León Gallery's Spectacular Mid Year Auction 2025 will feature a rare egg tempera painting by pioneering Filipina modernist Anita Magsaysay-Ho titled *Water Carriers / Taga-igib* (1947). The work is expected to draw strong market interest, following the artist's previous egg tempera sales at the same auction house—*Tinapa (Fish) Vendors* (1975) and *Fruit Market* (1957)—which fetched $1.52 million and $1.56 million respectively. Only about 20 works by Magsaysay-Ho exist in this delicate medium, making this lot exceptionally scarce. The sale also includes three works by Spanish Filipino artist Fernando Zóbel, whose market has recently surged after exhibitions at the Prado Museum, Ayala Museum, and National Gallery Singapore.
The auction underscores the growing global recognition of Filipino modern art and the premium placed on rare technical works like egg tempera. Magsaysay-Ho's status as a pioneer of Philippine Modernism and the extreme rarity of her egg tempera pieces position this sale as a potential record-breaker. The inclusion of Zóbel, who is only the second modern artist shown at the Prado after Picasso, further signals the rising institutional and commercial validation of Southeast Asian modernists. The event highlights how specialized auction houses like León Gallery are driving market momentum for historically significant yet previously undervalued artists from the region.