Stolen Amorsolo painting returns to Silay City museum
BACOLOD CITY – A 1936 painting of national artist Fernando Amorsolo that was stolen nine months ago from the Hofileña Museum at Cinco de Noviembre Street in Silay City, Negros Occidental, has returned to its home on April 25.
A small gathering and thanksgiving was held at the museum to celebrate the return of the 12-by-18-inch “Mango Harvester” painting.
“It was unveiled and returned to its original spot at the museum,” said Rene “Boy” Hofileña, administrator of the museum.
The painting was stolen from the museum on July 3, 2024 and was recovered by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation nine days later from two people who were attempting to sell it for P3.5 million in Quezon City.
The National Museum of the Philippines has pegged the price of the “Mango Harvester” painting at P15 million.
A notice on the spot where the painting was located at the Hofileña Museum stated that it had been stolen.
On Friday, the notice was taken down and replaced with the recovered painting.
Rene said it would permanently be on display at the museum and they hired security personnel to guard the building.
“My nephews and nieces will be paying for it (security personnel) because the museum cannot afford to pay them as it does not earn a lot,” he said.
Based on the investigation, the thieves pretended to be tourists and stole the “Mango Harvesters” by placing it in a tote bag as shown in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage provided by the Hofileña Museum.
The painting was transported by commercial plane to Metro Manila.
The thieves who stole the painting from the Hofileña Museum are still at large. But the two other persons who attempted to sell the painting in Quezon City have been arrested by the NBI.
Art repository
Rene said they expect to have a lot of visitors with the return of the Amorsolo.
The museum was started in 1962 by Rene’s brother, art collector Ramon Hofileña, who converted their ancestral home into a museum in 1962.
The Hofileña Museum is a repository of art finds collected by Ramon, who asked that their ancestral home would remain a museum even after his death in 2021.
Rene was surprised that his brother designated him administrator of the museum in his will, which also stated that nothing should be taken out of the house.
“My brother wanted people to have a place to go to in Silay to see works of famous artists without having to go to museums in Manila,” he said.
Rene said his brother was friends with Amorsolo, who gave him the “Mango Harvester.”
Also on display at the museum are works of other notable Filipino artist like Juan Luna, Jose Joya, Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo, Vicente Manansala, Ang Kiukok, H.R. Ocampo, and Benedicto Cabrera.
The museum also has a sketch by Jose Rizal made during his student days that was given to Ramon by the late business tycoon Roberto “Bobby” Ongpin and is home to paintings by Silay artist Conrado Judith.
Rene said he and his family are continuing the legacy of his brother who wanted to bring joy to the people through the museum.
“They call this house a little National Museum,” he said.
