100th birth anniversary.
Fernando Zóbel, whose 100th birth anniversary is being celebrated this year with a retrospective exhibition that is traveling to Manila from Madrid’s Prado Museum, has a prominent place in this auction with a 1996 painting estimated at P11,000,000 to P12,000,000. Just like BenCab, Zóbel changed the way he signed his paintings. A comparison of the powerhouse abstractionist’s early signature and his later markings shows his evolution from the more traditional painting style of his Harvard years (where you can literally see his initials) to the elegantly distilled autograph seen in his abstract works.
Also bound to draw attention is a 1971 Cesar Legaspi, a vibrant rendering of human figures reduced to geometric planes which is estimated at P5,000,000 to P5,500,000. It is one of several stellar HR Ocampo finds, which include an early 1956 masterpiece from his Mask series, with two later acrylics on canvas of sterling provenance.
By coincidence, these leading lots of The Well-Appointed Life are by artists from the same generation who explored art’s myriad veins to develop their distinctive styles. But what makes their works enduring and highly collectible is their quest for perfection, which has earned them their rightful place in the pantheon of Philippine art champions.
Presented with exclusive bank partner Metrobank and supported by Kahi Estates by Damosa Land, which will be hosting a Davao City vernissage—a milestone for Philippine auctions—The Well-Appointed Life live and online auction is on Saturday, 14 September 2024, starting at 2 pm. The online catalog will be available starting 24 August at salcedoauctions.com; in-person public preview in Davao City runs from 28 August to 1 September at Damosa Diamond Tower, Damosa Complex, Lanang, and continues in Manila from 5 September to 13 September at NEX Tower, 6786 Ayala Avenue, Makati City, from 9 am to 6 pm daily. For inquiries, email [email protected] or call tel. nos. (+63917) 107-5581, (+63917) 591-2191, and (+63917) 825-7449. For the latest updates, follow @salcedoauctions on Instagram and Facebook.
