Leon Gallery's 'The Spectacular Mid-Year Auction' in Makati City features several key artworks from the Zóbel de Ayala family collection, including Fernando Amorsolo's 'The Burning of Manila'—one of the largest Amorsolo paintings ever auctioned—and multiple pieces by Fernando Zóbel, such as 'Versión en Toledo', 'Variante Sobre Un Tema de Cassatt', 'Talgo', and 'Pequeño homenaje a Stravinski'. Other notable lots include Anita Magsaysay-Ho's 'Water Carriers', Vicente Manansala's 'From the Market', and Hernando R. Ocampo's 'Miners'. The auction, scheduled for June 7, 2025, marks Leon Gallery's 15th anniversary in the art business.
The auction matters because it highlights the Zóbel de Ayala family's long-standing patronage of Filipino art and culture, from supporting museums like the Ayala Museum to founding the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español in Cuenca. The sale of historically significant works, particularly Amorsolo's depiction of Manila during World War II, underscores the intersection of art, heritage, and the market in the Philippines. It also demonstrates how major auction houses like Leon Gallery continue to shape the local art scene by offering rare pieces from prominent collections.