{"status":true,"msg":{"data":{"id":60842,"auction_id":203,"set_id":236,"lot_number":"131","artist":"Att. Juan Arceo /Juan Arzeo (1795–1865)","title":"Portrait of Don Antonio and Doña Manuela <br>\nNorzagaray y Olaguer - Feliu","starting_price":700000,"signed_dated":"ca. 1857-1859","medium":"oil on canvas","size":"29 1/2\" x 39 1/2\" (75 cm x 100 cm)","property":null,"coa":null,"provenance":null,"exhibited":null,"literature":null,"write_up":"Juan Arceo /Juan Arzeo (1795–1865) was the maternal uncle of another eminent early Filipino painter, the master Antonio Malantic y Arceo of Tondo, Manila (1820–85), who undoubtedly learned the rudiments of art at his talented uncle’s atelier. <br/><br/> Augusto M. R. Gonzalez writes, “Arceo was born in 1795 in Manila during the closing years of the eighteenth century (however, the surname Arceo points to Pampanga, where many have carried it for centuries, even before the Claveria decree of 1849, which required Filipinos to finally carry surnames. <br/><br/> “This artist, however, resided in San Fernando de Dilao (now Paco, Manila), then part of Tondo. He was already 26 years old when the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura was established in 1821 by Damian Domingo y Gabor (1796–1834), with support from the Real Sociedad Economica Filipina de los Amigos del Pais. <br/><br/> Few works of the early Filipino painter Juan Arceo/Juan Arzeo are to be found, but what do survive are major works and highly sought-after. <br/><br/> One of Arceo’s most well-known commissions — discovered 131 Att. Juan Arceo /Juan Arzeo (1795–1865) Portrait of Don Antonio and Doña Manuela Norzagaray y Olaguer - Feliu ca. 1857-1859 oil on canvas 29 1/2\" x 39 1/2\" (75 cm x 100 cm) P 700,000 in just the last decade — are portraits of the Azcarraga family. Gonzalez describes them thus, “Don Jose and Dona Maria Isidra commissioned Juan Arceo to depict them with two of their children in full European attire, along with the “india” governess in native dress, on 16 February 1824.  lmost four years later in November 1827, they commissioned Arceo again to depict two of their younger children Jose and Pilar de Azcarraga y Palmero in full European attire with the “india” governess in native dress.” <br/><br/> It confirms Arceo’s intersections with the Spanish colonial powers that be. <br/><br/> On 9 March 1857, Governor General Fernando de Norzagaray y Esucdero would arrive in Manila to take office and hold sway until January 1860. Norzagaray would have good reason to commemorate his rule with a portrait by a leading artist such as Arceo. He could best be described as a career professional, having previously served as governor of Puerto Rico. In the Philippines, he would pave the way for the Jesuits’ return to the country, illustrating that he was most liberal and not entirely profriar. That led directly to the establishment of the Ateneo Municipal, where Jose Rizal and his generation of ilustrados would be educated. <br/><br/> The governor was already then a be-medalled officer. And the painting captures him in full regalia. He wears a dark blue, single-breasted tunic featuring silver metallic buttons embossed with the Spanish royal coat of arms. His high collar and cuffs are heavily decorated with silver oak leaves (entorchados), reflecting his status. He wears heavy dress epaulets with copius fringe of silver bullion. The crescent (the rigid curved section at the edge of the shoulder) is rendered in bright gold. On the strap of the epaulet, there is a gold insignia consisting of a Royal Crown. <br/><br/> Under his right arm, he holds a bicorne hat (often called a chapeau de bras in dress uniforms), adorned with more heavy silver bullion loops, tassels, and a visible red cockade (escarapela) in the national color of Spain. <br/><br/> The ornate silver hilt of a dress sword is visible, resting near his left hand. <br/><br/> The medals are of the highest Spanish military and civil orders from the 19th century. On the top row (left to right): The Silver Merit/Campaign Medal: An oval silver medal surrounded by a wreath, suspended from a ribbon. The inscription is difficult to read but it resembles a specific Spanish campaign medal or a Medalla a la Constancia (Medal for Long Service); the Cross of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild (Cruz de San Hermenegildo): The middle medal is a white enameled cross pattée surmounted by a crown, with a circular central medallion. The ribbon—white with a broad red central stripe— is the unmistakable ribbon of this order, awarded to Spanish military personnel for long and meritorious service; the Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Orden de Isabel la Católica): The rightmost medal is a gold cross with white enameled arms, featuring a green wreath between the arms. The ribbon is white with yellow/gold edges. This order was closely associated with the Spanish colonies and foreign affairs, and was awarded for services that benefited the country, particularly in the Americas and overseas territories. <br/><br/> On the bottom row (left to right) is found the Cross of the Order of Calatrava: The large red cross flory (a cross with ends shaped like fleurs-de-lis) embroidered or pinned directly to the tunic is the emblem of the ancient Spanish Military Order of Calatrava; next, the Breast Star (Placa) likely the breast star for either the Order of Isabella the Catholic or the Order of Charles III; Next is the Cross of Military Merit (Cruz del Mérito Militar): The badge on the far right features a red cross pattée enclosed within a green laurel wreath and surmounted by a royal crown. <br/><br/>  What is more intriguing about this pair of portraits attributed to Arceo is that Governor-General Norzagaray’s son, Don Antonio would travel to Manila with him. In fact, according to family records, he would meet and marry a woman called Manuela Limos in the Philippines. They are known to have had a child called Ysidora who is portrayed with a cat on her lap, with a second girl holding a dandelion. <br/><br/> Juan Arceo would pass away in 1865 after a long and glorious career. He would outlive Norzagaray who would perish in 1860, but not before the governor-general would return to Madrid and be installed fleetingly as a senator in the Spanish Cortes. Norzagaray’s wife, Doña Concepcion — and her son, Don Antonio — would retire to what was probably the family’s alpine retreat near the Pyrenees. <br/><br/> On the other hand, Norzagaray is still best known in the Philippines for giving his name to the town in Bulacan, adjacent to the Angat dam. (Lisa Guerrero Nakpil)","lot_group":"PAINTING","lot_details_html":null,"alias":null,"hp":900000,"bp":0.2016,"isWithdrawn":0,"accounting_hp":900000,"userBid":34,"isPaid":0,"userId":34,"lot_status":"SOLD","isDone":1,"bid_history_id":19910,"reserve_price":0,"hammer_price":1081440,"fav":0},"image":[{"id":66857,"img_url":"https://leongallery.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/v2/auction/203/236/lot/131.jpg","isFeatured":1},{"id":67197,"img_url":"https://leongallery.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/v2/auction/203/236/lot/131b.jpg","isFeatured":0},{"id":67196,"img_url":"https://leongallery.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/v2/auction/203/236/lot/131a.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":130,"next":132,"count_bid":0,"bid_history":[],"tokenExpired":1}