Unmistakably Botong

Ang Aguinaldo has a sterling provenance, underscored by meticulously kept documentation tracing the history of its ownership. In 1938, Botong sold this artwork to Gene Cabrera, a prominent cartoonist and illustrator renowned for his haunting oil on canvas creation titled A Tragic Lesson (1957), which is prominently showcased at the National Museum of the Philippines. Both individuals shared a common background as illustrators for the Graphic Magazine (now known as Philippines Graphic), a weekly publication that celebrated Tagalog literature and actively supported Filipino artists. Several years following Botong’s demise in 1969, Cabrera extended an offer to sell the painting to Jaime Ledesma of Ledesma Overseas Shipping, who is a respected collector of art. At the time of the offer, the painting adorned Cabrera’s residence.

In 1975, Ledesma procured and took ownership of the artwork, and he obtained a Certificate of Authenticity from Demetrio Diego, a distinguished artist who excelled as an illustrator, cartoonist, and painter during his time. Diego’s professional journey encompassed serving as an illustrator for Tribune and Taliba newspapers during the 1920s, assuming the role of chief artist for the Sunday Times Magazine from the 1950s to the 1970s, and functioning as an Art Director for The Manila Times.

Diego and Botong collaborated closely starting from the 1930s, functioning as illustrators for publications such as Sunday Tribune, La Vanguardia, and Taliba Magazines. National Artist BenCab once shared that he was often sent by Diego to Angono, Rizal to persuade Botong to contribute an illustration for the cover of the next Sunday Times Magazine. Possessing this profound understanding of Botong’s artistic approach, Diego attested that Ang Aguinaldo is “a “genuine” Botong oil painting. Unmistakenably [sic] and a real Botong.”

Suzano “Jun” Gonzales, the late art conservator and restorer, was entrusted with bringing back the piece to its former glory. Gonzales gave the piece minimal conservation – just repainting small cracks and missing paints– guided by the principle of keeping the integrity of the original painting intact. In his conservation report, he stated that nothing new in terms of additional design and color scheme, and painting was introduced to the work. Gonzales was also known for cleaning Juan Luna’s Spoliarium in 1982 before it was moved to the National Museum of the Philippines.

Ang Aguinaldo was acquired from Jaime Ledesma by Multinational Investment Bancorporation through its art dealership and brokerage affiliate East Asia Corporation for Arts & Antiquities led by its managing director Amado Lacuesta in 1979. Within the same year, they also added more Botong works to their collection, such as his c. 1950s Fluvial Parade and 18 watercolor paintings of costume designs for his work in the film industry. This series of acquisitions swiftly cemented the institution’s reputation as a serious collector of Botong’s artworks within the local artistic community.