Tipos del Pais (People of the Country) Studies of the People of Manilla, Philippines 1846 watercolour heightened with white, gold and gum arabic on paper 9" x 13 3/4" (23 cm x 35 cm) each Accompanied by a handwritten note Inscribed as follows: "Costumes from the Philippine Islands painted by a Native artist, Manila, 20 May 1846 PROVENANCE Private collection, Sweden Justiniano Asunción, known as “Capitan Ting” in Sta. Cruz after his appointment as the capitan municipal of that prosperous Manila district, was however more famous on two continents for his art. Asunción is presumed to have taken lessons in the last years of the first Manila Academia de Dibujo, established by Damian Domingo, himself widely held to be as the father of Filipino painting. The academy, however, closed with Domingo’s abrupt death in 1834. Asunción is, however, considered one of his most worthy successors in the painting of the celebrated Tipos del Pais. The Tipos del Pais has been described by art historian Florina Capistrano-Baker, an expert in this field, as “Philippine export watercolors that capture the inhabitants, costumes, and occupations of the country.” They were, in particular ‘trophies of trade’, commissioned by what she termed as elite merchants and fellow travelers to symbolize their pelf and power. These were the wealthy traders of New England and Massachusetts who became enormously rich by importing sugar from the Philippines to make American rum, the country’s indigo for factories on the eastern seaboard, and marine-grade hemp to make ropes for the bustling ship-building business in Salem. Dazzlingly, this all occurred a half-century before the United States paid for formal control of the Philippines to the Spanish in 1898. Two American trading firms are known to have operated in Manila in the 1820s: Peele Hubbell & Co. (whose American flag flies over its warehouse depicted and correctly identified by Capistrano- Baker in a unique Letras y Figuras that recently came to auction at León Gallery. That work is an extraordinary example in English, titled Views of Manila. The other American entity is the rather better- known Russel & Sturgis Co. who had ties not just in Manila but also to Canton, China. There are several of these watercolors that have become familiar to collectors, but there are others that are rarely seen or only now to be presently discovered. These include El pobre mendigando (Blind Beggar, taken from life); the Mestiza Bañando (Mestiza Bathing); and Jugador de Gallo de Malabon (Actual likeness of a Celebrated Cock- fighter). The latter appears to be truly more of a pocket fan’s portrait, the 19th-century equivalent of a Michael Jordan basketball trading card. The sportsman’s features are so well outlined including his mustache. While the watercolors of mestizas in street and church ensembles, for example, may be known to aficionados, these particular renditions are far more vibrant and life-like. Capistrano-Baker has written about tell-tale signs of Asunción’s work, only visible with magnification, that give them a subtle but certain unmistakeable and magical quality. This collection of never-before-seen Asunción works is significant because of their outstanding beauty and condition. These tipos del pais works are also accompanied by a handwritten note that significantly details their complete date of creation. The note says: "Costumes from the Philippine Islands painted by a Native artist, Manila, 20 May 1846.”
Hand-colored lithograph After the Asunción watercolor for the “Tipos del País” series, started by Damián Domingo, his teacher. Measurements: Frame: 23.5 x 16.5 cm
PROPERTY FROM THE D ON BENITO J. LEGARD A JR. COLLECTI ON Justiniano Asunción (1816 - 1901) "Costumes of Manilla" (sic) Tipos del Pais (People of the Country) Inscribed on the cover, “Purchased 31st December 1843”, according to Dr. Legarda’s type written notes signed and dated (lower right) e ach watercolor on paper 14" x 9" (36 cm x 23 cm) each RO M T H E D O N B E N I TO J . L E G A R D A J R . C O L L E C T I O N TIPOS DEL PAIS BY JUSTINIANO ASUNCIÓN R A R E G E M S C R E AT E D A N D S I G N E D B Y T H E M A S T E R by L I S A G U E R R E RO N A K P I L Consisting of Sixteen (16) works in outstanding condition, titled in Spanish with an English translation below it, both indicated as follows: 1. Indio Yloco. Indian of the Province of Yloco. 2. Pescador de Malabon. Malabon Fisherman. 3. El pobre mendigando. Blind beggar (taken from life). 4. Carreta de Palay. Sledge for transporting Paddy (sic) 5. Vendedora de Arros. Rice Woman. 6. El Indio del Campo. An Indian Ploughing 7. El viefo vestido antiguo. Old man in ancient costume. 8. La Mestiza española. Spanish mestiza (Spanish & Indian blood) in walking dress. 9. Esterera de Tipas. Mat maker of Fipas (sic) 10. La India arrosera. Luzon or large wooden mortar used for separating the husk from the paddy (sic). 11. La viefa de vestida antigua. Old woman in ancient costume. 12. Mestiza Bañando. Mestiza bathing 13. Vendedora de Pescado, Fisherwoman 14. Jugador de gallo de Malabon. Actual likeness of a Celebrated Cock-fighter. 15. La Mestiza española. Spanish mestiza (Spanish & Indian blood) in church dress. 16. El mestiza Indio y Chino. Indian mestiza (Indian & Chinese blood.) Justiniano Asunción, known as “Capitan Ting” in Sta. Cruz after his appointment as the capitanmunicipal of that prosperous Manila district, was however more famous on two continents for his art. Asunción is presumed to have taken lessons in the last years of the first Manila Academia de Dibujo, established by Damian Domingo, himself widely held to be as the father of Filipino painting. The academy, however, closed with Domingo’s abrupt death in 1834. Asunción is, however considered one of his most worthy successors in the painting of the celebrated Tipos del Pais. The Tipos del Pais has been described by art historian Florina Capistrano-Baker, an expert in this field, as “Philippine export watercolors that capture the inhabitants, costumes, and occupations of the country.” They were, in particular ‘trophies of trade’, commissioned by what she termed as elite merchants and fellow travelers to symbolize their pelf and power. These were the wealthy traders of New England and Massachusetts who became enormously rich by importing sugar from the Philippines to make American rum, the country’s indigo for factories on the eastern seaboard, and marine-grade hemp to make ropes for the bustling ship-building business in Salem. Dazzlingly, this all occurred a half-century before the United States paid for formal control of the Philippines to the Spanish in 1898. Two American trading firms are known to have operated in Manila in the 1820s : Peele Hubbell & Co. (whose American flag flies over its warehouse depicted and correctly identified by Capistrano-Baker in a unique Letras y Figuras that recently came to auction at León Gallery. That work is an extraordinary example in English, titled Views of Manila. The other American entity is the rather better-known Russel & Sturgis Co. who had ties not just in Manila but also to Canton, China. There are several of these watercolors that have become familiar to collectors, but there are others that are rarely seen or only now to be presently discovered. These include El pobre mendigando (Blind Beggar, taken from life) which shows a well-dressed xxxx. led by a young boy; the Mestiza Bañando (Mestiza Bathing); and Jugador de Gallo de Malabon (Actual likeness of a Celebrated Cock-fighter.) The latter appears to be truly more of a pocket fan’s portrait, the 19th-century equivalent of a Michael Jordan basketball trading card. The sportsman’s features are so well outlined including his mustache. While the watercolors of mestizas in street and church ensembles, for example, may be known to aficionados, these particular renditions are far more vibrant and life-like. Capistrano-Baker has written about tell-tale signs of Asunción’s work, only visible with magnification, that give them a subtle but certain unmistakeable and magical quality. Furthermore, Asunción’s name is Anglicized in the watercolors as Justiniano Asumpcion (for Assumption); as are all the sub-titles of all the works, presumably to make it easier for the American buyer to enjoy these souvenirs of his new-found wealth. The works at hand were inscribed on their cover as “Purchased 31st December 1843,” according to the notes of Don Benito J. Legarda Jr, making them the same age as the Princeton works. Legarda incidentally was one of the few historians that specialized in the early Philippine-American trade of the 1800s, adding another dimension to the reason that he collected these rare masterpieces. He was the author of the important work titled After the Galleons: Foreign Trade, Economic Change, and Entrepreneurship in the Nineteenth-Century Philippines, published by the Ateneo de Manila University Press. There are at present only a handful of works to have been signed by Justiniano Asunción in the United States’ museum collections : In 2006, writes Capistrano-Baker, “a previously unknown and heretofore unpublished group of Tipos del Pais attributed to Asunción in the collection of the Harvey S. Firestone Library at Princeton University came to (her) attention. This collection includes sixteen images of Philippine costumes, with four inscribed ‘Por Justiniano Assump.n año de 1843.’ The four signed works at Princeton portray popular mestiza images similar to those in the New York album.” Those works at the New York Public Library, incidentally are not signed and Capistrano-Baker has theorized that nine of them may be by Asunción. This collection of never-before-seen Asunción works is triply significant not only because of their outstanding beauty and condition as well as irreproachable provenance but for the rarity of having each and every work signed.
PROPERTY FROM an important private collection Justiniano Asunción (1816 - 1901) Tipos del Pais, Various ca. 1870 watercolor on paper 10" x 7" (25 cm x 18 cm) each P 3,000,000 There were two Manila Academias fifty years apart: The first was founded by Damian Domingo, who is recognized as the country’s first Filipino painter, or the most well-known Filipino artist of non-religious themes. The second academy produced the likes of Lorenzo Guerrero to Juan Luna, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo and Fabian de la Rosa, now educated in the techniques and themes of Spain and Europe. In between these two schools are the artists who may be described as ‘the primitives’ according to one art historian, ‘simply because they lacked formal training.’ These included the astoundingly talented Antonio Malantic and Justiniano Asuncion, who nevertheless became famous and sought-after. Asuncion, like Damian, specialized in portraits as well as the artform called tipos del pais. He worked in Santa Cruz and began by painting religious works for the parish church including what has been described as life-size statuary intended for the annual processions. He also began to create works that immortalized Manila’s young women with breathtaking attention to the lacework of their pañuelos and pañolitos, their lockets and striped iridescent skirts. His tipos del pais intended as pocket artworks for the civilized and wealthy tourist or visiting foreign merchant and was meant to illustrate the life and times of Manila in the 1870s. This single lot of size mestizas features the mujeres or women of the the city dressed for various occasions including the daily promenade (umbrella in hand for a rainy day), a tertulia (gold comb gleaming in her hair), visits to Sunday mass or daily prayers (and darkly-veiled for confessions). Tiny hands carry kerchiefs or shawls, slim feet in dark velvet slippers. Only one has their head uncovered, showing hip-length hair parted in the middle, in the style for unmarried women. Asuncion’s attention to detail is unsurpassed and the fineness of these works is extraordinary. Indeed, in the next generation of artists after Damian Domingo and before Juan Luna, he was amongits most eloquent and beloved.
A mid to late 19th century oil painting on canvas depicting the Holy Trinity attributed to Filipino painter Justiniano Asunción (1816 - 1896). The rich application of gold ornaments, realistic attention to the minutest detail and the concealment of brushstrokes are characteristic of Justiniano's style. Justiniano, known as "Capitan Ting" was one of six brothers who operated a studio in Sta. Cruz, Manila including Manuel (b. 1792) and Leoncio (b. 1813) who were sculptors, and Mariano, Antonio (b. 1794), and Ambrosio (b. 1808) who were painters. Having a dark wood frame, likely in original kamagong. With certification from art historian Santiago "Jak" Pilar.
This costumed figure may be mistaken as the work of Damian Domingo, but it was painted by his prize pupil in the Academia de Dibujo, Justiniano Asuncion y Molo. In the middle of the 19th century, the indigenous fashions of various peoples in the Philippines and nearby countries were featured in such periodicals as the Manila- and Madrid-based newspaper El Oriente with the caption "Tipos del Pais." When Damian Domingo was too ill to paint, he passed down to the still adolescent Asuncion the work of painting Tipos del Pais for the travelers’ market. Asuncion’s flair for details in the art of miniaturism soon surpassed that of his teacher. In this style, the minutest details are painted as realistically as possible, even if the ground were as small as a thumbnail, as it is in the case of lockets.
