Anita Magsaysay-Ho, the artist behind the P84 million 'Tinapa Vendors' painting
Would you purchase a painting for P84 million? For one rich art aficionado, of course, especially if that painting is Anita Magsaysay-Ho's personal favorite among her many well-known artworks.
Anita's 1955 masterpiece named, "Tinapa Vendors," is the talk of the local art scene after it fetched for the above-mentioned price at the Leon Gallery Asia Cultural Council Auction last Saturday, February 27.
It now holds the distinction as the most expensive Philippine painting per square inch.
'Tinapa Vendors' by Anita Magsaysay-Ho
The renowned late painter created the "Tinapa Vendors" as part of the market scene paintings that she did. It was also made in her favorite medium, egg tempera.
The said medium uses colored pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder medium, usually glutinous material such as egg yolk.
Tempera paintings age well and are said to be durable and long-lasting as evidenced by the artworks dating back to several centuries ago.
This probably explains why some of those who saw Anita's painting firsthand during the auction described it as “glowing” and “luminous” despite its age.
The "Tinapa Vendors" was just among the paintings that went under the hammer alongside other prestigious artworks made by Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, Vicente Manansala, Jose Honarato Lozano, and Juan Luna, to name a few.
Proud Manileña
Anita Magsaysay-Ho was born on May 25, 1914, in Manila to Armilla Corpus and Ambrosio Magsaysay.
'Self-portrait'
She was the cousin of Ramon Magsaysay, the Philippines' seventh president and whose term was abruptly cut short by a plane crash on March 17, 1957. Anita's dad and President Magsaysay's father are brothers.
Learned from the best
Anita studied Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines (UP). She trained and learned from some of the country's top painters such as Fabian de la Rosa and brothers Fernando and Pablo Amorsolo.
'Fruit Vendors'
She also studied Design at UP. Anita then went to the U.S. in the 1930s to study at the Cranbook Academy in Michigan where she studied oil painting. She studied drawing at the Art Student's League in New York City.
Everyday life
Anita's paintings depict women--Filipino women, to be exact--performing various routines like harvesting fruits, cooking, selling in the market, tending to farms, and taking care of children, among others.
A painting by Anita Magsaysay-Ho
Her now P84-million "Tinapa Vendors" painting falls under this territory.
Her favorite medium was egg tempera. The demands of it, though, prompted her to branch out to lithographs, oils, acrylics, and oils.
She was dubbed as the “Female Amorsolo” because of her fondness for women subjects in her painting. Anita's style was considered both conservative and modernistic.
An artist without a country
Anita's husband, Robert Ho, was the son of a Chinese shipping tycoon. The couple was blessed with five children.
They were constantly on the move, living in different countries such as Hong Kong, Brazil, America, Japan, and Canada.
'Women with Baskets and Mangoes'
Anita's Filipino citizenship was unfortunately revoked following her marriage to Robert--a matter that would cause her great anguish and inconvenience.
“I believed, or I was hopeful, that because I was a Filipina, Robert would be allowed to become a permanent resident of the Philippines. But no -- to my great shock, I learned that not only could my husband not be a resident, but that I was no longer a Filipina citizen but a Chinese citizen!” she told artist-writer, Alfredo Roces.
“I explained that I never owed allegiance to China, to no avail. They took away my Filipino passport. No amount of begging and crying or explaining could change their minds. I felt I had lost everything. Robert lost his country to the Communists, and I lost mine by marriage to a Chinese citizen. I was now [without a country], I who loved my country so much.”
Highly-anticipated
'The Potters'
Anita's works always attract top art collectors and connoisseurs willing to fork out large sums during auctions. Her painting titled "In the Marketplace" sold for around P15 million at Christie's Singapore on October 3, 1999.
Push for National Artist honor
'Country Folk'
Anita died on May 5, 2012, in Manila. A resolution was filed by Senator Franklin Drilon for Anita to be declared as a National Artist for her invaluable contribution to Philippine art.
The resolution failed to get through as Anita was a Canadian citizen at the time of her passing.
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