{"status":true,"msg":{"data":{"id":58474,"auction_id":121,"set_id":155,"lot_number":"110","artist":"Theotokos","title":null,"starting_price":300000,"signed_dated":"18th Century","medium":"molave","size":"H: 32 1/2\" (83 cm) <br>\nL: 8\" (20 cm) <br>\nW: 14 1/2\" (37 cm)","property":"PROPERTY FROM THE DON EUGENIO “GENY” LOPEZ JR. COLLECTION","coa":null,"provenance":"Laguna","exhibited":null,"literature":null,"write_up":"A very serious collector of Philippine fine art eventually finds its way to colonial ecclesiastical art. Those with bolder palate would even go a step further and explore Philippine indigenous art like bululs in the manner of “haute” Parisian and Belgian art collectors. Some of the most distinguished collectors from Luis Ma. Araneta, Alfonso Ongpin, Paulino Que, and Ambeth Ocampo—all acknowledged by their respective generations for their good taste, connoisseurship and collecting foresight—all went beyond “fine art” and passionately collected antiquities. Having antiquities in one’s collection would not only exemplify range and good taste, but intellect and sophistication. It takes elevated understanding to see that beyond their aesthetic merit that has endured fads and collecting trends, their true value lies in the deep history that they carry. <br><br> Thus, in the 1960’s to the 1980’s, at the height of the collecting frenzy, one is not properly rich without excavated Chinese vases or plates, or beautiful santos in one’s sala to accompany a fine art collection. I am still enthralled by the stories of rich madams showing up in parties dripping in excavated 12th to the 13th century gold jewelries or in Hispano-Filipino crosses and tambourines. <br><br> The storied Lopez family of Iloilo which is known for business, politics, and media is no exception. One of its most celebrated sons is Don Eugenio “Geny” Lopez Jr. (1928-1999). While he is more publicly known as the pillar of media giant ABS-CBN, he is a renaissance man of great taste who quietly collected very fine things from paintings to antiquities. Like his contemporaries, he too chased and collected the best of things, and surrounded himself with finest objects that are available in the market during his time. <br><br> In this auction, Leon Gallery proudly presents three remarkable santos from the Don Eugenio “Geny” Lopez Jr. collection which are not only exceptional in quality, but carry the best . Objects which he once coveted and chased. <br><br> All three specimens are colonial depictions of the Virgin Mary. The devotion to the Virgin Mary is specially popular in the Philippines since the introduction of Catholicism in the 16th century. Jesuit theologian Fr. Catalino Arevalo once noted that: “[t]o understand Filipino Catholics, one must understand their love for Mary.” As they say, the Philippines is a “pueblo amante de Maria” which means “a people in love with Mary.” <br><br> This deep devotion is apparent with the fact that since the 16th century, artisans all over colonial Philippines had carved the Virgin Mary in various forms and reiterations that if one would encounter an old santo in the market, it will more likely be that of a Virgin Mary. However, both the “itch” and the aspiration in santo collecting is to find the best specimens among the plentitudes. In this regard, Don Eugenio “Geny” Lopez was successful in finding these three. <br><br> The tallest of the three is a “Theotokos” where Mary is depicted holding the Child Jesus, with her right hand touching his left feet. This piece is stylistically associated with Lumban, Laguna where multiple specimens of the same hand were collected. A similar piece remains in situ until now which affirms the attribution. Lumban is an important settlement even before the arrival of the Spaniards as proven by the famous Laguna Copperplate which was\nfound in the area. Known as the earliest written document in the Philippines, it proves the area’s importance and its dynamic engagement with the different polities around the region. Its economic, political and religious importance continued during the Spanish colonial period, which in turn could have attracted the best carvers and artisans in the area. However, unlike most Lumban-types that range between 20 to 25 inches in height, this piece is astonishingly large at 32 inches. This suggest that it could have been a devotional piece belonging to a community chapel or an affluent household that afforded to commission such an important piece. <br><br> This specimen was carved in one-piece and has a base adorned with three cherubs in front. It has all the hallmarks of 18th century pieces: the stout proportion; the iconic “suksok”; the moon-face; and, the “sinotanghon” hair. It originally must have the bulging eyes or “luwang mata” which is stereotypical of the period, but they must have been later replaced with glass eyes when they became fashionable during the 19th century. Unlike the other Lumban specimens, its carving and proportion are still folksy and primitive, and it still lacks the refinement and formality often seen in later Lumban specimens. This suggests that it was carved earlier\ncompared to the others, therefore, proving its great age. <br><br> In terms of iconography, in this specimen, the Niño carries a book, instead of the usual globe or a dove. According to Anna Jameson (Legends of the Madonna, 1895), “[i]n the hand of the Infant Christ, the book is the Gospel in a general sense, or it is the Book of Wisdom.”","lot_group":"OBJET D' ARTS","lot_details_html":null,"alias":null,"hp":1350000,"bp":0.2016,"isWithdrawn":0,"accounting_hp":1350000,"userBid":null,"isPaid":0,"userId":22,"lot_status":"SOLD","isDone":1,"bid_history_id":null,"reserve_price":null,"hammer_price":1622160,"fav":0},"image":[{"id":63727,"img_url":"https://leongallery.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/v2/auction/121/155/lot/110.jpg","isFeatured":1},{"id":64130,"img_url":"https://leongallery.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/v2/auction/121/155/lot/110a.jpg","isFeatured":0}]},"increment":[900000,1000000,1100000,1200000,1300000,1400000,1500000,1600000,1700000,1800000,1900000,2000000,2200000,2400000,2600000,2800000,3000000,3200000,3400000,3600000,3800000,4000000,4200000,4400000,4600000,4800000,5000000,5500000,6000000,6500000,7000000,7500000,8000000,8500000,9000000,9500000,10000000,11000000,12000000,13000000,14000000,15000000,16000000,17000000,18000000,19000000,20000000],"prev":109,"next":111,"count_bid":0,"bid_history":[],"tokenExpired":1}