Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 30) — The masterpieces of renowned Filipino artists, including a rare handwritten copy of Dr. Jose Rizal’s popular poem “Mi Retiro,” will be up for auction next month.
León Gallery is set to have its year-end event, The Kingly Treasures Auction 2023, on Saturday, Dec. 2, which will feature art gems from famous families in the country’s history.Gallery Director Jaime Ponce de Leon said the auction will flaunt a very rare copy of a handwritten work of Rizal from the collection of Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera.“Originally meant for Rizal’s mother, who asked him to return to writing poetry, it contains a deep message to our shared country,” De Leon said, referring to the famous Mi Retiro.The bidding will start at ₱2 million for the poem.The works of painter Juan Luna, including the “Study of Paz Picking Flowers in a Garden” and the “Juan Luna and His Wife Paz,” will also take a spotlight in this weekend’s auction.The starting bids for the two paintings will range from ₱2.6 million to ₱3 million.National Artist Carlos Francisco’s “Bayanihan,” the only known easel-sized work in oil of his Bayanihan mural, is also up for grabs with a starting bid of ₱14 million.Two of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo’s works would also be offered, both of which depict the tensions and horrors of the World War II: the “Market Scene” and the “Woman at the Fall of Bataan.”National Artist Benedicto Cabrera’s 1994 Larawan Series will also be highlighted in the auction.
