Federico Aguilar Alcuaz Sold at Auction Prices

Painter, b. 1932 - d. 2011

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          • PROPERTY FROM THE LORNA REVILLA MONTILLA COLLECTION Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Oct. 26, 2024

            PROPERTY FROM THE LORNA REVILLA MONTILLA COLLECTION Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱40,000 - ₱52,000

            Untitled signed and dated 1967 and inscribed Manila (lower left) ink on fabric 17 1/2" x 16 1/2" (44 cm x 42 cm)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Oct. 26, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000

            Portrait of a Man signed and dated 1978 (bottom) pastel on paper 24" x 18" (61 cm x 46 cm)

            Leon Gallery
          • PROPERTY FROM THE DON BENITO J. LEGARDA JR. COLLECTION Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Oct. 26, 2024

            PROPERTY FROM THE DON BENITO J. LEGARDA JR. COLLECTION Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱80,000 - ₱104,000

            Untitled (Seascape) ca. 1970s oil on canvas 17 1/2" x 13 1/2" (44 cm x 34 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Christian M. Aguilar con firming the authenticity of this lot

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Untitled (Abstract)
            Sep. 14, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Untitled (Abstract)

            Est: ₱220,000 - ₱286,000

            PROPERTY FROM THE JESUS AND MARITESS PINEDA COLLECTION Untitled (Abstract) signed and dated 1976 (upper left) oil on canvas 20" x 16" (51 cm x 41 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UP Federico Aguilar Alcuaz’s abstractions toe the line between figuration and delineation. Belonging to the exceptional classification of artists who excel in various mediums and forms, Alcuaz painted abstractions and figurations, made ceramics and tapestries, sculptured and created small works of art from paper scraps, among others. With such a level of mastery in the arts, the logical next step for him was to blur the lines between mediums and genres, creating for himself an intimately personal oeuvre. Such is the case with this 1976 Untitled (Abstract). Alcuaz’s virtuosity made it possible for him to seamlessly shift from one medium to another or to combine the seemingly disparate elements of two different genres. With his abstractions, Alcuaz plays around with the pictorial planes, creating an image of an almost figuration. One could see the flowers Alcuaz placed in the midst of the abstraction but nothing more and nothing less. Bearing the mark of his playful personality, his abstractions play around with their shapes and forms, utilizing deliberate delineation of colors and sharp outlines to create a surreal image of harmony and chaos. “Alcuaz aimed for the unintentional to fabricate his abstractions,” Alcuaz’s monograph Alcuaz: Navigating the Spanish Soul writes, “and in the process created an illusory geography, frighteningly surreal due to its somber and isolated atmosphere despite the cool and calm colors.” (Hannah Valiente)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Untitled
            Sep. 14, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Untitled

            Est: ₱120,000 - ₱156,000

            Untitled signed and dated 1949 (upper left) watercolor on paper 17" x 12" (43 cm x 30 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mr. Christian M. Aguilar confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UP By 1949, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz was juggling the difficult roles of both being a student of Law at San Beda University and a painting student at UP School of Fine Arts, a compromise for his father who believed that Alcuaz would have difficulties in finances should he remain as a mere painter. However, his fear was assuaged when Alcuaz, even as a student, earned enough money only through his drawings and paintings. This abstraction, done in the same year, features the type of distortion Alcuaz would improve in his later years. Toeing the line between abstraction and figuration, he plays around planes and shapes, utilizing deliberate splotches of colors to create a surreal image of harmony and chaos. (Hannah Valiente)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jul. 27, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱35,000 - ₱45,500

            Abstract signed and dated 1971 (lower right) and inscribed N.Y watercolor and pastel on paper 12" x 18" (30 cm x 46 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Mr. Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jul. 27, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱40,000 - ₱52,000

            Nude Series signed and dated 1969 (lower left) watercolor on paper 13 1/2" x 9 1/2" (34 cm x 24 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Mr. Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jul. 27, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱50,000 - ₱65,000

            Untitled signed and dated 1966 (lower left) ink and watercolor on paper 37" x 17 3/4" (93 cm x 45 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Mr. Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jul. 27, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱50,000 - ₱65,000

            Abstract signed and dated 1974 (lower left) watercolor on paper 34" x 17 1/4" (86 cm x 44 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Mr. Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jul. 27, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱40,000 - ₱52,000

            Self Portrait signed and dated 1973 (lower right) pen and ink on paper 8” x 5 1/4” (20 cm x 13 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Mr. Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot

            Leon Gallery
          • FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ Philippines 1932-2011 ...
            Jul. 02, 2024

            FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ Philippines 1932-2011 ...

            Est: -

            FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ Philippines 1932-2011 Still life of peaches. 1968 Oil on tablex Signed and dated 1968 Measurements 23.5 x 45 cm

            Subastas Segre
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Blues in the Night
            Jun. 08, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Blues in the Night

            Est: ₱1,600,000 - ₱2,080,000

            PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A VERY DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN Blues in the Night dated 1972 tapestry No 11008 56" x 74" (143 cm x 187 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot EXHIBITED: Galerie De Zonnewijzer, Philips Ontspannings Centrum, Aguilar Alcuaz (One-Man Exhibition of Tapestries), Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 11 January - 11 February 1973 LITERATURE: Aguilar Alcuaz: One-Man Exhibition of Tapestries (Exhibition Catalog). Eindhoven: Philips Ontspannings Centrum, 1973. Published on the occasion of Federico Aguilar-Alcuaz's Solo Exhibition of Tapestries at the Galerie De Zonnewijzer in 1973. Listed as "37. Blauw in de nacht" in the catalog insert specifying the artist's price list of the tapestries exhibited. Weaving Music Into Art Alcuaz’s Tapestry of Harmony Federico Aguilar Alcuaz’s tapestries are abstractions of a high and avant-garde order. In 1968, Alcuaz ventured into the art of tapestries, stimulated by his sojourn to Brno in the former Czechoslovakia. The city was the headquarters of the Wool Research Institute, where in the late 1950s, three Czech textile engineers—František Pohl, Václav Skála, and Jiří Haluza—pioneered the Protis technology, which enabled woolen, loose fabric to be transformed into a joined two-layer, non-woven textile. The innovation would further spill into the arts, giving rise to Art Protis, first fostered by prominent Czech textile artist Antonín Kybal. Art Protis would soon find itself in every corner possible, from hotels to residential interiors to public spaces. Says his wife, Ute, in the side notes of the artist’s chronology published in Alcuaz’s monograph written by Rod. Paras- Perez: “Fred was in Brno...beginning in 1968. This was during the Prague Spring Revolution—Art Protis. Fred went to Brno to make tapestries until the early 1980s. He was always making sure he had enough dollars, the only currency the factory accepted as payment for the finished tapestries. Fred enjoyed...engaging in the creative process of composing the tapestries. The people...adored him. Even the mayor would frequent the tapestry factory to visit him whenever he was in town.” Alcuaz became enamored with this unique innovation and began incorporating it as his own. Alcuaz’s tapestry-making process is one of self-expression and self-dependence. "[Alcuaz does] away with preliminary sketches or designs," writes Rosalinda Orosa in the 16 July 1971 issue of The Manila Chronicle. "He came upon his technique all by himself…The advantage of Alcuaz’s tapestry is that for the first time, the artist is directly and totally involved in it—he needs no one’s help." Using unwoven wool dyed in varying colors, he dismisses paint as a medium, cuts the textile into pieces, and skillfully heaps and interweaves them like a collage. After threading the work, he brings it to Art Protis in Brno, where Alcuaz uses their massive machines to press the tapestry into finality. Alcuaz would first debut his tapestries at a solo exhibition at the Luz Gallery in February 1969. In the 20 July 1972 issue of the Manila Chronicle, art critic Alfredo Roces notes that Alcuaz’s tapestries were high in demand in Spain that the artist could not keep up. Whereas in his own country, the collectors were yet to keep up and discover this genius by the artist. Eventually, Alcuaz would single handedly bring the art of the tapestry into a rousing c o m m e r c i a l success in the Philippines. The work at hand, titled Blues in the Night, was showcased at a much- p r a i s e d 1973 exhibition of Alcuaz’s tapestries at Netherland’s iconic Philips Ontspannings Centrum. The tapestry still bears the original label imprinted at its back, indicating that the work was completed in the Art Protis factory in Brno. “Alcuaz was the first—so far, the only one—who, from a purely plastic point of view, undertakes the complete execution of the tapestry without assistance or intermediaries,” writes L. Muñoz Viñaras, a prominent member of the Spanish Association of Art Critics, in his commentary on the exhibition. Blues in the Night is characterized by intersecting textiles that are dynamically rendered and collectively transformed into lines of varying degrees of sinuousness, like a river’s pristine waters delicately meandering through a lush forest. Alcuaz weaves his love for music into this work, as evident in its title referencing the popular music genre. Was Alcuaz listening to blues music while making this tapestry? Akin to a blues composition, Alcuaz uses somber colors to evoke emotional intensity and expressiveness rather than depict a physical subject. In doing so, Alcuaz highlights a kind of mystifying poetic lyricism that only reveals itself to the artist. With the work’s slick instinctiveness, Alcuaz establishes a connection between his inner being and his art. Alcuaz’s appropriation of the qualities of music through a melodious and dynamic course that is spontaneous in form and enigmatic in essence gives prominence not to a material substance but to a part musical, part metaphysical sensibility so deeply ingrained in Alcuaz’s being. (Adrian Maranan)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Tres Marias Series
            Jun. 08, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Tres Marias Series

            Est: ₱700,000 - ₱910,000

            Tres Marias Series signed and dated 1985 (lower right) oil on canvas 28" x 36" (76 cm x 91 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mr. Christian M. Aguilar confirming the authenticity of this lot Federico Aguilar Alcuaz’s 1985 Tres Marias Series is one in the long line of works from his Tres Marias series. Starting from the 1970s, Alcuaz built on what critic Alice Guillermo in her 2007 critique Sightings described as a genre of “beautiful, long-gowned women with a 19th-century air engaged in a variety of domestic activities.” However, Tres Marias Series most notably bares these women down, both figuratively and literally. In the same Guillermo critique, she had taken specific notice of Alcuaz’s nudes. “One can venture to say that some of the most elegant nudes in painting come from Alcuaz’s brush,” she writes. “He abides by the basic classical disciplines but shuns theatrical gesture and dramatic color, and situates them in a more familiar contemporary context.” Tres Marias Series marries Alcuaz’s famed themes by depicting the women, usually in beautiful elegant gowns, in various states of undress. These women are lounging around a brightly lit room with a window showing a panoramic view of the city. They are relaxed with their guards down, an implicit show of trust for each other. There is a suppleness and ease to their bodies, the light bouncing off bare skin with such an intense luminosity. The vibrancy of the piece with the occasional bursts of colors makes the work all the more cohesive. Elegant and vivacious, Tres Marias Series is a testament to Alcuaz’s spontaneity, humor, and wit and his unfailing commitment to his artistic vision. (Hannah Valiente)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Barcelona
            Jun. 08, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Barcelona

            Est: ₱800,000 - ₱1,040,000

            PROPERTY FROM THE DON J. ANTONIO ARANETA COLLECTION Barcelona signed and dated 1957 (lower left) oil on canvas 26" x 32" (66 cm x 81 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot An Early Work from Alcuaz’s Coveted Barcelona Period In 1955, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz traveled to Spain, armed with a study grant from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs made possible through the intervention and recommendation of the great Fernando Zobel, who was greatly impressed by the works of the then-23-year-old Alcuaz, which were exhibited at the Philippine Art Gallery earlier that year. (It signaled his debut not only at the legendary gallery but into the dynamic post-war Philippine art scene.) Alcuaz would enroll at the famed Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, following in the footsteps of Luna, Hidalgo, De la Rosa, and Amorsolo. Alcuaz would soon transfer to sunny Barcelona. It would be the trip of a lifetime, both literally and figuratively, as Alcuaz would not only paint a name of his own in Barcelona but would make the city his home base, setting up his own studio on the fourth floor of 285 Calle de Aragon, maintaining that place as the nucleus of his artistic base for forty years—from July 1957 until August 1997. He would also find romance in Barcelona in the bewitching person of the then-19-year-old Ute Gisela Gertrud Schmitz, a German working at a Spanish trading company, all the while pursuing commerce and languages. The two first met in 1957, around the time of Alcuaz’s solo exhibition at Galerias Manila. Federico and Ute would tie the knot on September 22, 1959, and their love would bear three sons: Christian Michael, Andreas Frederic, and Wolfgang Matthias. In Barcelona, Alcuaz became associated with the “La Puñalada,” one of the city’s most “rebellious” groups of artists who frequently convened, conversed, and debated at the La Puñalada, a restaurant serving Catalan-French haute cuisine located at Paseo de Gràcia, dubbed “Barcelona’s most expensive street” and known for being a prime cultural, entertainment, and business district. Alicia Coseteng writes in “The Transition to Maturity” chapter of the all-important monograph on Philippine art, Art Philippines: “[Alcuaz] fell in with the members of the La Puñalada group… founded by Rusinol, Casas, and Picasso—the rebel leaders against the Salon artists. Alcuaz and his contemporaries, [Jaume] Muxart, [Sergio] Aragones, and [Jordi] Aluma, began to identify themselves with the neofigurative movement, by then gathering momentum in France, Italy, and Spain. They became the Spanish “neofiguratives,” following in the spirit of the great Spaniard—Picasso.” With this fortuitous encounter—and away from the confines of conservatism, which he first acquired in his studies at the UP School of Fine Arts, then helmed by the all-powerful pack of conservatives rooted in the romantic pastoral: Amorsolo, Miranda, Herrera, and Tolentino—Alcuaz geared towards a style in which somber colors echoing a brooding atmosphere and strokes highlighted by thick, heavy impastos result in an expressiveness grounded on the La Puñalada’s attack against the Spanish formalists, who heavily relied on the plastic elements of art, altogether shunning the human figure, natural forms, everyday lived experiences, and “the objective world of nature,” as Coseteng puts it. Alcuaz’s newfound creative spirit and artistic association with the La Puñalada is discerned in this 1957 work at hand. Alcuaz depicts a band of men seated among each other, indulging in a sumptuous feast and chugging a drink or seven. (Could these be Alcuaz and his comrades outside at La Puñalada after a night feasting on grub, intoxicated with booze, and wild about art?) Alcuaz emphasizes figuration through the subjects’ bulky physical forms emphasized by rounded contours, albeit there is a deliberate blurring of the figures’ facial features. One can also discern vestiges of Cezanne’s influence in this work (Cezanne was one of Alcuaz’s foremost luminaries). Alcuaz painted the work at hand the same year he won the first prize at Barcelona’s Premio Moncada. It was the first award he received during his Barcelona years. The painting at hand is also an exceptional rarity, for it is among the first works by Alcuaz, in which he affixed his signature as “Aguilar Alcuaz.” Ovit Aguilar, Federico’s elder brother, writes in the artist’s chronology published in Paras-Perez’s monograph that their “father got really furious…when he [Federico] sent a newspaper clipping mentioning him as “Alcuaz” and not “Aguilar.” Ovit continues, “[Federico] was able to pacify our father by explaining that he used his maternal name because there were too many Aguilars in Spain.” “It was the custom in Spain that the maternal surname usually came [first]—Federico Aguilar y Alcuaz. For convenience, the “y” was dropped so that his name would come out as ‘Federico Aguilar Alcuaz.’ This our father did not readily accept or understand.” (Adrian Maranan)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Untitled (Barcelona Series)
            Jun. 08, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Untitled (Barcelona Series)

            Est: ₱1,000,000 - ₱1,300,000

            Untitled (Barcelona Series) signed and dated 1961 (lower left) oil on canvas 26" x 32" (65 cm x 81 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot The beauty of Alcuaz’s paintings from his “Barcelona Period” lies in their inherent potency in capturing and marrying the melodious sensibility of music with the vivid imprinting of evocations and impressions from a piece of visual art. Perhaps the secret to this enigmatic yet stimulating amalgamation can be found in Alcuaz’s Barcelona home. “I remember that every weekend, he [Alcuaz] would buy a bunch of flowers to bring a touch of color to our home in Barcelona,” says Ute Aguilar, Alcuaz’s wife, in her annotations to her spouse’s biography written by Rod. Paras-Perez. “There was always music in our home,” she further adds. Alcuaz’s ingrained affinity for music (He loved classical music and was good at playing the cello. His father, Mariano Aguilar, from whom he inherited the love for music, was also a musical composer) can be discerned in this 1961 work from Alcuaz’s much-coveted “Barcelona Period.” The painting is composed of two subjects superimposed and overpainted on one another. The first depicts a quaint forest scene populated with lush trees and a pristine river. The other shows an array of houses seemingly lining up a tranquil street in a suburban environment. Like a music player casting diverse, harmonious tunes vividly expressing a wide array of emotions, Alcuaz seamlessly weaves the often-contradicting themes of the pastoral and the urban/metropolitan into one painting that captures the best of both worlds. Moreover, the painting possesses a mystifying layer that Alcuaz himself could only explain. The work slowly reveals Alcuaz’s affinity for an abstraction that veers away from the material and confidently embraces the lyrical, enigmatic, and surreal. This Barcelona Period painting captures Alcuaz at his most gratified and consummate, an artist in his period of golden prosperity, both in the personal and poetic sense. Alcuaz made this work during his sixth year of settlement in Spain and fourth year in Barcelona, the sunny city that he made his permanent homebase in mid-1957. In this same year, Alcuaz was awarded the Diploma of Honor at the International Exhibition of Art Libre in Paris. (Adrian Maranan)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Untitled (Landscape)
            Jun. 08, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Untitled (Landscape)

            Est: ₱600,000 - ₱780,000

            Untitled (Landscape) signed and dated 1974 (lower left) oil on canvas 32" x 26" (82 cm x 65 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE Private collection, Spain   Alcuaz’s Paisaje Injecting Lyricism into Landscape Painting   In 1977, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz embarked on a frantic journey, which was earlier fueled by his desire to paint Manila and its environs before he once again left for Europe. Creating a total of 150 paintings done within four months, his Portrait of Manila series rendered the city in an “inscaped cycloramic point of view,” as a 2018 National Commission for the Culture and the Arts catalog for the exhibition “Federico Aguilar Alcuaz: A Panorama of the National Artist’s Genius” described it, its ever changing cityscapes recorded in Alcuaz’s swift impressionistic brush strokes. Preceding his Portrait of Manila by three years is this 1974 landscape. Alcuaz’s paisajes – which translates from Spanish to sceneries – straddles the line between Spain and the Philippines, the two countries where Alcuaz found home. His Spanish landscapes, as evidenced by this work, are not the common pastoral scenes rooted in real-life settings but culled from memory and emotion. Figuration and abstraction he wields freely and liberally – his abstract works hold traces of figurative images and vice versa. This is evident in this work, where the artist treats the composition as an open space with no limits or hierarchy to concern himself with. His landscapes, through experimentation and his signature gestural brush strokes, transcend and break the rules placed upon landscape painting – his elements seem to ‘go beyond’ the canvas, indicating a completely new world to be explored. Alcuaz’s landscapes are neither Spanish nor Filipino – or perhaps it is both at the same time. Traces of the country’s influence remain in Alcuaz’s works, as evidenced by his quote recalled in the same 2018 catalog: “No matter how long I stay in Spain, I am told that there will always be the Filipino in my landscapes, and whenever I paint in the Philippines, I am told that the Spanish in me always comes out. So I just paint.” (Hannah Valiente)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Abstract in Green / Black
            Jun. 08, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Abstract in Green / Black

            Est: ₱160,000 - ₱208,000

            Abstract in Green / Black signed, dated 1981 and inscribed "N.Y." (lower left) oil on canvas 19" x 20 1/2" (48 cm x 52 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot Federico Aguilar Alcuaz played with abstraction and figuration all throughout his career. One finds traces of figuration in his abstract works and his figurations a touch of abstraction. This blurring of distinction is evident in his 1981 Abstract in Green/Black. Alcuaz’s contemporary inspiration can be viewed in this piece; his 1950s Spanish sojourn brought him to the La Punalada Group of abstractionists, which includes Antoni Tàpies whose characteristic color blocks and thick black outlines made its mark on Alcuaz. Using only black and white with a spattering of green, he uses shapes, curves, and perspective to show the musicality weaving its way into the piece. Alcuaz himself is a gifted musician (he is a cellist in particular) and his sensitivity to music bleeds into his abstraction, allowing him to create abstract symphonic pieces like the lot in hand. (Hannah Valiente)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Tres Marias
            Jun. 08, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Tres Marias

            Est: ₱600,000 - ₱780,000

            Tres Marias signed and dated 1985 (upper right) oil on canvas 26" x 31" (67 cm x 79 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mr. Christian M. Aguilar confirming the authenticity of this lot Federico Aguilar Alcuaz is among the country’s most enduring modernists. Bold and cosmopolitan with a flair for Spanish sensibilities, his works are among the most coveted, with one of his most popular series Tres Marias finding itself in the annals of Philippine art history. “The Tres Marias series was painted between 1978 and 1979,” says Alcuaz’s older brother Mariano “Ovit” Aguilar Jr. in Rod Paras-Perez’s Parallel Texts. “The subjects were waitresses at Cafe Coquilla, Rotisserie, and the Chinese restaurant in the Manila Hilton, where he is staying. The paintings were done during the free hours or breaks of these waitresses.” In this 1985 Tres Marias, the artist evokes the somber color palette of Spanish painters Diego Velázquez and Francisco Goya but with his characteristic playfulness seeping through. Three women in what looks like traditional Spanish dresses are sitting in a loose circle, caught in the middle of a chat. His brush strokes, swift and short, give a sense of immediacy to the portraiture, as though it was a picture taken mise-en- scène, a feeling exemplified when one takes into consideration the familiar way the women are huddled together, the blurred window at their back implying their indoor setting, and the angle Alcuaz chose to paint this scene with which suggests the viewer is an unwitting guest walking into the room the women are in. “The paintings could invoke by themselves [various] anecdotes,” Alcuaz writes about a different Tres Marias painting in a December 22, 1981 journal. While it is a comment about a specific work, this sentiment could be extended to the rest of Alcuaz’s Tres Marias series. In his depiction of women amid their daily activities, he provides a tableau of the rich hidden world of women that is often not depicted elsewhere. Their camaraderie takes center stage, raising the intimate relationships one’s mother, sister, wife, and daughter engage in outside the oft-patriarchal social setting. In Alcuaz’s many iterations of the Marias, he has told a myriad of stories that do not limit themselves to one interpretation. Instead, they are evergrowing and ever-evolving, allowing the viewer to connect to his work in a deeply personal way. (Hannah Valiente)

            Leon Gallery
          • Ink on Paper Drawing of a Chair, ascribed to Federico Aguilar Alcuaz
            May. 18, 2024

            Ink on Paper Drawing of a Chair, ascribed to Federico Aguilar Alcuaz

            Est: -

            Filipino early 20th century (dated 1959) ink on paper drawing of a “silla” (chair), ascribed to the National Artist for Visual Arts Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932-2011). Prominently known as an abstract (specifically Cubist) artist, Alcuaz was described by distinguished art critic and professor emerita Alice Guillermo as “one of our top-level Filipino artists who have deservedly won national and international acclaim.” Among the distinctions he received were the Prix Francisco Goya (Barcelona, 1958), Diploma of Honor at the International Exhibition of Art Libre (Paris, 1961), and Decoration of Arts, Letters and Sciences as well as Order of French Genius (Paris, 1964).

            Casa de Memoria
          • FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ, FILIPINO 1932-2011, UNTITLED, 1965, Watercolor and ink on paper mounted on board, Sight: 17 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. (44.5 x 47 cm.), Frame: 23 x 23 1/2 in. (58.4 x 59.7 cm.)
            Apr. 23, 2024

            FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ, FILIPINO 1932-2011, UNTITLED, 1965, Watercolor and ink on paper mounted on board, Sight: 17 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. (44.5 x 47 cm.), Frame: 23 x 23 1/2 in. (58.4 x 59.7 cm.)

            Est: $1,500 - $3,000

            FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ FILIPINO, 1932-2011 UNTITLED, 1965 Watercolor and ink on paper mounted on board Upper left signed and dated: Aguilar Alcuaz 65; Center right inscribed: Merry Christmas/1966 Catalogue note: "The world of Alcuaz is a strange and dynamic one—charged with breathing forms and lurking shadows, filled with warm sensuous colors and vertiginous movement. Some inner sense of order compels the artist to give a wild harmony to the chaos of imagination. His vision may be wild, but it always has coherence and a special kind of grandeur." (Alicia Coseteng, Art Philippines (1992)). Federico Aguilar Alcuaz is considered one of the most successful and internationally well-known Filipino modernist artists. Following a successful solo exhibition in Manila in 1958, Aguilar used a government-awarded fellowship to relocate to Spain, settling in Barcelona, where he maintained a studio for the next forty years. The work Aguilar Alcuaz created in Barcelona exemplifies his most inventive and avant-garde explorations and garnered Alguiar Alcuaz his international recognition. The work, Untitled, 1965, exemplifies the artist's signature modernist style of the 1960s and 1970s with overlapping, flowing, and morphing shapes and spaces swirling within the entire pictorial space.

            Potomack Company
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Apr. 20, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱300,000 - ₱390,000

            City View signed and dated 1981 (upper right) oil on canvas 14 1/2" x 18" (37 cm x 46 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Mr. Christian Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot

            Leon Gallery
          • FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ - Landscape
            Mar. 19, 2024

            FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ - Landscape

            Est: -

            FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ Philippines 1932-2011 Landscape. 1974 Oil on canvas Signed and dated 1974 Measurements 77 x 61 cm

            Subastas Segre
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Landscape
            Mar. 09, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Landscape

            Est: ₱700,000 - ₱910,000

            PROPERTY FROM THE DON EUGENIO “GENY” LOPEZ JR. COLLECTION Landscape signed and dated 1976 (lower right) oil on canvas 26" x 32" (66 cm x 81 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UP: The landscapes of National Artist Federico Aguilar Alcuaz are not a run-of-the-mill depiction of a terrain lifted from real life – though a mentee of prodigious Dr. Toribio Herrera, he forged his own path past his mentor’s Amorsoloesque sceneries with his dynamic and natural art style, playful and dreamlike at the same time. His Landscape (1976) depicts a quaint riverside in the country en plein air – rich blues and deep greens are used to illustrate the lush greenery with the stream cutting through the trees and the plain. Vibrant yellows highlight the scene, recreating the warm afternoon to an almost realistic extent. The brilliance of Alcuaz, however, shines through his impressionistic style – the leaves are depicted in spontaneous brushstrokes, the rippling water made alive by excitable dance-like sweeps. The end result is a realistic image that is warped as if in a dream, soft and intense all at once in a way that is typical for Alcuaz. (Hannah Valiente)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jan. 20, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱5,000 - ₱6,500

            Untitled signed and dated (upper) pen and ink on cigarette box 2 1/4" x 3" (6 cm x 8 cm)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jan. 20, 2024

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱120,000 - ₱156,000

            Untitled signed and dated 1979 (lower right) oil on canvas 12 1/2" x 16 1/2" (32 cm x 42 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Mr. Christian Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot

            Leon Gallery
          • FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ (Philippines, 1932). Untitled, 1974. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated in the lower left area.
            Dec. 12, 2023

            FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ (Philippines, 1932). Untitled, 1974. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated in the lower left area.

            Est: €10,000 - €12,000

            FEDERICO AGUILAR ALCUAZ (Philippines, 1932). Untitled, 1974. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated in the lower left area. Size: 78 x 62 cm; 92 x 78 cm (frame). In this work the artist treats the composition based on an open style, whose basic characteristic is the conception of the pictorial surface as a whole, as an open field, without limits and without hierarchy. Thus, as we see here, the pictorial forms, the fruit of chance and experimentation, pure stain and gestural brushstrokes, are not limited to a composition but go beyond it, indicating to the spectator that they are forms, ideas or suggestions that go beyond the frontiers of the purely pictorial and start from the figurative. According to the words dedicated to the artist in the works belonging to the BBVA collection, "In his composition one can appreciate echoes of the Paris School, which is interesting coming from a Filipino, because of the inherent exoticism that emanates from his works; which leads us to reflect on the fact that creation in the Philippines was never as far away as we might think from that of Miró, Kandinsky or Picasso. Born in Santa Cruz, Manila, Alcuaz studied law at the Ateneo in the Philippine capital, graduating in 1955. Between 1949 and 1950 he took painting courses at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts, where he was taught by painter Fernando Amorsolo and sculptor Guillermo Tolentino, as well as other prominent Filipino artists such as Toribio Herrera, Ireneo Miranda and Constancio Bernardo. During his student years he was already awarded first prize at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts (1953), and the same award in the 1953 UP Art and 1954 Shell competitions. In 1955 he obtained a scholarship from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which enabled him to move to Madrid and enter the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts. The following year he moved to Barcelona, where he joined the group La Puñalada, together with Tàpies, Cuixart and Tharrats. In Spain Alcuaz was again awarded the first Moncada Prize (1957), the Francisco de Goya Prize of the Cercle Maillol in Barcelona (1958), the first prize for painting in Sant Pol de Mar (1961), the second Vancells Prize at the IV Biennial of Tarrassa (1964), and the Republic Cultural Heritage Award (1965). From Spain he began his international projection, being distinguished in Paris with the Diploma of Honour at the International Exhibition of Free Art in 1961 and, in 1963, with the Medal of the City of Paris for Arts, Letters and Sciences. More recently, in 2007, Alcuaz was recognised by the Philippine government with the Presidential Medal of Merit for his achievements in the field of visual arts. In his fifty-five-year career, the painter has had solo exhibitions in leading galleries in Spain, the Philippines, Portugal, Poland, the United States and Germany, among other countries. Alcuaz's works are currently held in some twenty museums and cultural institutions around the world, including the Museums of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, Madrid, Krakow and Warsaw, the Gulbenkian Foundation in London and the Philips Museum in Holland.

            Setdart Auction House
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Untitled
            Dec. 02, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Untitled

            Est: ₱200,000 - ₱260,000

            Untitled signed and dated 1979 (lower right) oil on canvas 16 1/2” x 21” (42 cm x 53 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mr. Christian M. Aguilar confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UPFor nine years, spanning 1955 to 1964, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz made Barcelona his artistic base. Armed with a fellowship from Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alcuaz’s career flourished with his years in Europe. He began his arduous education in Spain, first as a craftsman then as an artist, and as luck would have it, the Barcelona of Alcuaz’s time is home to the experimental modernists rebelling against conservatism in art. He became a member of the La Puñalada group – founded by artists Rusinol, Casas, and Picasso – and sure enough, he began to identify with the neo-figurative movement. This movement rose in response to the ever-pervading influence of the Spanish formalists of the time who rely heavily on powerful lines, brutal textures, broken forms, and somber elegant colors. These formalists rejected the objective nature of the world in favor of chasing sensations. Alcuaz’s world on canvas is a strange one with dynamic, subdued colors that suggest an ever-present tragedy. His bleak landscapes are one of lurking shadows and geometrized planes and these principles are present in his 1979 untitled work. Painted in black- and-white with pops of bright red and orange, this work feels right at home with the rest of Alcuaz’s oeuvre. Throughout his 55-year career, Alcuaz became a lauded landscape and abstract painter recognized by art historian Dr. Rod Paras-Perez as the “epic troubadour of the urban landscape”. (Hannah Valiente)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Oct. 21, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱10,000 - ₱13,000

            Untitled signed and dated 1963 (lower right) etching 5” x 11” (13 cm x 28 cm)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Oct. 21, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱60,000 - ₱78,000

            Serie Madrid signed and dated 1975 (lower right) watercolor on paper 12” x 15 1/2” (30 cm x 39 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Mr. Christian

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Oct. 21, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱60,000 - ₱78,000

            PROPERTY FROM THE CELIA FLOR - COROMINAS COLLECTION Baguio signed and dated 1954 (lower right) watercolor on paper 16 1/2” x 20 1/4” (42 cm x 51 cm) PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Oct. 21, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000

            a.) Untitled (front) signed (lower right) tempera on paper 20” x 27” (51 cm x 69 cm) b.) Portrait (Back) graphite on paper 10 1/2” x 9 1/2” (27 cm x 24 cm)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Oct. 21, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000

            Untitled signed and dated 1972 (lower left) mixed media on paper 16 1/2” x 23 1/2” (42 cm x 60 cm)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Oct. 21, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱150,000 - ₱195,000

            Seaside signed and dated 1975 (upper left) oil on masonite board 9 1/2” x 13 /12” (24 cm x 34 cm)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Oct. 21, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱200,000 - ₱260,000

            Portrait of a Woman signed and dated 1986 (lower left) oil on canvas 23” x 18” (58 cm x 46 cm)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz 費德里克·亞吉拉·奧卡茲 | Abstract 抽象
            Oct. 06, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz 費德里克·亞吉拉·奧卡茲 | Abstract 抽象

            Est: - $300,000

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz 1932 - 2011 Abstract  oil on canvas signed Aguilar Alcuaz and dated 1967 (lower right)  Executed in 1967. 102.5 by 122.5 cm. 40 ⅓ by 48 ⅕ in.  The authenticity of the present lot has been confirmed by Christian M. Aguilar, son of the artist.  ------------------------------------ Federico Aguilar Alcuaz 1932-2011 抽象 油畫畫布 款識 Aguilar Alcuaz 1967（右下） 一九六七年作 102.5 x 122.5 cm. 40 ⅓ x 48 ⅕ in.  藝術家之子Christian M. Aguilar已為此作提供認證

            Sotheby's
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Abstract
            Sep. 09, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Abstract

            Est: ₱600,000 - ₱780,000

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) Abstract signed and dated 1971 (upper right) oil on canvas 30” x 24” (76 cm x 61 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Mr. Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot Federico Aguilar Alcuaz believed that the brilliance of an artwork had nothing to do with its being either abstract or figurative. Art, as a language, is able to indicate vague or concrete images in the same manner that musical compositions could as well do. Apparently, his musical afición was indeed vital, but so was his thorough grounding on the fundamental principles of art. The virtuosity of Alcuaz as a painter is present in his ability to swiftly shift from figurative painting to abstract. In the book Parallel Texts: Federico Aguilar Alcuaz written by Rod Paras-Perez, the artist’s works are “characterized by brisk vivacity, as though the artist were anxious to animate the work before whatever pact he had made with the supernatural expired, before the essence of his being succumbed to the inevitable.” In the ‘70s, Alcuaz held numerous exhibits both here and abroad, from Austria to Barcelona, Germany, and the Netherlands too. He would also travel between Manila, Madrid, and New York, although he thought of his travels as lost time, much preferring to spend it with his paintings. (Isabella Romarate)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - View of Intramuros
            Sep. 09, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - View of Intramuros

            Est: ₱2,000,000 - ₱2,600,000

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) View of Intramuros signed and dated 1977 (lower right) oil on canvas 24" x 60" (61 cm x 152 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Mr. Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot After Federico Aguilar Alcuaz’s prolific “Barcelona” period starting in 1955, he returned to his native Manila in 1964 with much acclaim and reverence from his motherland. He had just embarked on his “Golden Period,” producing the avant-garde Barcelona Paintings. Alcuaz had also gained international exposure, exhibiting in the leading galleries of Spain, Portugal, and the global art capital of Paris. In April 1964, Alcuaz was conferred by the French Government its prestigious Decoration of Arts, Letters, and Sciences Award. He would return to Manila by September of that year, holding exhibitions at The Luz Gallery and a Ten-Year Retrospective at the National Library. The following years would bestow Alcuaz with further recognitions: The Republic Cultural Heritage Award (June 1965), a solo exhibition at the Malacañang (May 1966), and the Araw ng Maynila Award (1966). Alcuaz had now emerged as a distinguished maestro in his own right. But Alcuaz would not stay in Manila in perpetuity, for he would not abandon his thriving international career. Yet, he needed a place to stay whenever he was in his native city: a place where he could witness the melting pot that was Manila’s colorful culture and heritage, which would be an inspiration for his landscapes in the years to come. In 1969, Alcuaz established residence at the then-newly built Manila Hilton Hotel (now the Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel and Casino) along United Nations Avenue in Ermita. Whenever he was in the city, the five-star hotel would remain his residence for four decades until his death in 2011. Alcuaz’s wife, Ute, shares in the sidenotes of Rod. ParasPerez’s book on the artist titled Parallel Texts: “Living without his wife and sons, he felt it was easier and more comfortable in a hotel, where he could come and go as he wanted. He was constantly traveling, hardly staying a long time without interruption in one place. As he was always present at his exhibitions, he had to travel extensively in Europe, USA, and Asia." Alcuaz’s hotel suite overlooked the site of his old studio on the former campus grounds of the Ateneo along Padre Faura St. It can be remembered that the Jesuit priest Fr. Thomas Cannon gave Alcuaz his first proper art studio within the university premises. It was at the Manila Hilton, then the Philippines' tallest building, that Alcuaz painted a series of scenic cityscapes in homage to his beloved Manila. But like a singer embarking on a world tour, Alcuaz would hop from one hotel to another in search of an alternative sweeping and dramatic view of a city where the old and the new clash in epic grandeur. The work at hand was painted from Alcuaz’s suite at the historic Manila Hotel, the Philippines’ oldest premiere hotel, built in 1909 and opened in 1912. The Manila Hotel possesses a vantage point offering an unobstructed view of the captivating juxtaposition of Manila’s old and new world charms. This piece shows an impressionist bird’s eye view of Intramuros and Ermita, in which antiquity weds beautifully with modernity. To the left is Intramuros, with the Manila Cathedral’s imposing dome and belfry rising above the historic walls of Old Manila. The Baluarte de San Diego, which had not yet been excavated until 1979, and the Legazpi-Urdaneta Monument face the Bonifacio Drive. Modern Ermita and its landmarks feature prominently in the rest of the canvas. Vestiges of the proposed national government center envisioned by Daniel Burnham mightily stand: the Neoclassical edifices of the Manila City Hall, the Old Legislative Building, and the Old Finance Building (the latter two are now the site of the National Museums of Fine Arts and Anthropology, respectively). The lush greenery of Rizal Park emerges on the right. The Manila Hilton, Alcuaz’s residence and the tallest structure in this composition, epitomizes Manila’s continuing embrace of modernity—for better or for worse. In a bustling panoramic view juxtaposing the old and new Manila, Alcuaz shows his profound appreciation of his city’s history and cultural identity. His high-powered gestural brushstrokes nourish the spirit of ethereality yet, at the same time, yield to a pulsating rhythm of being in the present. Akin to a riveting musician, Alcuaz’s panoramic landscape of Manila offers an inherent visual lyricism that sings the praises of distinguished and storied urbanity. (Adrian Maranan)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Nude in a Chair
            Sep. 09, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Nude in a Chair

            Est: ₱340,000 - ₱442,000

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) Nude in a Chair signed and dated 1982 (middle left) oil on canvas 28" x 22" (71 cm x 56 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Mr. Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot Traditional painting of the human figure, with its roots in the classical model, is not a thing of the part for artists like Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, who see in the figure a dynamic that applies to all eras. His nude pieces have a touch of European sensibility, owing to the artist’s sojourn in Spain for a significant period in his life. Leonidas Benesa wrote in 1975: “As a…painter, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz is unique: he does not do studies of his subjects or require them to undergo several sittings before he applies the finishing touches and affixes the attesting signature. In fact, the rule for him is to finish (the work) in one sitting, which rarely goes beyond an hour, usually with Brahms playing softly in the background.” As observed in the lot at hand, Alcuaz depicted his muse in a natural and relaxed pose, seated beside a window, with a facial expression that is solemn, as if she is in a state of deep reflection. (Isabella Romarate)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Abstract
            Sep. 09, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Abstract

            Est: ₱500,000 - ₱650,000

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) Abstract signed and dated 1967 (lower left) watercolor on paper 13 1/2" x 26 1/4" (34 cm x 67 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Mr. Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot Much like his musically-oriented father Atty. Mariano A. Aguilar, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz was a virtuoso of his own right. While he had initially followed in his father’s footsteps by studying law at the Ateneo De Manila, Alcuaz would eventually diverge from the pursuit of a legal profession and instead carve his own path as an artist—a fate perhaps already written in the stars by the young Federico’s festering inclination towards the visual arts in his teen years and the aficion for music in the Alcuaz household. It was the combination of these two aficion—music and the visual arts—that molded the virtuoso that is Federico Aguilar. Although renowned for his work in figurative and genre paintings, the abstract pieces in his oeuvre are just as well something to write home about. While the rhythm in his figurative works are often to be found in the gestural character of his brushwork, rhythm in Alcuaz’s more abstract pieces lies in the visual patterns and meanderings of the piece, thus imbuing it with an intrinsic musicality. Such a character is particularly apparent in this 1967 piece, just a year before Alcuaz embarked on making his equally musical abstract tapestries. It is also undoubtedly the result of a well-traveled artistic career of what printmaker and art critic Rod Paras-Perez calls ‘concert-painting,’ alluding to the artist’s travels akin to concert performance tours throughout which Alcuaz would make small abstract symphonic pieces in watercolor. (Pie Tiausas)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Manila Harbo
            Sep. 09, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) - Manila Harbo

            Est: ₱600,000 - ₱780,000

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011) Manila Harbo signed and dated 1977 (lower center) oil on canvas 17 1/2" x 21 1/2" (44 cm x 55 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot In 1977, Aguilar Alcuaz’s Portraits of Manila was exhibited at the Museum of Philippine Art (MOPA), showcasing oil paintings of Manila’s cityscape. Among these were paintings of various Manila bay scenes depicting the busy shipyard and serene atmospheric seascapes—all rendered in a distinct gestural hand, marked by a fleeting sense of place and time through a spontaneous and dynamic brushwork typical of Alcuaz’s works. Although having learned landscape painting under the tutelage of Dr. Toribio Herrera at the UP School of Fine Arts in 1949, Alcuaz would go on to develop a particular sense of place in his landscape paintings that drastically differed from his mentor’s Amorsoloesque naturalism: His is an impressionistic gesture that views the landscape with fresh eyes all too accustomed to the bustling cosmopolitan views of city life. Vast stretches of the urban sprawl would feature more than landscapes in his oeuvre of works, and his knack for rendering a panoramic totality of place—not only through composition, but also through the contending elements of geometric and gestural—would be carried on to his future works of naturalist scenes. (Pie Tiausas)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jul. 29, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000

            Abstract signed and dated 1978 (lower left) mixed media 17 1/2” x 24 1/2” (44 cm x 62 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jul. 29, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱50,000 - ₱65,000

            Untitled signed and dated 1968 (lower right) watercolor and oil on paper 10” x 14” (25 cm x 36 cm)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jul. 29, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱50,000 - ₱65,000

            PROPERTY FROM THE JENY LOPEZ COLLECTION Landscape signed and dated 1967(lower right) watercolor or india ink 17 3/4” x 32 3/4” (45 cm x 83 cm)

            Leon Gallery
          • LOT WITHDRAWN
            Jul. 29, 2023

            LOT WITHDRAWN

            Est: ₱170,000 - ₱221,000

            LOT WITHDRAWN

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jul. 29, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500

            Portrait of a Man print on canvas 28 32/4” x 23 3/4” (73 cm x 60 cm)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jun. 17, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱1,800,000 - ₱2,340,000

            Night in Marantz signed, inscribed Barcelona and dated 1961 (upper left) oil on wood 55" x 31" (140 cm x 79 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Makati City National Artist Federico Aguilar Alcuaz's avant-garde "Barcelona Years" are highly acclaimed as his "golden period"; his works during these years are the most coveted in his oeuvre. During this prolific period, Alcuaz seemed to attain new peaks every year. He was unstoppable, and countless awards and honors were bestowed upon him: First prize at the Premio Moncada (Barcelona, 1957); Prix Francisco Goya Award (Burgos, 1958); Diploma of Honor at the International Exhibit of Art Libre (Paris, 1961); first prize at the Pintura Sant Pol del Mar (Spain, 1961); 2nd prize at the Premio Vancell at the Fourth Biennial of Tarrasa (Barcelona, 1964); Decoration of Arts, Letters, and Sciences Award by the French Government (Paris, 1964); and the Order of French Genius (Paris, 1964), to name only a few. Alcuaz mounted exhibitions in major Spanish cities and the esteemed European centers of Paris, France; Lisbon, Portugal; and Hamburg, Germany. Barcelona was where Alcuaz came to terms with his artistry, having found his unique modernist language in the sunny city through his association with the "La Punalada Group" (La Punalada was a restaurant along Paseo de Gracia, Barcelona's most iconic avenue, where the group frequently convened), counting among its members Jaume Muxart, Sergio Aragones, and Jordi Aluma, disciples of the great Picasso and now, pillars of Spanish modern art. Barcelona was Alcuaz's home base for forty years. He set up his studio on the fourth floor of 285 Calle de Aragón, which—even in interludes to other countries, including his native Philippines—he maintained from July 1957 until August 1997. Alcuaz's "Barcelona" paintings all share the same attribute: the artist's love for music. In these works, Alcuaz injects euphonious lyricism and melody into his enigmatic compositions, compellingly resonating more with the viewer's perspective. The young Alcuaz grew up in a home where music takes center stage and inspires the everyday excursions of its inhabitants. In Rod. Paras-Perez's book on Alcuaz titled Parallel Texts, Ute Schmitz, the artist's wife, shares that her beloved other half always loved music. "He comes from a musical family," Schmitz says. "His father was a composer and played the violin and piano, and Fred played the cello. Other members of the family are accomplished musicians as well." Painting for Alcuaz is like performing at his own concert; his vigorous strokes evoke the soul-stirring cadence of a conductor's baton or a cellist's dramatic fiddling of his violoncello. Music and painting are wed in absolute harmony: inseparable and inviolable. Schmitz further elucidates: "When the boys were young, Fred was a very good, patient, and cheerful father to our kids, if he was around… I remember that every weekend, he would buy a bunch of flowers to bring a touch of color to our home in Barcelona. There was always music in our home." In the work at hand titled Night in Marantz, one discerns an enigmatic atmosphere, augmented by Alcuaz's dynamic and spontaneous brushstrokes and distinct take on Surrealism. The blazing oranges and the rich greens equally stand out vibrantly, seemingly conversing with each other through a riveting classical musical score. The work's title references the renowned audio manufacturing company, Marantz, founded in New York in 1953 by American musician and pioneer of high-fidelity audio components Saul Marantz. Schmitz says: "At home, in his studio, he would have music to accompany him while he paints. He loves classical music— anything and everything from Chopin, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven to Mahler." One can easily imagine Alcuaz painting this work while playing in his Marantz turntable Chopin's melancholic and poignant Nocturne Op. 9, No.2, Mozart's exultant Eine kleine Nachtmusik, or even Beethoven's haunting Symphony No. 9. A year before Alcuaz made Night in Marantz, his firstborn, Christian Michael, was born in Hamburg. The joys of parenthood thus add to the poetic expressiveness of the painting. Night in Marantz is like being transported to a dream-like world in which music is ever-present, soothingly resonating to the delicate ears. It's like a "Night of Thousand Beethovens, Chopins, or Mozarts" condensed into a single, lyrical magnum opus. Night in Marantz brings a multitude of feelings, recollections, and sentiments, depending on the viewer's disposition. This is why Alcuaz's works in his Barcelona Series are the most desired by every discerning art collector; they lend a liberty of visual exegesis. (A.M.)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jun. 17, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱700,000 - ₱910,000

            Dos Marias signed and dated 1985 (lower left) oil on canvas 22" x 28" (56 cm x 71 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE Private Collection, Manila Dos Marias is a variation of the Alcuaz iconic series that depicts three beautiful ladies in long gowns. Federico Aguilar Alcuaz started his Tres Marias series in the 1970s. At the time, the artist was a frequent and welcome guest at the Manila Hilton, one of the country's leading hotels. He would use the hotel staff as muses for the series, and sometimes the waitresses at the cafe or restaurant. Alcuaz would also go beyond simply depicting three female figures, visually articulating their poses and defining the laidback space they inhabit. His sophisticated approach to portraiture could capture the beauty, charm, and grace of his women subjects. This oil painting is a fine demonstration of the artist’s compositional playfulness. Throughout his artistic career, Acuaz shifted between abstraction and figuration, thus his figurative works often contain abstract elements. Abstract colorful strokes can also be found all over his artworks. Unlike most pieces in the Tres Marias series that showcase traditional Filipiniana attires, the Dos Marias are depicted in garments that evoke Spanish influences. The women appear relaxed, achieved through his assured brushstrokes, refined figurative style, and a bold color palette that sets the overall mood. (P.I.R.)

            Leon Gallery
          • Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)
            Jun. 17, 2023

            Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (1932 - 2011)

            Est: ₱1,200,000 - ₱1,560,000

            PROPERTY FROM THE DON J. ANTONIO ARANETA COLLECTION Barcelona Series signed, inscribed Barcelona and dated 1964 (lower right) oil on canvas 31 1/2" x 24 1/2" (80 cm x 62 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Christian M. Aguilar for confirming the authenticity of this lot Federico Aguilar Alcuaz drew inspiration from a plethora of sources, from his formative time in the Philippines to his academic sojourns in Europe, resulting in oeuvres that are universal in nature. At the core of his art is freedom and a freshness of spirit that immediately draws one into his vision of the world. Elegant and refined are his aesthetic tendencies, exemplifying a distinctly European flair — a quality found in the works of very few Filipino artists. For the National Artist, the brilliance of a piece of art has nothing to do with its being either abstract or figurative because, throughout his career, he shifted between abstraction and figuration, and his figurative works often contained abstract components. Furthermore, Alcuaz captured the world from a unique viewpoint. He created landscape paintings that seemed realistic, but his use of perspective, proportions, and palette was artfully orchestrated so that what is presented is not a slice of the reality he saw but how he saw it. His works are admired for the ease and enjoyment conveyed by his use of light, color, and composition, all of which add up to scenes that are always playful but never cluttered. He painted with a powerful brush, one that succeeded in harmonizing the pictorial parts such that they could be perceived simultaneously. He also loved his materials and understood how to bring out their best qualities. Perhaps, the secret of Alcuaz’s work is that he was a true hedonist in his approach to life, nature, and the universe. As observed in this Barcelona oil painting dated 1964, its canvas is imbibed with a cosmopolitan flair and an enigmatic quality akin to the vividness and sultriness of Spanish music. One may assume that while the artist executed his strokes and applied his solid colors, there was a sense of serendipity that revealed a sort of dancing poetry. In every Alcuaz piece, a stirring of imagination radiating from his works convey a pleasing experience to the observer. His formidable journey toward his search for artistic identity is encapsulated in the Barcelona Series. Life was in favor of Alcuaz because at the time when he decided to move to Barcelona to expand his artistic vision, it was a haven for the avant-garde modernists who rebelled against conservatism in art. The artist made a home for himself in the city, even setting up a studio on the fourth floor of the 285 Calle de Aragón, which he maintained for 40 years, from 1957 until 1997. As well, it was also at this time that the “Renaissance Man” embraced a new moniker, signing his paintings with “F. Aguilar Alcuaz” or “Aguilar Alcuaz.” In 1964, Alcuaz was awarded the Decoration of Arts, Letters, and Awards with the rank of Chevalier from the French government, second prize at the Premio Vancell at the Fourth Biennial of Tarrasa in Barcelona, and the Order of French Genius. (P.I.R.)

            Leon Gallery
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