The Salcedo Auctions’ 8th edition of its marquee “The Well-Appointed Life” sale will have a reputable selection from 13 of the country’s 17 National Artists for Visual Arts. Foremost of these is a Vicente Manansala 1978 oil-on-canvas, Untitled (Vendors), arguably the most beautiful Manansala piece to go on the block in recent memory. There’s also Ang Kiukok’s exquisite PAG-era oils once owned by a diplomat, and a rare and powerful 1969 BenCab untitled mother and child.
Other covetable pieces include Fernando Zobel’s first painting, and the largest Oscar Zalameda offered for bidding.
Since its founding in 2010, Salcedo Auctions has dedicated itself to showcasing artworks of historic and aesthetic significance, each piece redefining the milieus and spaces that they inhabit to epitomize the power of art and the connoisseur-collector to shape ‘The Worlds We Create.’
Vicente Manansala’s untitled depiction of vendors shows the artist’s bold yet tender visual vocabulary showcasing not only the allure of neo-realist Cubism, but also the sumptuous mood and festive palette of a quintessential Philippine scene. Oscar Zalameda’s untitled fiesta-theme canvas is as vibrant, and, at 63 1/2 x 119 inches, stands quite possibly as the largest work by the artist remaining in private hands, and certainly the biggest to be offered at auction to date.
Followers of Ang Kiukok will welcome another glimpse of the artist’s early works exhibited at the eminent Philippine Art Gallery: Bananas #3 and Bananas #4, owned by a diplomat, a former USAID director believed to have been connected with the CIA, and author Rufus Phillips. Both will go under the hammer this September along with three other significant Kiukok oils and watercolors, namely Crucifixion, Watermelon, and Window with Potted Plant.
In the past, Fernando Amorsolo’s signature light regularly graced “The Well-Appointed Life” sale, gaining top hammer prices in the process. For this edition, though, collectors will have the opportunity to acquire a rare work from the artist’s war period in Amorsolo’s The Burning of Manila, its brooding palette in stark contrast with the artist’s post-war oeuvre. Similarly, collectors of Nena Saguil’s abstracts will have an opportunity to acquire an unusual red early Paris-period piece by the artist.
In the same vein, the auction house has had remarkable success with works by rivals Juan Luna y Novicio and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, to build a reputation as the world’s premier resource for pieces by the two artists. At the auction, samples of their masterful works await their next home, where the new owners can marvel at the power of Luna and Hidalgo’s artistry across different mediums.
Another example of virtuosic craftsmanship comes in the form of an exquisite Ah Tay bed with granada fruit motif, made by famed Chinese furniture maker, Ah Tay. His iconic calabasa bed has remained one of the most coveted pieces of furniture in our history, instantly recognizable for its stately grandeur and elegance and quintessential design elements.
There’s so much more offered for this edition of “The Well-Appointed Life” which highlights works created by some of the country’s old, modern, and contemporary masters, artists, and artisans. The pieces presented in this sale embody the auction’s themes of “Important Philippine Art,” the definition of a “Connoisseur Collection,” and the dazzling array of “Fine Jewelry & Timepieces” that continue to awe and inspire.
“The Well-Appointed Life” live and online auction will take place on Saturday, 17 September 2022 at 2 pm. Register to bid and browse the catalog at salcedoauctions.com. The auction preview begins on Thursday, 8 September and runs daily from 9 am to 5 pm at NEX Tower, 6786 Ayala Avenue, Makati City. For inquiries, email [email protected] or call tel. no. +632 8823-0956 or (+63917) 591-2191. Follow @salcedoauctions on Instagram and Facebook for updates.