''Camote Diggers'' is an unfinished painting and considered as the last artwork by

National Artist National Artist is an honorary title issued by some states as a highest recognition of artists for their significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the nation. An equivalent title, People's Artist, has been known in countries of the f ...

Botong Francisco Carlos Modesto "Botong" Villaluz Francisco (November 4, 1912 – March 31, 1969) was a Filipino muralist from Angono, Rizal. Early life Francisco was a most distinguished practitioner of mural painting for many decades and best known for his hist ...

prior to his death in 1969.

Background

The painting depicts an old woman and a young man digging for ''

camote The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young shoot ...

'' (sweet potato). ''Camote Diggers'' is a 1969 oil on canvas work measuring . A smaller and finished version of ''Camote Diggers'' exists – an oil on canvas artwork which measures and is also dated 1969. The smaller version had the inscription "To my friend Tony Kayanan, in admiration, Botong Francisco" on its back. According to historian and curator

Ambeth Ocampo Ambeth R. Ocampo (born 1961 in Manila) is a Filipino public historian, academic, cultural administrator, journalist, author, and independent curator. He is best known for his definitive writings about Philippines' national hero José Rizal and o ...

, the digging of the old woman along with the young man, which he says could possibly be her son, is a commentary on the plight of the poor. Ocampo adds that the red, white, and blue in the background is meant to represent the

Philippine flag The national flag of the Philippines ( tgl, Pambansang watawat ng Pilipinas; ilo, Nailian a bandera ti Filipinas; ceb, Nasudnong bandila ng Pilipinas; es, Bandera Nacional de Filipinas) is a horizontal List of flags by design#Bicolour, bicol ...

, an allusion to "our sad republic, then and now".

Condition and location

''Camote Diggers'' was left unfinished and was stored inside

's studio until 1973, when Francisco's widow presented the artwork as a gift to then-President

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

and First Lady

Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the dictator ...

. The Marcoses are patrons of Francisco, with their last commissioned work being ''The Life of Ferdinand Marcos''. It was then hanged inside the

Malacañang Palace Malacañang Palace ( fil, Palasyo ng Malakanyang, ; es, Palacio de Malacañán), officially known as Malacañan Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila distric ...

, in a room next to the study of the President. By 2004, ''Camote Diggers'' was in the possession of a son of a senator who sold it to former Central Bank Governor

Jaime C. Laya Jaime del Carmen Laya, better known as Jimmy Laya (born January 8, 1939) is a Filipino banker, accountant, and cultural administrator who served as the first Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (as Minister of Budget) of the Rep ...

. The artwork was lent to the Yuchengco Museum from 2011 to 2019 and as part of a rotating exhibition of various

National Artists National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

. In 2012, the painting was also featured in a special retrospective on the artist called ''Botong Francisco: A Nation Imagined'' at the

Ayala Museum The Ayala Museum is a museum in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is run privately by the Ayala Foundation and houses archaeological, ethnographic, historical, fine arts, numismatics, and ecclesiastical exhibits. Since its establishment in ...

that was subsequently published in its exhibition catalogue. In 2019, ''Camote Diggers'' was auctioned off at the Leon Gallery Fine Art and Antiques in Manila for , inclusive of

buyer's premium In auctions, the buyer's premium is a charge in addition to the hammer price (i.e. the winning bid announced) of an auction item, or lot. The winning bidder is required to pay both the hammer price and the percentage of that price called for by the ...

. However the artwork's

provenance Provenance (from the French ''provenir'', 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody or location of a historical object. The term was originally mostly used in relation to works of art but is now used in similar senses i ...

became subject of controversy with the heirs of Francisco believing that the painting should be in Malacañang. This led to the consignor, with consent of the buyer who successfully bought the painting in the auction, to donate ''Camote Diggers'' to a national museum.

References

{{reflist Philippine paintings 1969 paintings Unfinished paintings Painting controversies