Salcedo Auctions held The Well-Appointed Life sale on September 27, with the theme circling around “The Art of Enlightenment,” or the way one cultivates the kind of taste and mindset that gives way to knowledge and refinement. The artworks that showed up in the collection reflect that kind of sensibility: a desire for going beyond our lives and towards a legacy greater than ourselves.
“This guiding concept is a tribute to the refined sensibilities, cultivated intellect, and pursuit of legacy that define the discerning collector,” Ramon E.S. Lerma, the chairman of Salcedo Auctions, said.
The auction will be selling off hundreds of cultural artifacts of varying mediums and importance. From these artworks, the most buzzy will be paintings and sketches from illustrious masters of the form. However, for cultural and history buffs, the collection also has well-preserved furniture and objects from the Spanish colonial era and indigenous artisan materials.
Each of the artifacts here surrounds itself with the importance of our rich cultural history, which The Well-Appointed Life highlighted with aplomb. More than knowledge-building of the past, it points towards a future of preservation for future generations.
The most impressive coup in the collection are two artifacts from National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal. These two historic relics are an original sketch entitled “Portrait of a European Gentleman,” and a report card of his during his stay at Ateneo Municipal de Manila, dated 1876.
“Portrait of a European Gentleman” showcases the true Renaissance man status of Rizal, which complement his scientific, literary, and political pursuits, providing a glimpse of how well-rounded his education was at the time.
“The drawing embodies Rizal’s place at the crossroads of East and West, tradition and modernity,” the write-up on the piece said. “The image of a European sitter, rendered by a Filipino reformist, encapsulates his dual vision: rooted in his homeland yet cosmopolitan in outlook. Rizal’s exposure to European culture and education informed his reformist convictions and sharpened his critique of colonial rule.”
The report card, meanwhile, is one of the few that has survived over the centuries that chronicle Rizal’s six-year stay at Ateneo. It’s also the first of its kind to survive an auction—a true rarity for collectors. This card shows his grade in Historia Natural, or Biology, with him getting relatively average passing grades on the subject.
“These deeply personal artifacts of our foremost Filipino luminary embody the very spirit of enlightenment— of knowledge, artistry, and patriotism intertwined,” Lerma said about the two pieces.
As a complement to these artifacts from Jose Rizal, The Well-Appointed Life also auctioned off a pastel piece by National Artist Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera entitled “Rizal’s Foreign Lovers.” Made in 1996 during the lead-up to the centennial celebrations of our country, it portrays four of the known lovers of Rizal during his time abroad.
“By turning his gaze toward these women, BenCab reframes the historical narrative, highlighting the private sphere of a man often cast in the role of martyr and political symbol,” the write-up for the work said. “The choice of pastel enhances the tenderness of the portrayal: strokes of color suggesting vulnerability, warmth, and fleeting connection.”
More paintings and sculptures abound, from Arturo Luz and Lao Lianben and Fernando Zobel, to more modern artists such as Pacita Abad and Annie Cabigting.
Included in the collection is an early painting of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo. “Legazpi,” from 1928, is a historical portrait of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Governor-General of the Philippines. The work is rare not just for being from the earlier years of his practice, but also due to it being a historical portrait, which he did not do often.
“Amorsolo’s treatment of the figure evokes not just a historical portrait, but also a meditation on legacy and identity, recalling earlier canonical images where the subject appears commandingly, such as Juan Luna’s El Pacto de Sangre,” the write-up for the work said.
“The Lotus,” by National Artist Jose Joya dated 1979, is a collage of different layers of acrylic and textured paper, creating a layered, abstract image of a lotus flower that “recalls both geological strata and organic petals.” He had sold it to his close friend May Soliven, having personally delivered and installed it in her home as a token of friendship.
“More than a significant example of his collage practice, it was a painting he reserved for himself, one he considered central to his artistic achievement,” the write-up said. “Its passage from the artist’s collection into that of a trusted friend makes it an especially rare offering, marked by layers of both artistic and personal significance.”
For this specific collection of works, Annie Cabigting’s work, especially, “An Afternoon with Rothko,” really bridges the reasoning of why artists and collectors exist in the first place.
The Cabigting painting has a mother and child looking at a painting by abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko, “No. 5/No. 22,” with both subjects seemingly staring at it in awe. Rothko’s yellow-and-orange combination, as featured in the painting, really makes it look like it’s beaming down on its subjects like sunlight.
“For collectors, ‘An Afternoon with Rothko’ offers not just rarity but resonance,” the write-up said. “In the quiet stillness of a mother and child standing before ‘No. 5/No. 22,’ Cabigting reminds us that the life of art lies not only in the canvas, but in the moments of awakening it creates—moments of profound human enlightenment.”
The Well-Appointed Life, and auctions like it, provide an opportunity for collectors to be able to engage with the kind of rich history that the Philippines has in its art scene. It’s a preview of our indigenous, colonial, and modern-day art culture, showing that, regardless of the era it comes from, Philippine ingenuity and artistry is encoded within our very being as people.
Photos by Elle Yap.
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