This Fernando Amorsolo Piece Is the One to Watch at This Weekend’s Auction at León Gallery
With their rarity and provenanceProvenanceThe documented history of an object's ownership, origin, and authenticity, particularly important for classic cars, watches, art, and wine. Strong provenance can dramatically raise an item's value, and collectors andGo to Provenance Glossary, Amorsolo pieces are always a big draw at auctions, with the artist almost always fetching record prices. At a previous auction in 2024 at León Gallery, Amorsolo’s “Under the Mango Tree” was auctioned off for P57,676,800 from a starting bid of P18,000,000. It became the most expensive Amorsolo painting to be sold at auction.
“The Burning of Manila” is yet another work by Amorsolo poised to break another record at this year’s “Spectacular Mid-Year Auction” to be held at León Gallery on June 7, 2025. A similar painting at the UP Vargas Museum depicting a similar subject is dwarfed by this most recent lot, which measures 40 inches x 60 inches. Depicting the turmoil and chaos that was brought about by the Japanese at the start of World War II, “The Burning of Manila” is a piece that captures a significant moment from the war.
The pre-war period saw Amorsolo experiencing success in his already prolific career as an artist, receiving recognition from successes such as his historic first prize win at the 1939 New York World’s Fair for another piece, “Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers.” By this time, he was also the art director of UP College of Fine Arts.
At the time of the infamous scene in his painting, Amorsolo had just sought refuge from the chaos that had ensued from the war. The work was acquired by Don Jacobo Zóbel de Ayala y Roxas from Amorsolo during the Japanese occupation. Don Jacobo had been sentenced to endure the Bataan Death March and himself became a prisoner-of-war. The piece may have resonated with him and his experience of serving the country during the war and it was eventually passed on to Don Enrique Zobel in 1971 after Don Jacobo’s demise. Don Enrique’s father was known to have generously sponsored Amorsolo’s scholarship at the prestigious Real Academia de San Fernando in Madrid after seeing the iconic design that he made for Ginebra San Miguel.
A few decades later, the piece was leased to the National Museum where it has been displayed for the last ten years, a centerpiece of one of the galleries that had pieces depicting the Second World War.
Amorsolo’s paintings command high starting prices in the millions, selling for tens of millions in auctions and regularly making records. With a starting price of P18,000,000, it has a great chance of being one of the most expensive artworks by the artist to be auctioned yet.
León Gallery’s The Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2025 will be happening on June 7, 2025, 2 pm at León Gallery, Eurovilla 1, Rufino corner Legazpi Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City