Bidding war for Rizal’s ‘Mona Lisa’ hits P31 million

MANILA, Philippines — A ferocious bidding war for Jose Rizal’s “Josephine Sleeping” erupted last weekend at the Leon Gallery’s Kingly Treasures Auction in Makati City.

The sculpture depicts the last lady love of the country’s “first Filipino” and foremost national hero, made by the same hands that wrote the “Noli” and “Fili.”

Ten bidders first joined the fray at the opening price of P7 million to own the piece that measured no more than 9-1/2 inches long and 2-3/4 inches wide.

Made of plaster of Paris, it was created during Rizal’s isolation and exile in distant Dapitan in Zamboanga, months before he would meet his martyrdom on Bagumbayan Field or today’s Luneta.

It portrayed a winsome Josephine Leopoldine Bracken, her curves outlined under the sheets, who would become the only Mrs. Jose Rizal.

The bidders were spread out nationwide, placing telephone and online bids.

Only one bidder was on the floor, director general Jeremy Barns of the National Museum, who quietly observed the action.

As the piece rocketed past the P10-million mark, then sped beyond P20 million, bidders would slowly drop out — until at the P26-million mark, it became a three-cornered battle.

The auction crowd remained reverential in silence.

When the smoke had cleared, one telephone bidder took the prize, hitting an eye-watering P31 million with buyer’s premium.

The room erupted in cheers.

In a first for Philippine art, the National Museum gave formal notice that it would consider exercising its “right of first refusal” for the Rizal sculpture, as well as three other historical photographs of the 19th-century artist Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, which went on the block.

One of these depicts him painting the treasure “The Assassination of Governor Bustamante,” which has pride of place at the Spoliarium Hall of the museum.

The institution has seven days to match the offer, according to law.

Jaime Ponce de Leon, director of Leon Gallery, responding to the new world record set for Rizal’s works, said, “After all, the piece is the most important of Rizal’s works and is Rizal’s Mona Lisa.”

“If Da Vinci had his Mona Lisa, then this is Rizal’s own mysterious beauty. Josephine Bracken has always been an