Women’s Month: Rare Anita Magsaysay-Ho auctioned for benefit of Asian Cultural Council scholars

MANILA, Philippines — In time for International Women’s Month, a rare painting by Anita Magsaysay-Ho was auctioned off last weekend by auction house Leon Gallery for the benefit of the artist scholars of Asian Cultural Council (ACC), formerly the John D. Rockefeller 3rd Foundation.

Leon Gallery Director Jaime Ponce de Leon said at the auction’s recent press launch that their gallery’s first major auction for the year marks the 9th year of their partnership with ACC in providing opportunities for international cultural exchange to artists, scholars, and arts professionals between Asia and the United States. 

The ACC-Leon Gallery partnership celebrated the birth anniversaries of three of the country’s modernist stalwarts: Fernando Zóbel’s 100th and the 110th of two of his closest friends, Magsaysay-Ho and Nena Saguil. 

Among the auction’s highlights were Magsaysay-Ho’s rare portrayal of an iconic scene with “Planting Rice,” and Saguil’s pieces that encompass her days from the Philippine Art Gallery to the Ecole de Paris. 

The “Planting Rice” painting, said de Leon, was previously owned by Magsaysay-Ho’s personal doctor.

“It’s a very good Anita from the ‘Green’ period. And of course, it’s very hard to find an Anita now. This is a great opportunity to get one, to have one,” de Leon affirmed.

Filipino art luminaries Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, known as the “sun and moon” of Filipino art, also graced the auction floor. Luna’s “Ecce Homo” reflects a tumultuous period, showcasing Luna’s earnest efforts to control his emotions, while “Landscape in Bilbao” captures a serene phase in his life. Additionally, a masterpiece from his award-winning Roman period titled “Idilio” was also a highlight. Hidalgo’s “Barcos de la Vela (Sailboats)” hailed from the collection of the railway tycoon William Sproule.

Works of two former ACC grantees, Jose Joya and Roberto Chabet, also went under the hammer. They share the distinction of being the first Filipino ACC recipients in their respective fields (Joya for the Visual Arts and Chabet for Museology, both in 1967).

“The 1960s were among the best output of Joya, the best pieces that could ever be found. Collectors prize this period very much,” said de Leon. 

The 1960s Chabet work on canvas, he noted, “is extremely difficult to find.”

“The last time we had a work of him on canvas was eight years ago. And now, a piece from him makes a rare appearance,” he added.

The collections of esteemed art patrons, including Eugenio Lopez, Jorge Vargas, United Nations General Assembly president Carlos P. Romulo, and Bacolod City’s founding father Ambassador Conlu Hernaez, were also among the auction highlights.

The following are the recipients of the ACC grant who will embark on their fellowships this year:

• Japhet Mari Cabling is a choreographer and art educator. The ACC fellowship will enable him to attend modern, contemporary dance classes and workshops and inquire on other contemporary practices in the United States. 
• Corinne De San Jose is a self-taught multi-disciplinary artist and multi-awarded sound designer.  The ACC grant will enable her to research contemporary sound art, specifically sound art as site-specific installations, as well as public art around New York City. 

“I had a brief visit to New York and one of the things I noticed is that it has so many public art there. I want to see something like that here (in the Philippines),” De San Jose shared.

• Maria Christine Muyco is a composer, ethnomusicologist, and a full professor at the University of the Philippines College of Music. The ACC grant will enable her to hold a series of workshops on a song cycle with Southeast Asian cultures and to workshop the songs with a chamber music ensemble in New York City. 

Since ACC’s founding in 1963, around 300 artists, art scholars and educators, art institutions and organizations have received fellowship grants across all art disciplines. These include National Artists Jose Joya, Lucresia Kasilag, Lamberto Avellana, Alejandro Roces, Francisco Feliciano, Jose Maceda, Kidlat Tahimik, Ramon Santos and Alice Reyes. 

Among the ACC organization-recipients include the Asian Composer’s League, Ballet Philippines, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Museo Pambata, National Museum, Samba-Likhaan, UP Center for Ethnomusicology, and the Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference (VIVA ExCon).

“Filled with gratitude for the year that was, we recommence with greater optimism to move forward building a legacy that espouses the transformative power of the arts,” stated ACC Philippines Chairman Ernest Escaler.