On June 7, Manila-based Léon Gallery Art and Antiquities held its Spectacular Mid-Year Auction, kicking off the gallery's 15th-anniversary celebrations. The sale featured modern and contemporary works by leading Filipino artists, including Fernando Zóbel, Juan Luna, and Vicente Manansala. A standout lot was Anita Magsaysay-Ho's *Water Carriers / Taga-igib* (1947), an egg tempera work that sold for over PHP 60 million (about $1.08 million). Another key highlight was Fernando Amorsolo's *The Burning of Manila* (1942), which set a record for the artist's wartime paintings at PHP 36.04 million ($645,460). The painting, from the collection of Don Enrique “EZ” Zóbel, had been on loan to the National Museum of Fine Arts, Manila, for about a decade before auction.
The sale underscores a robust and growing market for works by important Filipino artists, particularly those that engage with Philippine history and national identity. Magsaysay-Ho's egg tempera works have now joined the “million-dollar club,” with previous sales at Léon Gallery in 2022. Amorsolo's *The Burning of Manila* was described by Léon Gallery Director Jaime Ponce de León as “our Guernica,” emphasizing its historical significance. The strong results signal sustained international interest in Philippine modernism and the cultural narratives embedded in these artworks.