Our Lady of Guadalupe
A book cover ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe’ oil painting on canvas
Estimate: PHP 500,000 - 600,000
3rd quarter, 19th century
Bohol
Oil on canvas, gold leaf, kamagong frame with glass covering
62.5 x 49 cm (24 1/2 x 19 1/4 in)
Provenance:
Formerly from the private collection of Romeo Bauzon, owner of R.E. Bauzon Antiques; thence from the private collection of Romeo Allanigue, a well-respected antiquarian and connoisseur
Literature:
Fr. Charles Belmonte, Aba Ginoong Maria: The Virgin Mary in Philippine Art, 1990, book cover
Refer to lot 272 to view more information on the book
The original Guadalupe tilma or cloak – a coarse fabric made from maguey cactus fibers – on which the image of the Virgin Mary is impressed now hangs in the high altars of the Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City, the most visited Catholic shrine in the world. This oil on canvas painting by an anonymous Boholano painter is based on the original tilma but with several additions, as has become customary, to include vernacular diagnostics and sensibilities, making it singular and uniquely Filipino. The Virgin has heavy lidded eyes and her neck is ringed with prominent folds, which are unmistakable traits in Chinese sculpture and painting, and, thus, evidence of the strong influence. The overall vibrant coloration, especially vermillion and ochre yellow, is intensified further by the application of gold leaf on the lining and decorations on the garments, which is a practice frequently seen in wooden de bulto santos produced in Bohol. The spired structures at the bottom corners are in reference to the church that the Virgin asked Juan Diego to be erected at the site of the apparition in her honor. Beautifully framed in tiger kamagong wood surmounted by carved foliage, it is fitted with glass – which can be removed if desired – for added protection from dust and other elements.
The story of ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe’ began when the Virgin Mary made several apparitions to a Chichimec peasant named Juan Diego in 1531 at a place called the Hill of Tepeyac, formerly belonging to the Aztec Empire, which, in turn, later became part of Villa de Guadalupe in a suburb of Mexico City. One day, the Virgin arranged the rose flowers in Juan Diego's tilma, and when Juan Diego opened his cloak before Archbishop Zumárraga, the flowers fell to the floor and revealed the image of the Virgin on the fabric. One of the earliest miracles of the tilma was the full recovery of the sick uncle of Juan Diego after being shown of the image of the Virgin Mary. The devotion became ubiquitous in Mexico and throughout the Spanish-speaking Americas. The devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe was introduced to the Philippines by the Augustinians at the Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church in San Pedro de Macati in 1604 upon the request of Spanish residents. In 1935, the Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico was accorded the title ‘Celestial Patroness of the Philippines’ by Pope Pius XI. Juan Diego became the first Catholic saint indigenous to the Americans when he was canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.
This oil painting was a cherished possession of Mr. & Mrs. Romeo Bauzon, owners of R.E. Bauzon Antiques shop on Mabini St., Ermita, Manila. Author Esperanza Bunag Gatbonton requested Romeo Bauzon’s permission to use this painting as cover for the book to be published in 1990 focusing on the Virgin Mary as she appeared in Philippine art. Several years after Romeo Bauzon’s demise in 2004, Romeo Allanigue, a highly respected santo collector and scholar, had the privileged opportunity to buy the painting from Bauzon’s widow, which he has kept and cared for until recently.
Lot 196 of the Salcedo Auctions auction on 2 December 2023. Please see salcedoauctions.com for more information.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
A book cover ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe’ oil painting on canvas
Estimate: PHP 500,000 - 600,000
3rd quarter, 19th century
Bohol
Oil on canvas, gold leaf, kamagong frame with glass covering
62.5 x 49 cm (24 1/2 x 19 1/4 in)
Provenance:
Formerly from the private collection of Romeo Bauzon, owner of R.E. Bauzon Antiques; thence from the private collection of Romeo Allanigue, a well-respected antiquarian and connoisseur
Literature:
Fr. Charles Belmonte, Aba Ginoong Maria: The Virgin Mary in Philippine Art, 1990, book cover
Refer to lot 272 to view more information on the book
The original Guadalupe tilma or cloak – a coarse fabric made from maguey cactus fibers – on which the image of the Virgin Mary is impressed now hangs in the high altars of the Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City, the most visited Catholic shrine in the world. This oil on canvas painting by an anonymous Boholano painter is based on the original tilma but with several additions, as has become customary, to include vernacular diagnostics and sensibilities, making it singular and uniquely Filipino. The Virgin has heavy lidded eyes and her neck is ringed with prominent folds, which are unmistakable traits in Chinese sculpture and painting, and, thus, evidence of the strong influence. The overall vibrant coloration, especially vermillion and ochre yellow, is intensified further by the application of gold leaf on the lining and decorations on the garments, which is a practice frequently seen in wooden de bulto santos produced in Bohol. The spired structures at the bottom corners are in reference to the church that the Virgin asked Juan Diego to be erected at the site of the apparition in her honor. Beautifully framed in tiger kamagong wood surmounted by carved foliage, it is fitted with glass – which can be removed if desired – for added protection from dust and other elements.
The story of ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe’ began when the Virgin Mary made several apparitions to a Chichimec peasant named Juan Diego in 1531 at a place called the Hill of Tepeyac, formerly belonging to the Aztec Empire, which, in turn, later became part of Villa de Guadalupe in a suburb of Mexico City. One day, the Virgin arranged the rose flowers in Juan Diego's tilma, and when Juan Diego opened his cloak before Archbishop Zumárraga, the flowers fell to the floor and revealed the image of the Virgin on the fabric. One of the earliest miracles of the tilma was the full recovery of the sick uncle of Juan Diego after being shown of the image of the Virgin Mary. The devotion became ubiquitous in Mexico and throughout the Spanish-speaking Americas. The devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe was introduced to the Philippines by the Augustinians at the Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church in San Pedro de Macati in 1604 upon the request of Spanish residents. In 1935, the Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico was accorded the title ‘Celestial Patroness of the Philippines’ by Pope Pius XI. Juan Diego became the first Catholic saint indigenous to the Americans when he was canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.
This oil painting was a cherished possession of Mr. & Mrs. Romeo Bauzon, owners of R.E. Bauzon Antiques shop on Mabini St., Ermita, Manila. Author Esperanza Bunag Gatbonton requested Romeo Bauzon’s permission to use this painting as cover for the book to be published in 1990 focusing on the Virgin Mary as she appeared in Philippine art. Several years after Romeo Bauzon’s demise in 2004, Romeo Allanigue, a highly respected santo collector and scholar, had the privileged opportunity to buy the painting from Bauzon’s widow, which he has kept and cared for until recently.
Lot 196 of the Salcedo Auctions auction on 2 December 2023. Please see salcedoauctions.com for more information.