MANILA, Philippines — León Gallery kicks off its 15th anniversary celebrations with The Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2025, happening tomorrow, June 7.
Among the pieces to be auctioned off are rare collections from some of the country’s business families.
Fernando Amorsolo’s The Burning of Manila for instance was acquired directly by Don Jacobo Zóbel de Ayala y Roxas from Amorsolo himself. Don Jacobo bequeathed “The Burning of Manila” to Don Enriquito, whose wife, Dee Ann Hora-Zóbel, in turn, loaned the masterpiece to the National Museum of the Philippines, where it remained for a decade until the family of Don Enrique decided it was time to pass it on to its new owner.
The eminent Araneta brothers, Don Luis and Don Antonio, both from the first generation of art collectors following the cultural devastation brought about by World War II, are equally highlighted. Don Luis is the architectural genius behind Makati Med, Manila Doctors, Cubao Cathedral, Times Theater and Botica Boie, among other notable projects.
Representing Don Luis’ collection is Botong Francisco’s Study for Sinigang, the boceto of his 1959 mural, Sinigang, which was once in his famed trove and has now found a new home in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas collection.
On the other side of the coin, there is Don Antonio, the legal luminary who followed in the footsteps of their father, the lawyer and nationalist Gregorio Araneta.
Another Amorsolo painting comes from the collection of Madame Evdoxia Adamson, the wife of George Lucas Adamson, founder of Adamson University. Titled Water Carrier, the painting was acquired by Obdula “Dolly” Darjuan from Amorsolo himself and presented it as a birthday gift to Madame Evdoxia.
Notably, Dolly’s husband was a co-founder of Adamson University, and she was a close friend of Madame Evdoxia. According to Isidra Reyes, “Dolly became acquainted with Amorsolo when one of her siblings married into his family, which is how she acquired the painting directly.”
Also present is the media mogul and innovator Don Geny Lopez, with Vicente Manansala’s Kwaresma from his golden years of the 1960s, capturing the country’s vibrant Holy Week traditions in his signature Cubist-abstract visual language.
For further inquiries, email info@leon-gallery.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content
