León Gallery wishes to thank Mrs. Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo for confirming the authenticity of this lot.

Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist

ABOUT THE WORK

There were several Filipinas who rose to fame as well as notoriety during World War II. However, no one had an epic, intriguing, and romantic story like a prewar Hollywood movie as Maria Buenaventura Castro– Espinosa aka “Madame X,” an amazing entrepreneur of the first order who rose to become one of the richest Filipinas wartime and postwar. Maria was an industrious, excellent businesswoman who spent long hours on her desk working on her various enterprises. Prewar, she was already into buy– and–sell transactions and exported commodities. Possessing boundless energy, she bought and sold everything imaginable without borders: rice, sugar, fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, liquor, jewelry, textiles, silver, gold, sand, gravel, cement, steel bars, wood planks, paint, furniture, charcoal, coal, residential real estate, commercial real estate, etc etc. She made the most profits from textiles and real estate. Maria was perfectly aware that she was suspected of collaboration with the Japanese during World War II but she maintained: “I simply want to do business; I enjoy doing business. You could be Filipino, American, British, German, Japanese, Nazi, Jew, whatever … I would still do business with you if I will make good money! There are no distinctions where money is involved!” Maria was known for unapologetically splendid dance parties during World War II where her guests were Japanese military officialdom, prominent Filipino politicians and businessmen, and beautiful and talented ladies. That, at a time of the greatest deprivation. According to her contemporaries, the hardworking Maria was “oozing money from her ears” and “she knew how to enjoy life.” She worked hard for her money, knew how to spend it well, and enjoyed the best things life could offer. One of her memorable real estate purchases was the splendid French Mediterranean–style Alfonso Roxas Zóbel–Carmen Herrero Pfitz mansion designed by DBF “de buena familia” and “de alta sociedad” architect Andres Luna de San Pedro y Pardo de Tavera on Dewey boulevard corner Padre Faura street. She lived there in style for many years and it remained with her family for several decades as a valuable rental property. Her numerous real estate acquisitions were legendary. Maria Buenaventura Castro–Espinosa’s real estate holdings crisscrossed downtown Manila and its suburbs. From Divisoria to Binondo, Santa Cruz to Quiapo, Escolta to Avenida to Dulumbayan, to Ermita and Malate along Dewey boulevard. She had commercial and residential properties everywhere. She owned the Shellborne Hotel on T M Kalaw street corner Dewey boulevard as well as the neighboring Luneta Hotel also on the same street. The various “Marvel” buildings (#01, #02, etc) were hers. Among many others, she owned the land that became the Tahanan Village at BF Homes in Paranaque city. Postwar, she was charged with collaboration with the Japanese but she was never jailed. Mrs Espinosa was given the monicker “Madame X” postwar after she was involved in a huge tax case by the Philippine government in relation to numerous properties acquired during World War II. Not wanting to mention her name out of politesse but wanting to talk about her just the same, Manila society took to calling her “Madame X.” Maria was an inveterate real estate investor. When North Forbes Park was opened for sale in the 1960s, she promptly purchased seven 2,100 m2 properties in a row for her son and daughters. Maria Buenaventura Castro married Mr Espinosa and they had six daughters and one son, the youngest.