Anita Magsaysay-Ho

Purita Kalaw- Ledesma/ Alice Guerrero Guillermo, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, A Restrospective, The Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Manila, 1998, p. 50, colourplate

The painting is in good condition, as is the board, which is free from cracks or warping. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals some spots of retouching in the upper left background, and scattered small flecks of minor retouching in general. These are visible only under UV light. There are some minor craquelures usually associated with paintings of this age and medium, but the paint layers are well-preserved overall. Colours of the actual painting are slightly warmer, but the catalogue illustration is quite accurate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Distinguishing herself as the only woman to be in the groundbreaking group known as "The Thirteen Moderns" in the patriarchal 20th Century Philippines art scene, Anita Magsaysay-Ho's entry into the Filipino art platform came at an important juncture, when the debate between the Conservatives and the Modernists was at its most intense period. Through her work, Anita firmly positioned herself on the side of the modernists; painting figures with angular features, slanted eyes, hair covered by a headscarf instead of the idealized features of curvaceous women with large expressive eyes or luxuriantly cascading hair.

Executed in 1950, exactly at the dawn of one of the Philippines' most exhilarating decade, Harvest sands a truly seminal work which is especially important in light of the transformation of art from the restrictions of the classic, genre school to the liberation of modernism. Moving away from representational realism, Anita Magsaysay-Ho focused on the psychological dynamic of rural women at work, and the deconstruction of the picture into simple geometric planes. The present work is a fine example of this. Taking away the Academics' backdrop of lush landscape and penchant for feminine beauty, figures of four women and a girl took the center stage. Their forms are stylized, wore angular headscarves and the rectangular-shaped clothing echo the sheaves of rice stalks they carry. The facial features of the figures have been kept to a bare minimum to draw attention to their actions, relationships and the strength they draw from this unity.

In the present work, the artist worked with delicate egg tempera, which is created by hand-grinding dry-powdered pigments into egg yolks and sometimes combined with honey, water, milk or plant gums. This medium is delicate and translucent but the colours it exerts are consistent and do not change over time, unlike oil. In a sense, by using this method, it appears as if Magsaysay-Ho is exerting her views on the strengths of a woman: delicate but graceful, independent but steadfast and loyal. Magsaysay-Ho's egg tempera paintings are rarities; most of them belong to private collections and Harvest is the first one to be offered at auction in a decade. It exhibits superbly Magsaysay-Ho's ground-breaking thought and heralds the crucial transition between the old and the new.