Rare works by national artists Amorsolo, Joya, BenCab to be auctioned

Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — There are many ways art can reflect the zeitgeist at any point in a country’s history. An early pre-war work by Fernando Amorsolo, for example, can bring to mind an idyllic rural landscape, devoid of the conflict evident in his works after the war. Art, among many other things, can turn political, or reflect the social milieu.

Art, however, may also exist for itself, or for a myriad of other purposes beyond the aesthetic. For Richie Lerma, the director of Salcedo Auctions, art is representative of national culture and heritage, and within that, a certain lifestyle.

In September, Salcedo Auctions is holding a series of events for “The Well Appointed Life,” an upcoming art and collectibles auction featuring rare items and artwork culled from various sources. “The Well Appointed Life [is not] simply about the acquisition of objects,” Lerma says, “but rather about our country’s values, its history, how we protect our culture, and how we see ourselves as a people.”

Among the 500 lots to be auctioned off include paintings by masters such as BenCab, José Joya, Fernando Amorsolo, Arturo Luz, Vicente Manansala, Lao Lianben, and Mauro Malang Santos, and works by contemporary artists Annie Cabigting, Jose John Santos III, Rodel Tapaya, and Ronald Ventura. The spotlight, however, is on a 30-feet long painting by H.R. Ocampo titled “Ang Kiti” (1967). “Ang Kiti,” a vibrant and dynamic painting that seems to highlight movement, was kept under the wraps until its unfurling in The Peninsula Manila’s Salon Ning this August.

Other interesting items included in the preview are fashion pieces by noted designers such as Alexander McQueen, whose Eiffel Tower print cocktail dress goes for ₱16,000 to ₱18,000, the least expensive item up for auction. In contrast, the most expensive item in the preview is BenCab’s “Long-Haired Woman,” going from ₱8,500,000 to ₱9,500,000.

The paintings, along with the other items, will be open for public viewing from Sept. 15 to 22, at The Gallery at the Peninsula. The auction itself will take place on Sept. 23 to 24, at the hotel’s Rigodon Ballroom.