Leon Gallery’s Kingly Treasures Auction

By Ces Oreña-Drilon

Celebrated Filipino artist Ronald Ventura’s massive opus “Blind Mechanism” set a Philippine record fetching a whopping P57.2 million at the Leon Gallery’s Kingly Treasures auction Saturday, December 3

PHILIPPINE RECORD Ronald Ventura (b. 1973)Blind Mechanism signed and dated 2003 (lower left) oil on canvas84″ x 120″ (213 cm x 305 cm)Hammer price: PHP 49,000,000With Premium: PHP 57,232,000

The blockbuster year-end auction was a triumph for Filipino abstract art with several global records chalked up by pioneering artists Venancio Igarta, sculptor Ramon Orlina, and Danilo Dalena, and the next generation represented by Emmanuel Garibay and Bernardo Pacquing.

The auction crowned glass sculptor Ramon Orlina, the king of auctions with his “Mt Makiling II” fetching P15.7M.

This is a global record for Orlina, whose works are also featured in international auction houses like most Filipino artists in the Kingly Auction.

Seven other pieces of Orlina soared in value including his “Ecstasy II” which was hammered at P2.9 M.

Glass sculptor Ramon Orlina sets a world record for Philippine sculpture with his Mt Makiling IIOrlina’s Ecstasy II hammered at P 2.9M, with premium, the buyer forks out P 3.4 M. The Blue Flame of Passion hammered at P6 M, with premium, it’s P7 M

Emerging auction stars, Bernardo Pacquing and Emmanuel Garibay elicited applause from bidders present.

The appetite for their works show an increasingly sophisticated market who appreciate social realists Garibay and Dalena and the modern abstraction of Pacquing, Joya and Olazo.

Venancio Igarta, whose work is carried by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, also scored a global record for his work “Bamboo”, from the late Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani’s collection.

Danilo Dalena’s “Quiapo”, an imposing depiction of the Black Nazarene procession, also fetched a global record. The piece is the largest of Dalena’s works to enter the market.

Danilo Dalena (b. 1942)Quiapo signed and dated 1996 (lower right) oil on canvas48″ x 82″ (122 cm x 208 cm)Hammer price: PHP 16,000,000With Premium: PHP 18,688,000

It was a vibrant afternoon that spelled success for the Philippine art market and its talented creators.

Hundreds of millions of pesos were spent as online and phone bidders competed with those present on the floor who raised their paddles – with one flick of the hand representing as much as a million.

As congratulatory messages streamed in, Leon Gallery’s founder Jaime Ponce de Leon said the strong results show that “the Filipino collectors are getting more discerning that they are able to spot and go for high quality.”

Here are more results of the Star lots in the Kingly Treasures Auction:

Fernando Amorsolo (1892 – 1972)Evening Meal on a Raft House signed and dated Manila 1930 (lower left) oil on canvas27″ x 37″ (69 cm x 95 cm)Hammer Price: PHP22,000,000With Premium: PHP 25,696,000La Niña DormidaBinondo, Manila and Guagua, Pampanga ivory, “pina” textile The “La Nina Dormida” statuette and the ivory bed are from the last quarter of the eighteenth century to the first quarter of the nineteenth century (1775–1825) Hammer Price: PHP 4,600,00 With Premium: PHP 5,372,800Fernando Zobel (1924 – 1984) Luminosa II signed (lower right); inscribed and dated ‘Manila 1968’ (verso) oil on canvas 38” x 38” (97 cm x 97 cm) Hammer Price: PHP 16,000,000 With Premium: PHP 18,688,000Jose Joya (1931 – 1995) Man’s Life Cycle signed and dated 1968 (lower right); signed, inscribed with title and date ‘New York February 1968’ (verso) oil on canvas 72″ x 72″ (183 cm x 183 cm) Hammer Price: PHP 15,500,000 With Premium: PHP 18,104,000Arturo Luz (1926 – 2021) Cyclist ca. 1955-1958 signed (lower right) enamel on board 30″ x 20″ (76 cm x 51 cm) Hammer Price: PHP 9,500,000 With Premium: PHP 11,096,00Mauro Malang Santos (1928 – 2017) Carroza signed and dated 25.XII.79 (lower right) oil on canvas 40″ x 40″ (102 cm x 102 cm) Hammer Price: PHP 11,000,000 With Premium: PHP 12,848,000

All prices of the art works include the buyer’s premium.