Juan Luna Y Novicio, Philippine, French, 1857 to 1899, watercolor on paper, portrait painting. The painting depicts a woman in a long white dress. Additionally inscribed, on the backside. Signed lower left. Matted and framed. Juan Luna Y Novicio is known for Aristocratic female figures, portraits, nudes and landscape painting. Juan Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta was a Filipino painter, sculptor and a political activist of the Philippine Revolution during the late 19th century. He became one of the first recognized Philippine artists. One of a kind artwork.
Juan Luna y Novicio (Filipino, 1857-1899), portrait, pencil on paper, signed L/R and dated 1882, 24" x 18", framed 27" x 21". Provenance: Westbury, New York collection.
Ecce Homo (“Behold the Man”) or El Cristo de la Paciencia (The Christ of Patience) signed (lower right) ca. 1896 - 1897 oil on canvas 43" x 27" (109 cm x 69 cm) PROVENANCE A gift from the artist to the Spanish auditor-general Don Nicolas de la Peña upon his release from prison in Fort Santiago. LITERATURE Cultura Social (monthly magazine), May 1914, Manila. Black and white illustration identifying it as “Cuadro de Luna” on the cover as well as on page 231. Filipinas Heritage Library Collection. WRITE UP: Nicolás de la Peña Cuéllar was born in Trujillo, (Cáceres) on February 21, 1852. He studied law and graduated in administrative law at the Central University (Madrid). He entered the army on May 12, 1875, obtained a position by competitive examination, and from January 12, 1878 until 1881 was lieutenant auditor of third class in the Captaincy General of the Balearic Islands. He soon became a prosecuting attorney of the Supreme Council of War and Navy. By then, Nicolás de la Peña, despite being barely 30 years old, had achieved two honorable decorations: Knight of Isabella the Catholic and Commander of Charles III De la Peña left his post on February 1, 1899 and was sent to Cartagena as a court-martial advisor to the army. Earlier, on December 15, 1898, a few months after the capitulation, he signed a prologue to the memoir La Campaña de la escuadra norteamericana en Filipinas (Cartagena, 1899), in which he accused the United States of not having respected international law and Spanish politicians of the war disaster. However, he made no mention of his execrable role in the process against Rizal. In 1910 he was a senator of the Spanish Cortes for the province of Valladolid for the Liberal Party. By then he was already an academician of Jurisprudence and Legislation in Madrid. He must have died shortly after, as it is no longer possible to find news of him. There is perhaps no better metaphor for Juan Luna’s frame of mind in 1896 than this portrait of ‘The Patient Christ’, waiting for his fate to be decided while he languished in Fort Santiago. Would it be long years of imprisonment or even execution? Luna had just narrowly escaped the guillotine in France, accused of the death of his wife Paz Pardo de Tavera. He had been imprisoned in September 1892 and had only been found innocent, by reason of his “savage temperament,” only in the following year in February. He had withdrawn to Madrid to forget those unpleasant circumstances and then returned to Manila in his home country in 1894 with this younger brother Antonio, hoping to recuperate and find his lost happiness. It was to be a bittersweet respite, however, punctuated by the brothers Luna opening a fencing school, Juan Luna’s side trip to Japan and then, his return immediately after the discovery of the Katipunan and the first Katipunan’s battle of Pinaglabanan. Juan and Antonio were to be swept up and arrested in the dragnet unleashed by these events and thrown into the Spanish dungeons. Wrote M. Arias y Rodriguez (1850-1924) of Luna's prison cell, a miserable state of affairs : "The dungeon consisted of a small room about three meters long by two and a half wide: a meter from the floor was a wooden floorboard that occupied the entire cell to avoid the high humidity of the floor, located at a level lower than the patio. In front of the front door there was a square window with light iron bars. The half-bleached walls had an unequal surface, almost like a rough stone, and the innumerable holes and cracks on them showed that they had not been repaired for a long time." (This report appeared in La Ilustracion Artistica, 6 August 1900 and was reproduced by Lib Ramos along with the accompanying photograph.) He noted, however, that Luna was able to have "books, colors and brushes" and thus, "for his pastime or leisure, [Luna] adorned the rough walls of the so-called dungeon with his works." Despite these privileges, Luna must surely have suffered grievously from this second round of false accusations and imprisonment. While the colonial government and the friars were suspicious of all foreign-educated Filipinos — calling them “filibusterismos” — both brothers were in fact completely innocent of the accusation that they had participated in the armed revolt. Once more, Luna would call upon the friendships made in Madrid with the highest echelons of the Spanish court and he would receive a pardon on May 27th, 1897, on the occasion of King Alfonso XIII’s birthday 10 days earlier. “Ecce Homo” would be a gift to Don Nicolas de la Peña, auditor-general of the Spanish Army and the man whose duties included recommending that Jose Rizal be brought to trial. He would, in fact, sign the sentence that would be read to Rizal on December 29th. The importance of this man would not be lost on Juan Luna and de la Pena’s descendants would note that Luna himself would give the painting the name “El Cristo de la Paciencia.” In the work at hand, Luna paints a powerful portrait of “Ecce Homo”, so called after the ironic words of Pontius Pilate as he presented Jesus Christ to the jeering mob. “El Cristo de la Paciencia” sits with two hands bound in front of him, helpless but steadfast; His face is bruised and wounded by the beatings of the Roman soldiers. He remains cloaked, however, in the white of purity and innocence. On His head, three rays represent His Godliness, as does the halo. The painting thus presents two meanings : The first, an account of Juan Luna and his sufferings; but also, more importantly, perhaps, a coded message of defiance of the innocence of Jose Rizal. Rizal after all would meet his fate and glory at the firing squad a few months earlier at the very hands of the Spanish government, represented by Don Nicolas de la Peña.
Juan Luna y Novicio (Filipino, 1857-1899) study of a male nude from the back, in black and white chalk (?) on paper, signed lower right. [Art: 24" H x 15" W; Frame: 32" H x 24" W]. Water damage upper left.
Juan Luna y Novicio (Badoc, Filipinas, 1857 - Hong-Kong, 1899) 'Copy of Ribera's Saint Andres' Oil on canvas. Signed, dated and situated in Madrid, 1881. In it's original and imposing carved and gilded wooden frame. 106,5 x 69,5 cm.
JUAN LUNA Y NOVICIO Badoc, Philippines 1857 - Hong Kong 1899 allegory study pencil drawing on paper Measures 290 X 375 mm With the artist's stamp: "JUAN LUNA Y NOVICIO PENSIONADO".
JUAN LUNA AND NOVICE Badoc, Philippines 1857 - Hong Kong 1899 man portrait studies Charcoal drawing on paper Measures 118 x 99mm; 120x95mm Framed With artist's stamp.
JUAN LUNA Y NOVICIO (Badoc, Philippines, 1857 - Hong Kong, 1899). "Souvenir of the Battle of Lepanto ", 1887. Oil on canvas. Re-lined Signed, titled, dedicated to Vicente Romero Girón and dated in the lower left corner. Measurements: 20 x 19 cm; 52 x 48 cm (frame). Juan Luna's epic paintings were celebrated internationally, and it was "The Battle of Lepanto" (in homage to the Christian victory over the Ottomans in 1571) which brought him the greatest fame. In the same year in which he painted the historical theme of this naval battle (a commission from the Spanish Senate to the distinguished Philippine painter), he executed the portrait in question. As the dedication says, it is part of the same theme. Although it does not coincide exactly with any of the figures in the final painting, it has notable similarities with the main protagonists of the naval battle, as he would eventually conceive it. Firstly, we have John of Austria (of whom he made various preparatory drawings, and who in the final painting is placed at the bow of the ship, captaining the Christian fleet), wearing a helmet topped with a plume of feathers, with an aristocratic profile and a trimmed moustache, similar to the present figure. However, it is more likely that this is a self-portrait, as Juan Luna included himself among the sailors in Philip II's army (which also included Cervantes). Indeed, his features coincide with those of the personage who in the official commission wears a dalmatic and helmet. The fact that he is included as part of such a victorious feat attests (the royal galley sinking the Turkish galleon) to the self-esteem Juan de Luna owed to himself, and also to the pre-eminent place he enjoyed not only in the Spanish sphere, but also internationally. In the present portrait, we see the sitter in profile, looking straight ahead, with a fragment of sail breaking the composition diagonally, and his gaze straight ahead leads us to imagine his complacency at the enemy's shipwreck. "The Battle of Lepanto", a symbol of the Catholic triumph against the invading forces, was intended for the Senate Conference Room. In technique and style, we can appreciate the broad, vibrant, undone brushstroke characteristic of the Filipino painter, a language close to Impressionism but inscribed in a realism of naturalistic tone. Juan Luna trained at the Ateneo de la Compañía de Manila, where he was taught by Agustín Saéz. He entered the Academy of Fine Arts in the same city, where he was a disciple of Lorenzo Guerrero. In 1877 he was awarded a scholarship by the Manila City Council which enabled him to move to Madrid to further his training at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts. In the Spanish capital he became a pupil of Alejo Vera and travelled with him to Rome when the latter was appointed director of the Spanish Academy in that city. He subsequently settled in Paris, where he opened his own studio. He received important institutional commissions, among them the one he received in 1887 from the Spanish Senate, "The Battle of Lepanto". The Ministry of Overseas France commissioned another work from him, a composition representing Spain and the Philippines. Luna also took part in numerous official exhibitions, being awarded a second medal for "Cleopatra" at the National Fine Arts Exhibition of 1881 and a first medal for "Spoliarium" at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts of 1884. He also exhibited his works abroad, and in fact sent his canvases to the Paris Salon of 1886, where he was awarded the third medal. Two years later, in 1888, he was awarded a second medal at the Universal Exhibition in Barcelona. He took part in the Universal Exhibition in Paris, where he was awarded the third medal. Juan Luna's works are currently represented in important art centres such as the Prado Museum, the National Museum of the Philippines, the Cádiz Town Hall, the Captaincy General of Seville, the Government Delegation of the Basque Country, etc.
Oil on canvas Signed in the lower right corner There are reports that Luna painted an Ecce Homo when he was imprisoned in Manila for eight months with his brother Antonio, accused by the Spanish authorities of sedition in the revolution of 1996. According to the present owners, this work was a gift from Luna to his great-grandfather for the help he received for his release, and which Luna entitled "Christ of Patience", according to the version of the family heir. His ancestor was an auditor general in the Spanish army in the Philippines from 1896, in fact, he was one of those who signed the capitulation of Manila to the US troops. Reference Bibliography: Guerrero, L.M., "Glorias españolas y filipinas. The Philippine painter Juan Luna and Galdosian trials". ABC, 30 June 1962. 110 x 70 cm
Juan Luna y Novicio (Badoc, Filipinas, 1857-Hong Kong, 1899) Ángel. Dibujo a lápiz sobre papel. Firmado. 41 x 31 cm. Inicialmente estudió en el ambiente de los jesuitas en el Ateneo Municipal, aprovechaba todo lo posible sus horas de ocio para ver y aprender pintura. Finalmente, mientras estudiaba pintura, también estudió para piloto en la escuela naval de Manila, llegando a trabajar como marinero y realizando varios viajes. Estos viajes le permitieron conocer otras ciudades y culturas. No obstante, sus periodos de regreso los aprovechaba para seguir formándose en la pintura, lo que le llevó hasta el estudio del pintor español Agustín Sáez Glanadell, activo en Manila. Lorenzo Guerrero era una personalidad que había reconocido el talento de Juan y se convirtió en su tutor. Llegó a convencer a sus padres para que lo enviaran a estudiar a España y el año 1877 viajó a Barcelona en compañía de su hermano Manuel, que era violinista. En España se inscribió inicialmente en la Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Fernando de Madrid. Allí entabló contacto con Eduardo Rosales. Posteriormente a la muerte de este, fue discípulo de Alejo Vera, con el cual marchó a Roma donde permaneció varios años estudiando los maestros del Renacimiento y realizando obras muy importantes de su carrera. El año 1894 regresó definitivamente a su tierra. Influido por el peso de la obra de Rosales, su obra se inicia en un estilo realista, aunque sus pinceladas, amplias, deshechas e indefinidas, le acercarían a la estética innovadora de fin de siglo en el último periodo de su vida. Su actividad en Roma con Alejo Vera le llevó a interesarse por la iconografía de la Antigüedad clásica, aunque después, durante la década de los noventa y coincidiendo con su estancia en París y su participación en el proceso independentista de su país, orientó su mirada hacia un mundo cotidiano y más contemporáneo.
Juan Luna y Novicio (Badoc, Filipinas, 1857-Hong Kong, 1899) Ángel. Dibujo a lápiz sobre papel. Firmado. 41 x 31 cm. Inicialmente estudió en el ambiente de los jesuitas en el Ateneo Municipal, aprovechaba todo lo posible sus horas de ocio para ver y aprender pintura. Finalmente, mientras estudiaba pintura, también estudió para piloto en la escuela naval de Manila, llegando a trabajar como marinero y realizando varios viajes. Estos viajes le permitieron conocer otras ciudades y culturas. No obstante, sus periodos de regreso los aprovechaba para seguir formándose en la pintura, lo que le llevó hasta el estudio del pintor español Agustín Sáez Glanadell, activo en Manila. Lorenzo Guerrero era una personalidad que había reconocido el talento de Juan y se convirtió en su tutor. Llegó a convencer a sus padres para que lo enviaran a estudiar a España y el año 1877 viajó a Barcelona en compañía de su hermano Manuel, que era violinista. En España se inscribió inicialmente en la Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Fernando de Madrid. Allí entabló contacto con Eduardo Rosales. Posteriormente a la muerte de este, fue discípulo de Alejo Vera, con el cual marchó a Roma donde permaneció varios años estudiando los maestros del Renacimiento y realizando obras muy importantes de su carrera. El año 1894 regresó definitivamente a su tierra. Influido por el peso de la obra de Rosales, su obra se inicia en un estilo realista, aunque sus pinceladas, amplias, deshechas e indefinidas, le acercarían a la estética innovadora de fin de siglo en el último periodo de su vida. Su actividad en Roma con Alejo Vera le llevó a interesarse por la iconografía de la Antigüedad clásica, aunque después, durante la década de los noventa y coincidiendo con su estancia en París y su participación en el proceso independentista de su país, orientó su mirada hacia un mundo cotidiano y más contemporáneo.
Juan Luna y Novicio (Badoc, Filipinas, 1857-Hong-Kong, 1899) "Figuras".Dos dibujos a carboncillo sobre papel en anverso y reverso. Firmado. 17 x 23 cm.
JUAN LUNA Y NOVICIO (1857-1899). Oil on canvas Signed & dedicated to Al Sr. D. Miguel Morayta" de su amigo Luna. The Philipino painter and watercolourist began his training in Manila, where his family had moved in 1961, to then complete it in Spain, Rome, & Paris where he finally decided to set up his studio next to his the already famous Philipino painter Félix Resurrección Hidalgo. There followed innumerable institutional commisions as well as awards and homages. He took part in many exhibitions, winning second place in the Nacional de Bellas Artes of 1881 for his “Cleopatra” & first place in 1884 his famous “Spoliarium”. He was one of the first Philipino painters to win international fame as well as an undisputed position amongst the Philipino artists of the C19th. He became linked with the masonic lodge, Solidaridad nº53, del Gran Oriente Español, thanks to which he established a friendship with D. Miguel Moraytsa, a man of considerable political importance during the First Republic, to whom he dedicated the work which we now present. Despìte being recognised for the historical and allegorical themes of his painting, from 1885 -1890 Luna completed a series of portraits of female workers from the poorer quarters of Madrid, where he displayed a much lighter impressionistic brush. Amongst which series of “Chulas” we can place this work. 71 x 49 cm; 92 x 68cm. (frame).
The only surviving child of the artist and his wife Andres, called Luling, was the saving grace of a relationship. Luna depicts his son, dressed in the inspired attire of the late 19th Century bourgeoisie, with tenderness and utter affection. Literature: Terra, Jun. Juan Luna Drawings: The Paris Period From the Collection of Dr. Eleuterio M. Pascual. (Dr. Eleuterio M. Pascual Publishing House, 1998) p.115
JUAN LUNA Y NOVICIO Badoc, Philippines 1857 - Hong-Kong 1899 “Ciociaro. 1884” Oil on canvas Signed and dated in Rome Measurements 45.5 x 38.4 cm Origin: - Important collection of Lima, Peru. - Private collection, Madrid. This work belongs to a small group of portraits of quick and vibrant brushstrokes made in nature when the Filipino artist enjoyed a scholarship to study at the Academia Española de Bellas Artes in Rome (1878-1884). The Shepherd Boy painting (oil on canvas, 48.5 x 39 cm) auctioned at Sotheby's Singapore in April 2005 presents the same stylistic characteristics of Ciociaro. In both works the pictorial treatment denotes a great economy of means solved by an energetic but accurate brushstrokes that are circumscribed only to the represented model, leaving part of the ends of the canvas unpainted. In the Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes of 1884 in Madrid he obtains a first class medal with the work Spolarium (National Museum of the Philippines, Manila) with great public and critical success that supposed the definitive takeoff to his career.
LUNA Y NOVICIO, JUAN (1857 - 1900). "Hércules". Dibujo. 28 x 38 cm. Firmado en el ángulo inferior derecho. En la parte superior izquierda : "Juan Luna y Novicio: Pensionado." y titulado "Boceto 3".
LUNA Y NOVICIO, JUAN (1857 - 1900). "Desnudo femenino". Dibujo. 29 x 38,5 cm. Firmado en el ángulo inferior derecho. En el ángulo superior izquierdo "Juan Luna y Novicio: Pensionado".
LUNA Y NOVICIO, JUAN (1857 - 1900). "Anciano romano". Dibujo. 59 x 44 cm. Firmado y localizado "Roma" en el ángulo inferior derecho. En el ángulo superior izquierdo "Juan Luna y Novicio: Pensionado".
LUNA Y NOVICIO, JUAN (1857 - 1900). "Teresa de Ávila". Dibujo a lápiz sobre cartulina. 41 x 29 cm. Firmado Luna en el ángulo inferior derecho, titulado y fechado 1880. En la parte superior: Juan Luna y Novicio Pensionado. Papel con tres pequeños cortes en el borde.
Juan Luna y Novicio Academia Masculina This elegant male nude of Luna demonstrations his foundation in formal art techniques with his detailed molding of the human form, soft chiaroscuro and a balanced composition. Undated (Circa 1879) 42 x 56 cm (16 1/2 x 22 in) Charcoal on paper mounted on cardboard
Juan Luna y Novicio ¿A Do...Va la Nave? FROM PARIS TO CORDOBA TO MANILA: THE JOURNEY OF ¿A DO...VA LA NAVE? The present owner of ¿A Do...Va la Nave? acquired the painting by descent from his grandmother, Maria Alberta Esther Susana Pignocchi-Bonaldi. Her husband Jose Domingo Bonaldi, whose grandfather was the first vice consul of Italy to Argentina, received it as a gift from his business associate Goar Mestre, a media tycoon who fled his home country of Cuba upon the triumph of Fidel Castro and the Communist Revolution. Deciding to settle in Buenos Aires in 1959, Mestre then pioneered the television and mass communication industry in Argentina. Known as the “Czar of Television” by the Argentines, Mestre associated with the likes of President Juan Domingo and First Lady Evita Peron. Mestre and Bonaldi, who were close friends, together established the first local TV station in Cordoba, Canal 13. The elements of family and friendship that are interlaced in the story of this painting have become part of the fabric of ¿A Do...Va la Nave?. Tracing the history of the painting led the specialist team at Salcedo Auctions to explore Luna’s ties to either Cuba or Argentina, as it is unknown where Mestre first got hold of the painting (telephone interview by the current owner with Ana Maria Mestre Martinez, daughter of Goar Mestre, Buenos Aires, April 2015). One plausible connection is through Felix Pardo de Tavera, the brother of Luna’s ill-fated wife Paz, who settled in Buenos Aires with his Argentinian wife Agustina Manigot and worked there both as a physician and as a sculptor (Pardo de Tavera’s bust portrait of the patriot Gen. Jose de San Martin is installed in the presidential palace of Casa Rosada). But considering the bad blood between Luna and the Pardo de Taveras - it was known that the family consequently destroyed all of his work in their possession - could this painting have been spared and crossed the Atlantic, later to be acquired by Mestre? Another theory that was investigated was Luna’s association with Spanish officials who had travelled between the Philippines, Spain, and Cuba. This included Ramón Blanco, Spanish Governor General of the Philippines (1893-96), and thereafter Captain General of Cuba (1897-98), whose portrait Luna had painted. Known for his conciliatory position towards the Filipino reformists, and for his friendship with the artist and Dr. Jose Rizal, could he have brought ¿A Do...Va la Nave? to Cuba? The complexities that surround the origins ¿A Do...Va la Nave? make this painting extremely important in the annals of Philippine art. The questions that it raises are of special significances to the study of Luna’s oeuvres. From its creation in Paris, to its finding a home over three generations in Cordoba, to the many possible paths it has travelled along the way, it is highly likely that this is the first time that ¿A Do...Va la Nave? has reached the shores of Juan Luna’s motherland. As a treasured heirloom representing the bond of family, Salcedo Auctions is extremely privileged to be given the opportunity to bring ¿A Do...Va la Nave? back to the Philippines. The multiplicity of meanings intertwined with its enigmatic past make it a true gem of 19th century Philippine painting that will surpass, and continue to exceed, any limitations of border, culture or time. Painted one year after Spoliarium garnered Juan Luna a gold medal in the 1884 Madrid Exposition of Fine Art, a signal achievement that raised the profile of the Filipino artist and, by extension, the reform movement on the international stage, this ravishing oil on canvas signed and dated ‘LVNA Paris 1885’ was thought to have been lost until its incredible discovery early this year in the central Argentinian city of Cordoba. The location and dimensions of ¿A Do...Va la Nave? were indicated as unknown in the seminal book on the artist published by the Eugenio Lopez Foundation in 1980, the only record of its existence being a reproduction in the 31 May 1886 edition of the Barcelona-based literary journal Ilustracion Artistica of an engraving based on the artwork by M. Weber. Created at the start of what would become a nine-year stay by Luna in the French capital, this allegorical work can be considered as an important transitional opus. Here, the artist reveals a more relaxed approach to subject matter as he shifts from the strict academic formalism of the Salon with its proclivity for grand historical scenes, and moves to more intimate genre scenes and a style that would be influenced by the tail-end of French Impressionism. This painterly candor was perhaps Luna’s way of encapsulating the frenetic energy of the city, where an increasingly successful artist such as he could be better exposed to leading dealers and collectors, and have the freedom of creative experimentation. In a way, Paris represented, in the words of the social historian Racquel A.G. Reyes, “emancipation.” “[B]y the late 19th century [it] had become the focus of new modes of learning, thinking, and living. It was, to paraphrase Victor Hugo’s vivid description in his epigraph to Zola’s Paris, the ship of human Progress.” It is perhaps no coincidence then that ¿A Do...Va la Nave? shows a skiff bobbing along a turquoise sea. The passengers of the boat consist of six elegantly garbed women in evening dress sitting languidly, with the one perched highest presumably Luna’s most favored model, the distinguished looking and voluptuous Angela Duche. One of the women appears to be a bride, face concealed by a veil, while another carefree maiden swathed in chiffon stretches close to the edge, her inverted, comely countenance gazing teasingly at the spectator. What is curious here is that the women far outnumber the two men on the boat, the younger one dressed as a soldier sitting near the bow surrounded by the ladies, the other older gentleman seeming to be sketching alone on the stern. It is a wonder that the vessel has not capsized given the uneven distribution of the passengers. What does this curious scene all mean? The title of the painting borrows the coro of an unfinished 1841 poem by Jose de Espronceda, a 19th century Spanish Romantic poet, the lines speaking of the uncertainty of the sea: “Y alla va la nave; Quien sabe do va? [And there goes the ship; Who knows where it will go?] La Ilustracion Artistica interprets the picture of the boat moving into an unknown horizon, the grey clouds clearing into pinkish wisps of sky, the colors reflected in the beauteous costumes of the passengers boldly confident in the face of possible danger, as youthful hubris. Luna’s interest in romanticism, however, as evidenced by his reference to Espronceda may point to the artist’s exploration of an even more elusive artistic ideal—the lifelong search for the sublime. Another way of reading the painting is that of Luna, the ilustrado male, coming to terms with modern femininity. Belle Epoque Paris presented a challenge to the artist’s traditional view of women as reticent and subservient. Here, we see the artist as the young gentleman surrounded by fashionable and flirtatious muses whose pink cheeks, fulsome bosoms, and alabaster corporeality created an overpowering allure that presumably Luna found, much like the ship drifting into uncharted territory, difficult to control. He is, likewise, the old sage at the stern surveying the scene, his wisdom outweighing folly, staying the course and keeping the boat on even keel. There is a surprising addition in the La Ilustracion engraving that is clearly absent in the painting: a seventh woman who has fallen off the boat – a moralizing commentary perhaps by the artist. Tests on ¿A Do...Va la Nave? under a UV lamp by a professional conservator did not reveal any pentimento of this seventh woman. One can speculate, therefore, that the disparity between the reproduction in the publication and the painting as viewers see it today may have stemmed from the original patron of ¿A Do...Va la Nave? requesting Luna to remove the grim image not long after it was completed such that the pigment, which was used to replace it, underwent the same aging process as the rest of the paint layer. Literature: La Ilustracion Artistica, Numero 231, Ano V, 31 de Mayo de 1886, pp. 192-93 Santiago Albano Pilar, Juan Luna The Filipino as Painter (Pasig: Eugenio Lopez Foundation, Inc., 1980), pp. 90–91 Raquel A.G. Reyes, Love, Passion and Patriotism: Sexuality and the Philippine Propaganda Movement, 1882-1892 (University of Washington Press, 2008), pp. 39-67 1885 55 x 104 cm (21 1/2 x 41 in) Oil on canvas
Fabian de la Rosa was Director of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts from 1927-37. Referred to by art historians as a 'master of genre' for his depiction of landscapes and quotidian scenes, he trained under Agustin Saez at the Escuela de Bellas Artes, as well as Lorenzo Guerrero and Miguel Zaragoza. De la Rosa also trained in Paris, and later undertook a European tour, exhibiting his work at the Ateneo de Madrid in 1928. This rare surviving work, which is signed and dated lower right, is also inscribed with a dedication on the lower left. It shares its provenance with Juan Luna y Novicio's A Farm House.
Notable for its offering of works by old Philippine masters, this painting, one of the highlights of the auction, promises to delight serious art collectors. A recent and historic discovery by Salcedo Auctions advisor Ramon E.S. Lerma, Juan Luna y Novicio's A Farm House is an oil on wood depicting a Normandy country scene from the 1890s, whose whereabouts for nearly a century had been unknown, the only proof of its existence having been a photograph from the Luis Araneta collection, which was reproduced in the seminal book on the artist published by the Eugenio Lopez Foundation in 1980. The painting, which is in excellent condition, having been previously kept under glass, is striking for the intensity of its cobalt yellow and viridian pigments that foregrounds the thick impasto and impressionist brushwork of the master. It was brought to the auction house earlier this year, where it was also learned that it had formerly belonged to the estate of a friend of both Luna and the National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal.
