Romeo Tabuena Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Romeo Tabuena Art Value Price Guide

Sep. 29, 2026
ROMEO VILLALBA TABUENA Ciudad de Iloilo, the Philippines (1921) / San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (2015) "Still Life"
Est: €1,200 - €1,800
Wool tapestry. Signed within the composition. Measurements: 162 x 110 cm
Ansorena
Sep. 29, 2026
ROMEO VILLALBA TABUENA Ciudad de Iloilo, the Philippines (1921) / San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (2015) "Flute Player", 1969
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Mixed media on canvas. Signed and dated in the upper left corner. Label from the San Miguel de Allende Gallery on the reverse. Measurements: 61 x 51 cm
Ansorena
Sep. 29, 2026
ROMEO VILLALBA TABUENA Ciudad de Iloilo, the Philippines (1921) / San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (2015) "Candy Apple Seller", 1964
Est: €1,000 - €1,500
Oil on hardboard. Signed and dated in the lower right corner. Measurements: 49 x 30 cm
Ansorena
Sep. 27, 2026
Romeo Villalva Tabuena (Filipino, 1921-2015), "The Procession"
Est: $800 - $1,200
Romeo Villalva Tabuena (Filipino, 1921-2015) "The Procession" acrylic on board signed and dated "Tabuena, 1963" (lower right) 13 3/4 x 37 1/2 inches (sight) 18 x 41 1/2 inches (frame)
Fontaine's Auction Gallery
Sep. 12, 2026
Romeo Tabuena (1921- 2015)
Est: ₱70,000 - ₱91,000
Untitled signed and dated 1959 (lower left) oil on board 25" x 17" (64 cm x 43 cm) Presenting a masterpiece that highlights his Neorealist and expressionist style, Romeo Tabuena’s featured portrait seemingly captures the essence of ordinary Filipinos. Using dark, earthy palette and expressive brushwork that emphasizes emotions and the dignity of labor. The serious expression, subdued colors, and expressive use of paint create a piece of art that feels both personal and deeply human. One of its defining features is how the sitter was painted. With the face built with broad visible strokes to establish lines of age and labor, Tabuena focuses more on its facial features to further communicate a feeling of weariness, contemplation, and quiet resilience. By emphasizing the emotion and character of the sitter instead of creating a detailed physical likeness, Tabuena transforms the image of an ordinary person into a powerful emotional subject of inner strength. Reflecting on the experiences, struggles, and quiet endurance that became hallmark traits of his early figurative works. (Mark John Castañeda)
Leon Gallery
Sep. 12, 2026
Romeo Tabuena (1921- 2015)
Est: ₱800,000 - ₱1,040,000
Barrio Scene signed and dated 1978 (upper left) oil on masonite board 30" x 48" (76 cm x 122 cm) PROVENANCE Private collection, USA Apainting that exemplifies his nostalgic depictions of rural Filipino life, Romeo Tabuena presents another masterpiece that continues to represent the beauty and dignity of the everyday lives of Filipinos. The memories of his home country continue to showcase the simplicity and harmony of the countryside through his works. His scenes featuring nipa huts, carabao, farmers, and village life essentially capture an idealized memory of the Philippine countryside. Effectively preserving its traditions through visual art. It features a peaceful image of a traditional Filipino barrio at either sunrise or sunset. Tabuena decorated the foreground with a woman standing while carrying a basket of goods on her head, another breast feeding, to immediately establish the daily routines of rural life. The carabaos and the man riding one of them stand at the center to symbolize the hardworking Filipino farmer and serve as the visual anchor of the masterpiece. At the same time, the background features nipa huts, coconut trees, and a clothesline with a woman doing traditional laundry to reinforce simplicity and harmony between the other elements. The layered brushstrokes and colorful palette create a misty atmosphere that makes the composition feel like a part of a memory of a dream. This invites the gaze to go across the landscape. Painted in the years when the artist was living abroad, Tabuena’s featured masterpiece could be seen as a form of nostalgia: Reliving the memories of where he came from while capturing the idealized memory of the Philippine countryside. Finding meaning in the most ordinary moments. (Mark John Castañeda
Leon Gallery
Jul. 25, 2026
Romeo Tabuena (1921- 2015)
Est: ₱25,000 - ₱32,500
Untitled signed (lower left) pastel on paper 13 1/4” x 7 3/4” (34 cm x 20 cm) Romeo Tabuena presents another masterpiece that combines cubist technique with expressionist distortion to construct an angular, geometric image of the human body. Composed of networks of vertical and diagonal lines to create a sense of structure while keeping the figure merged into the background, Tabuena successfully demonstrated the balance between abstraction and recognition. Inviting an observation that focuses less on the identity and more on the mood, movement, and the relationship between shapes and colors. (Mark John Castañeda)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 27, 2026
ROMEO VILLALVA TABUENA (FILIPINO, 1921-2015)
Est: $800 - $1,600
Romeo Villalva Tabuena Filipino, 1921-2015 Mixed media on board Signed and dated 1955 lower right. Impressionist village scene, framed.
Selkirk Auctioneers & Appraisers
Jun. 27, 2026
ROMEO VILLALVA TABUENA (FILIPINO, 1921-2015)
Est: $800 - $1,600
Romeo Villalva Tabuena Filipino, 1921-2015 Mixed media on panel Signed and dated 1955 lower right. Impressionist scene of a stone cottage, framed.
Selkirk Auctioneers & Appraisers
Jun. 16, 2026
ROMEO VILLALBA TABUENA City of Iloilo, Philippines (1921) / San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (2015) "Landscape", 1964
Est: €4,500 - €6,750
Oil on board Signed and dated in the lower left corner. Dimensions: 55 x 110 cm
Ansorena
Jun. 13, 2026
Romeo Tabuena (1921 - 2015)
Est: ₱240,000 - ₱312,000
Pounding and Winnowing Rice signed and dated 1960 (lower right) oil on board 16" x 22 1/2" (41 cm x 57 cm) PROVENANCE Private collection, Manila Providing another art piece that beautifully reflects his poetic realism rooted in Filipino life, Romeo Tabuena presents the quiet nostalgia and simplicity of rural living. Rendered in a monochromatic palette that evokes nostalgia and warmth, this masterpiece serves as a quiet, intimate, and dignified representation of Filipino identity— balancing indigenous subject matter with modernist abstraction. Featuring a direct image of a rural village scene consisting of stilt houses, palm trees, and figures engaged in everyday labor, Tabuena directly tackles the essence of rural life rather than its realism. Focusing on the gesture over detail, as the figures are simplified and elongated. Establishing the small village as a form of memory and figures as symbols of rural life, Romeo Tabuena presents reconstructed by imagination. It highlights a complex meditation on the instability of memory. One that suggests that memories could never be fully recoverable. (Mark John Castañeda) a beautiful piece that reflects the fusion of imagery and modernist abstraction. Creating a poetic and meditative vision of everyday life. Timeless and universal, his masterpiece focuses not on individuals but on the communal existence and rhythm of idyllic Filipino life. (Mark John Castañeda)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 13, 2026
Romeo Tabuena (1921 - 2015)
Est: ₱140,000 - ₱182,000
Peregrinos signed and dated 1960 (lower left) oil on board 12" x 19 1/4" (30 cm x 49 cm) PROVENANCE Private collection, Manila While he was best known for his watercolor landscapes, Romeo Tabuena also produced a diverse collection of acrylic, oil, graphite, charcoal, and ink works. This featured work is a testament to his excellent grasp of color and form, as well as the command of his chosen medium. Adopting a cubist-inspired technique, Peregrinos depicts a group of people who, by their postures and the items they carry, are migrating to a different location. Tabuena’s limited palette resulted in a painting resembling an old, slowly fading, deteriorating photograph. Although it is an oil painting, his translucent layers of paint create a rich tonal intensity and give the image the appearance of a watercolor piece, a style reminiscent of his early works. (Jessica Magno)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 13, 2026
Romeo Tabuena (1921 - 2015)
Est: ₱280,000 - ₱364,000
Market Vendors signed and dated 1974 (upper left) oil on masonite board 24" x 28" (61 cm x 71 cm) PROVENANCE Private collection, Manila Combining cubist geometry with Filipino cultural themes, Romeo Tabuena presents a beautiful work that pays tribute to Filipino women—celebrating their roles in society as mothers and workers. Featuring a fragmented image of a woman selling fruit from her basket and a mother carrying her child, with a background resembling a populated village or marketplace, Tabuena presents the painting as a representation of collective rural identity and the quiet dignity of women. The fragmented shape and colors flow in synchrony to provide balance between the people and the environment. Perfectly capturing the essence of Filipino communal life where women were represented as an important element in both family and community—all packed in a visual language that feels both structured and deeply human. (Mark John A. Castañeda)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 13, 2026
Romeo Tabuena (1921 - 2015)
Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000
Guitarist signed and dated 1984 (upper left) watercolor on paper 20 1/4" x 16" (51 cm x 41 cm) PROVENANCE Private collection, Manila Fragmented yet ethereal, Romeo Tabuena’s Guitarist provides another exemplary example of his mature visual language. With layered transparency and geometric construction, Tabuena attempts to reflect the unity of the artist and his instrument by presenting a soft, fragmented image of a musician with his instrument— echoed through overlapping geometric planes that interlock to form the body, the instrument, and the background space. The art itself invites an introspective viewing, as its meaning unfolds not just from the image but through the subtle relationship between shapes, tones, and layers. (Mark John Castañeda)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 06, 2026
Romeo Villalva Tabuena (Filipino, 1921-2015), Figures and Water Buffalo
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Romeo Villalva Tabuena (Filipino, 1921-2015) Figures and Water Buffalo acrylic on masonite signed and dated "Tabuena, 1978" (upper left) 30 x 48 inches (painting) 31 1/2 x 49 1/2 inches (frame)
Fontaine's Auction Gallery
Apr. 08, 2026
ROMEO VILLALBA TABUENA City of Iloilo, Philippines (1921) / San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (2015) "Landscape", 1964
Est: €9,750 - €13,000
Oil on board Signed and dated in the lower left corner. Measurements: 55 x 110 cm
Ansorena
Mar. 29, 2026
Romeo V. Tabuena (Filipino-Mexican, 1921-2015) Village Market
Est: $24,000 - $32,000
Romeo V. Tabuena (Filipino-Mexican, 1921-2015) Village Market 1974 signed and dated TABUENA 1974 (upper right); signed and dedicated (reverse) acrylic on masonite 53.5 x 76.5 cm (21 x 30 1/8 in)
Bonhams
Mar. 27, 2026
ROMEO TABUENA (1921-2015) ARTIST'S PROOF PRINT, FLOWER SELLERS
Est: $200 - $400
Framed print on art paper, Flower and Fruit Sellers, signed in pencil lower right Tabuena (Romeo Villalva Tabuena, Philippines, 1921-2015), A/P (artist's proof) lower left, overall: approx 28"h, 22"w, 6lbs
Austin Auction Gallery
Mar. 20, 2026
Work on paper, Romeo Villalva Tabuena
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Romeo Villalva Tabuena (Filipino, 1921-2015), "Straw Hat," 1956, ink brush on paper, signed and dated lower right, sight: 25.5"h x 36.5"w, overall (with frame): 30.5"h x 41"w
Clars Auctions
Feb. 19, 2026
Work on paper, Romeo Villalva Tabuena
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Romeo Villalva Tabuena (Filipino, 1921-2015), "Straw Hat," 1956, ink brush on paper, signed and dated lower right, sight: 25.5"h x 36.5"w, overall (with frame): 30.5"h x 41"w
Clars Auctions
Feb. 14, 2026
Romeo Tabuena (1921- 2015)
Est: ₱360,000 - ₱468,000
Untitled signed and dated 1974 (upper left) acrylic on masonite board 26 1/2" x 24 1/2" (67 cm x 62 cm) Warm, geometric, and lyrical, this wonderful 1974 painting by Romeo Tabuena offers a glimpse into his mastery of modernist abstraction, in which everyday objects are broken down into fragments and rebuilt through color, geometry, and rhythm rather than simple realism. With the painting looking like a random mosaic of shapes and colors, Tabuena presented recognizable forms that seem to peek from the canvas when you take a second look: a flower arrangement on the upper right, some fruits in a bowl, and a vague shape of a human figure sitting as a form of a guitar resting on their lap. The fragmented aesthetics of the piece push viewers to see beyond appearances, offering an experience through a combined play of color, balance, and rhythm. For context, by the 1970s, Tabuena had fully absorbed European modernism into his art style and blended it with distinctly Filipino sensitivities. The palette itself— consisting of muted earth tones and brighter accents of greens, oranges, and violets—establishes the calm and contemplative mood of the piece and the existing harmony between structure and emotion. (Mark John Castañeda)
Leon Gallery
Feb. 14, 2026
Romeo Tabuena (1921- 2015)
Est: ₱180,000 - ₱234,000
Untitled signed and dated 1972 (lower right) watercolor on paper 15" x 23" (38 cm x 58 cm) Almost two decades after his permanent settlement in San Miguel, Allende, this 1972 Romeo Tabuena work has fully transformed into what is known today as his ‘Mexican style.’ Prior to this move, his works were darker and more fluid, quite similar to the layered cubism of Manansala’s works. It carries within it a sense of proletarianism, with the working class more often than not finding themselves as his protagonists. His particular work, however, carries his colorful, opaque style, often carrying bright jewel-toned hues. Through his diverse oeuvre, his works are best portrayed as the perfect meeting point between the Filipino and the Mexican cultures. Said Bibsy M. Carballo: “[Tabuena is] a gentle soul who appreciated … the many similarities between Mexico and the Philippines.” Indeed, his works bridge the gap between Mexico and Philippine, marrying the culture of his hometown and the country he chose to live in to create culturally and visually vibrant pieces. (Hannah Valiente)
Leon Gallery
Feb. 10, 2026
ROMEO TABUENA - Landscape with animals
Est: -
ROMEO TABUENA Philippines 1921-Mexico 2015 Landscape with Animals. 2009 Charcoal on paper Signed and dated 2009 Dimensions 44 x 60.5 cm
Subastas Segre
Feb. 08, 2026
ROMEO VILLALVA TABUENA (FILIPINO, 1921-2015).
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Untitled' (Abstracted Landscape). 1964. Oil on board. Signed and dated lower left. From a Long Island, NY collection. Dimensions: 12.25 h x 18.25 w. Frame: 20.50 x 26.25 w.
Clarke Auction Gallery
Jan. 31, 2026
Romeo Tabuena (1921 - 2015)
Est: ₱400,000 - ₱520,000
Fruit Seller signed and dated 1963 (upper left and verso) oil on masonite board 37 1/2” x 25 1/4” (95 cm x 64 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jan. 31, 2026
Romeo Tabuena (1921 - 2015)
Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000
PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED LADY Lake Ecos signed and dated 1953 (lower left) watercolor on paper 13 3/4” x 19” (35 cm x 48 cm) provenance: Philippine Art Gallery Created just two years before his permanent residence in San Miguel de Allende, Romeo Tabuena’s Lake Ecos emulates his Filipino style, characterized by airy and light brushstrokes. In contrast to his later Mexican style, where he utilized a blocky quality, Lake Ecos still retained Tabuena’s local roots. Throughout his career, Tabuena would balance his two nations and their styles, creating a body of work that is truly his. (Hannah Valiente)
Leon Gallery
Dec. 06, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (1921 - 2015)
Est: ₱280,000 - ₱364,000
Planting Rice signed and dated 1977 (upper right) acrylic on masonite board 25" x 28 3/4" (64 cm x 73 cm) PROVENANCE Private collection, Manila An artist whose practice bridges Filipino Identity into cohesive visual languages, Romeo Tabuena's piece beautifully demonstrates his signature art style that celebrates the harmony and endurance of rural life, presenting tomes of interconnectedness between humans, nature, and labor. Executed with deliberate precision, this 1977 masterpiece illustrates a rural scene featuring farmers planting rice in a field. In the distant view, carabaos can be seen in the farther view of the image. Further establishing the agricultural setting of the painting. Fragmented yet unified in depicting the image of the piece, the artist's muted palette provides a soft, dreamlike atmosphere, resulting in a simple and harmonious mood. In this magnificent artwork, Tabuena perfectly captures the Filipino's resilience and the dignity of rural labor. The multiple bending motions of the farmers, along with the fragmentation caused by the cubist geometry, give the painting a sense of discipline and cooperation, which are valued traits among agrarian communities. Each fragment represents individual efforts, flawlessly pieced together to create an image of the collective whole—a visual metaphor for communal strength. A work of quiet tribute to the timeless relationship between people, land, and labor in the country, Romeo Tabuena's painting has become a hallmark of Philippine contemporary artworks that celebrate unity and rural life. (Mark John Castañeda)
Leon Gallery
Dec. 06, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (1921 - 2015)
Est: ₱400,000 - ₱520,000
PROPERTY FROM THE ARTURO "MACKY" LOPEZ COLLECTION Untitled signed and dated 1956 (lower left) oil on masonite board 25 1/2" x 37 1/2" (65 cm x 95 cm) Despite moving and settling into San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, in 1955, Romeo Tabuena remained heavily tethered to the culture and aesthetic of his home country, the Philippines. Never losing his Filipino passport, he participated in exhibitions and art projects, including a ten-year retrospective at the Philippine Art Gallery in 1959 and a solo exhibition sponsored by the Philippine government at Mexico City in 1962, among others. Prior to his move to Mexico, his art took on a more fluid, transparent style that washes the canvas in a darker, browner hue, similar to the layered cubism of Manansala’s works. After his move, however, he developed a colorful, opaque style that is docked with bright jewel tones. This particular work, created just a year after his move to San Miguel de Allende, shows the transition between his two iconic art styles. Still leaning a bit closer to his Filipino art style, the expressionist brush strokes and the darker palette point to his later Filipino phase and his growing Allende style. His oeuvre is best portrayed as the perfect meeting point between the Filipino and the Mexican cultures. Said Bibsy M. Carballo: “[Tabuena is] a gentle soul who appreciated … the many similarities between Mexico and the Philippines.” Indeed, his works transcend geographical boundaries, marrying the culture of his hometown and the country he chose to live in to create culturally and visually vibrant pieces. (Hannah Valiente)
Leon Gallery
Dec. 05, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (PH/MX 1921-2015) Portrait of Avon Neal
Est: $500 - $1,000
Romeo Tabuena (Filipino/Mexican 1921-2015) Portrait of Avon Neal oil on panel signed lower right dated 1960 19 x 15" 25 x 21" as framed. Filipino postwar Neorealist painter and printmaker Romeo Tabuena experienced life, education, and culture around the globe, from his birthplace in Southeast Asia to his residence in Mexico. Active in the Philippine Art Gallery, which opened in 1951, Tabuena created groundbreaking works that contributed to the evolution of art in the Philippines. In an interview, Tabuena stated that Cubism and Chinese vertical format painting greatly influenced him. Most of Tabuena’s works were acrylics, oils, and watercolors that featured a combination of Filipino and Mexican cultural themes, such as the everyday working people, traditional housing, and native plants. Some of Tabuena’s watercolor landscapes are his most sought after works. Born in Iloilo City, Philippines in 1921, he earned an architecture degree from the Mapúa Institute of Technology in Manila and a painting degree from the University of the Philippines. His talents were first recognized around 1949, when he held numerous exhibits at the Philippine Art Gallery that displayed his watercolors and drawings. Tabuena wanted to learn more from the Masters, so he left the Philippines to study at the Art Students League of New York in 1952 and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in 1954. In 1955, he moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an up and coming artist community, where he would paint for decades to come. The work he produced while in Mexico includes colors from the entire spectrum and features common people, such as street vendors and laundry women. Bibsy M. Carballo described Tabuena as “a gentle soul who appreciated good food, friends, [and] the many similarities between Mexico and the Philippines”. While living a humble and simple life in Mexico, Tabuena met his wife, Nina, a Swiss woman who also studied art and learned about her future husband through American Artist magazine. Despite his geographic separation from the Philippines, Tabuena preserved connections with his homeland. He participated in exhibitions and important art projects, including a ten-year retrospective at the Philippine Art Gallery in Manila in 1959 and a noteworthy solo exhibition sponsored by the Philippine government at Mexico City’s International Salon of the Palace of the Fine Arts in 1962. This show “further elevated the status of Philippine painting in the world of contemporary art”. From the Estate of Anne Parker Neal and Avon Neal who were active in Mexico in the 1950s and 60's The Neals worked throughout the world making their stone rubbings and are present in dozens of institutional collections including the Metropolitan museum of art.
Merrill's Auctioneers & Appraisers
Dec. 05, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (PH/MX 1921-2015) Three Carabaos
Est: $200 - $400
Romeo Tabuena (Filipino/Mexican 1921-2015) Three Carabaos lithograph on paper signed, dated 1953, and identified lower margin 20 x 13" - Filipino postwar Neorealist painter and printmaker Romeo Tabuena experienced life, education, and culture around the globe, from his birthplace in Southeast Asia to his residence in Mexico. Active in the Philippine Art Gallery, which opened in 1951, Tabuena created groundbreaking works that contributed to the evolution of art in the Philippines. In an interview, Tabuena stated that Cubism and Chinese vertical format painting greatly influenced him. Most of Tabuena’s works were acrylics, oils, and watercolors that featured a combination of Filipino and Mexican cultural themes, such as the everyday working people, traditional housing, and native plants. Some of Tabuena’s watercolor landscapes are his most sought after works. Born in Iloilo City, Philippines in 1921, he earned an architecture degree from the Mapúa Institute of Technology in Manila and a painting degree from the University of the Philippines. His talents were first recognized around 1949, when he held numerous exhibits at the Philippine Art Gallery that displayed his watercolors and drawings. Tabuena wanted to learn more from the Masters, so he left the Philippines to study at the Art Students League of New York in 1952 and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in 1954. In 1955, he moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an up and coming artist community, where he would paint for decades to come. The work he produced while in Mexico includes colors from the entire spectrum and features common people, such as street vendors and laundry women. Bibsy M. Carballo described Tabuena as “a gentle soul who appreciated good food, friends, [and] the many similarities between Mexico and the Philippines”. While living a humble and simple life in Mexico, Tabuena met his wife, Nina, a Swiss woman who also studied art and learned about her future husband through American Artist magazine. Despite his geographic separation from the Philippines, Tabuena preserved connections with his homeland. He participated in exhibitions and important art projects, including a ten-year retrospective at the Philippine Art Gallery in Manila in 1959 and a noteworthy solo exhibition sponsored by the Philippine government at Mexico City’s International Salon of the Palace of the Fine Arts in 1962. This show “further elevated the status of Philippine painting in the world of contemporary art”. From the Estate of Anne Parker Neal and Avon Neal who were active in Mexico in the 1950s and 60's The Neals worked throughout the world making their stone rubbings and are present in dozens of institutional collections including the Metropolitan museum of art.
Merrill's Auctioneers & Appraisers
Dec. 05, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (PH/MX 1921-2015) Cottages
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Romeo Tabuena (Filipino/ Mexican 1921-2015) Cottages pastel on paper signed lower left, dated 1958- Mexico, 16 x 14" secured to mat board with period appropriate tape- Filipino postwar Neorealist painter and printmaker Romeo Tabuena experienced life, education, and culture around the globe, from his birthplace in Southeast Asia to his residence in Mexico. Active in the Philippine Art Gallery, which opened in 1951, Tabuena created groundbreaking works that contributed to the evolution of art in the Philippines. In an interview, Tabuena stated that Cubism and Chinese vertical format painting greatly influenced him. Most of Tabuena’s works were acrylics, oils, and watercolors that featured a combination of Filipino and Mexican cultural themes, such as the everyday working people, traditional housing, and native plants. Some of Tabuena’s watercolor landscapes are his most sought after works. Born in Iloilo City, Philippines in 1921, he earned an architecture degree from the Mapúa Institute of Technology in Manila and a painting degree from the University of the Philippines. His talents were first recognized around 1949, when he held numerous exhibits at the Philippine Art Gallery that displayed his watercolors and drawings. Tabuena wanted to learn more from the Masters, so he left the Philippines to study at the Art Students League of New York in 1952 and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in 1954. In 1955, he moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an up and coming artist community, where he would paint for decades to come. The work he produced while in Mexico includes colors from the entire spectrum and features common people, such as street vendors and laundry women. Bibsy M. Carballo described Tabuena as “a gentle soul who appreciated good food, friends, [and] the many similarities between Mexico and the Philippines”. While living a humble and simple life in Mexico, Tabuena met his wife, Nina, a Swiss woman who also studied art and learned about her future husband through American Artist magazine. Despite his geographic separation from the Philippines, Tabuena preserved connections with his homeland. He participated in exhibitions and important art projects, including a ten-year retrospective at the Philippine Art Gallery in Manila in 1959 and a noteworthy solo exhibition sponsored by the Philippine government at Mexico City’s International Salon of the Palace of the Fine Arts in 1962. This show “further elevated the status of Philippine painting in the world of contemporary art”. From the Estate of Anne Parker Neal and Avon Neal who were active in Mexico in the 1950s and 60's The Neals worked throughout the world making their stone rubbings and are present in dozens of institutional collections including the Metropolitan museum of art.
Merrill's Auctioneers & Appraisers
Dec. 05, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (PH/MX 1921-2015) Harvesting Rice
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Romeo Tabuena (Filipino/Mexican 1921-2015) Harvesting Rice watercolor on paper signed lower left dated 1959- 6 x 19" - Filipino postwar Neorealist painter and printmaker Romeo Tabuena experienced life, education, and culture around the globe, from his birthplace in Southeast Asia to his residence in Mexico. Active in the Philippine Art Gallery, which opened in 1951, Tabuena created groundbreaking works that contributed to the evolution of art in the Philippines. In an interview, Tabuena stated that Cubism and Chinese vertical format painting greatly influenced him. Most of Tabuena’s works were acrylics, oils, and watercolors that featured a combination of Filipino and Mexican cultural themes, such as the everyday working people, traditional housing, and native plants. Some of Tabuena’s watercolor landscapes are his most sought after works. Born in Iloilo City, Philippines in 1921, he earned an architecture degree from the Mapúa Institute of Technology in Manila and a painting degree from the University of the Philippines. His talents were first recognized around 1949, when he held numerous exhibits at the Philippine Art Gallery that displayed his watercolors and drawings. Tabuena wanted to learn more from the Masters, so he left the Philippines to study at the Art Students League of New York in 1952 and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in 1954. In 1955, he moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an up and coming artist community, where he would paint for decades to come. The work he produced while in Mexico includes colors from the entire spectrum and features common people, such as street vendors and laundry women. Bibsy M. Carballo described Tabuena as “a gentle soul who appreciated good food, friends, [and] the many similarities between Mexico and the Philippines”. While living a humble and simple life in Mexico, Tabuena met his wife, Nina, a Swiss woman who also studied art and learned about her future husband through American Artist magazine. Despite his geographic separation from the Philippines, Tabuena preserved connections with his homeland. He participated in exhibitions and important art projects, including a ten-year retrospective at the Philippine Art Gallery in Manila in 1959 and a noteworthy solo exhibition sponsored by the Philippine government at Mexico City’s International Salon of the Palace of the Fine Arts in 1962. This show “further elevated the status of Philippine painting in the world of contemporary art”. From the Estate of Anne Parker Neal and Avon Neal who were active in Mexico in the 1950s and 60's The Neals worked throughout the world making their stone rubbings and are present in dozens of institutional collections including the Metropolitan museum of art.
Merrill's Auctioneers & Appraisers
Dec. 05, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (PH/MX 1921-2015) Filipino Village
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Romeo Tabuena (Filipino/Mexican 1921-2015) Filipino Village watercolor on paper signed and dated 1959 lower right - 20 x 14" 25 x 19" as framed. Filipino postwar Neorealist painter and printmaker Romeo Tabuena experienced life, education, and culture around the globe, from his birthplace in Southeast Asia to his residence in Mexico. Active in the Philippine Art Gallery, which opened in 1951, Tabuena created groundbreaking works that contributed to the evolution of art in the Philippines. In an interview, Tabuena stated that Cubism and Chinese vertical format painting greatly influenced him. Most of Tabuena’s works were acrylics, oils, and watercolors that featured a combination of Filipino and Mexican cultural themes, such as the everyday working people, traditional housing, and native plants. Some of Tabuena’s watercolor landscapes are his most sought after works. Born in Iloilo City, Philippines in 1921, he earned an architecture degree from the Mapúa Institute of Technology in Manila and a painting degree from the University of the Philippines. His talents were first recognized around 1949, when he held numerous exhibits at the Philippine Art Gallery that displayed his watercolors and drawings. Tabuena wanted to learn more from the Masters, so he left the Philippines to study at the Art Students League of New York in 1952 and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in 1954. In 1955, he moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an up and coming artist community, where he would paint for decades to come. The work he produced while in Mexico includes colors from the entire spectrum and features common people, such as street vendors and laundry women. Bibsy M. Carballo described Tabuena as “a gentle soul who appreciated good food, friends, [and] the many similarities between Mexico and the Philippines”. While living a humble and simple life in Mexico, Tabuena met his wife, Nina, a Swiss woman who also studied art and learned about her future husband through American Artist magazine. Despite his geographic separation from the Philippines, Tabuena preserved connections with his homeland. He participated in exhibitions and important art projects, including a ten-year retrospective at the Philippine Art Gallery in Manila in 1959 and a noteworthy solo exhibition sponsored by the Philippine government at Mexico City’s International Salon of the Palace of the Fine Arts in 1962. This show “further elevated the status of Philippine painting in the world of contemporary art”. From the Estate of Anne Parker Neal and Avon Neal who were active in Mexico in the 1950s and 60's The Neals worked throughout the world making their stone rubbings and are present in dozens of institutional collections including the Metropolitan museum of art.
Merrill's Auctioneers & Appraisers
Dec. 05, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (PH/MX 1921-2015) Procession
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Romeo Tabuena (Filipino/Mexican 1921-2015) Procession oil on board signed lower left dated 1960- 12 x 20" Filipino postwar Neorealist painter and printmaker Romeo Tabuena experienced life, education, and culture around the globe, from his birthplace in Southeast Asia to his residence in Mexico. Active in the Philippine Art Gallery, which opened in 1951, Tabuena created groundbreaking works that contributed to the evolution of art in the Philippines. In an interview, Tabuena stated that Cubism and Chinese vertical format painting greatly influenced him. Most of Tabuena’s works were acrylics, oils, and watercolors that featured a combination of Filipino and Mexican cultural themes, such as the everyday working people, traditional housing, and native plants. Some of Tabuena’s watercolor landscapes are his most sought after works. Born in Iloilo City, Philippines in 1921, he earned an architecture degree from the Mapúa Institute of Technology in Manila and a painting degree from the University of the Philippines. His talents were first recognized around 1949, when he held numerous exhibits at the Philippine Art Gallery that displayed his watercolors and drawings. Tabuena wanted to learn more from the Masters, so he left the Philippines to study at the Art Students League of New York in 1952 and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in 1954. In 1955, he moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an up and coming artist community, where he would paint for decades to come. The work he produced while in Mexico includes colors from the entire spectrum and features common people, such as street vendors and laundry women. Bibsy M. Carballo described Tabuena as “a gentle soul who appreciated good food, friends, [and] the many similarities between Mexico and the Philippines”. While living a humble and simple life in Mexico, Tabuena met his wife, Nina, a Swiss woman who also studied art and learned about her future husband through American Artist magazine. Despite his geographic separation from the Philippines, Tabuena preserved connections with his homeland. He participated in exhibitions and important art projects, including a ten-year retrospective at the Philippine Art Gallery in Manila in 1959 and a noteworthy solo exhibition sponsored by the Philippine government at Mexico City’s International Salon of the Palace of the Fine Arts in 1962. This show “further elevated the status of Philippine painting in the world of contemporary art”. From the Estate of Anne Parker Neal and Avon Neal who were active in Mexico in the 1950s and 60's The Neals worked throughout the world making their stone rubbings and are present in dozens of institutional collections including the Metropolitan museum of art.
Merrill's Auctioneers & Appraisers
Dec. 05, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (PH/MX 1921-2015) Farmer with two Buffalo
Est: $4,000 - $8,000
Romeo Tabuena (Filipino/Mexican 1921-2015) Farmer with Two Buffalo oil on board signed lower left dated 1960 24 x 17.5" Filipino postwar Neorealist painter and printmaker Romeo Tabuena experienced life, education, and culture around the globe, from his birthplace in Southeast Asia to his residence in Mexico. Active in the Philippine Art Gallery, which opened in 1951, Tabuena created groundbreaking works that contributed to the evolution of art in the Philippines. In an interview, Tabuena stated that Cubism and Chinese vertical format painting greatly influenced him. Most of Tabuena’s works were acrylics, oils, and watercolors that featured a combination of Filipino and Mexican cultural themes, such as the everyday working people, traditional housing, and native plants. Some of Tabuena’s watercolor landscapes are his most sought after works. Born in Iloilo City, Philippines in 1921, he earned an architecture degree from the Mapúa Institute of Technology in Manila and a painting degree from the University of the Philippines. His talents were first recognized around 1949, when he held numerous exhibits at the Philippine Art Gallery that displayed his watercolors and drawings. Tabuena wanted to learn more from the Masters, so he left the Philippines to study at the Art Students League of New York in 1952 and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in 1954. In 1955, he moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an up and coming artist community, where he would paint for decades to come. The work he produced while in Mexico includes colors from the entire spectrum and features common people, such as street vendors and laundry women. Bibsy M. Carballo described Tabuena as “a gentle soul who appreciated good food, friends, [and] the many similarities between Mexico and the Philippines”. While living a humble and simple life in Mexico, Tabuena met his wife, Nina, a Swiss woman who also studied art and learned about her future husband through American Artist magazine. Despite his geographic separation from the Philippines, Tabuena preserved connections with his homeland. He participated in exhibitions and important art projects, including a ten-year retrospective at the Philippine Art Gallery in Manila in 1959 and a noteworthy solo exhibition sponsored by the Philippine government at Mexico City’s International Salon of the Palace of the Fine Arts in 1962. This show “further elevated the status of Philippine painting in the world of contemporary art”. From the Estate of Anne Parker Neal and Avon Neal who were active in Mexico in the 1950s and 60's The Neals worked throughout the world making their stone rubbings and are present in dozens of institutional collections including the Metropolitan museum of art.
Merrill's Auctioneers & Appraisers
Dec. 05, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (PH/MX 1921-2015) Family Riding a Buffalo
Est: $4,000 - $8,000
Romeo Tabuena (Filipino/Mexican 1921-2015) Family Riding Water Buffalo - oil on board dated 1960- 22 x 16" Filipino postwar Neorealist painter and printmaker Romeo Tabuena experienced life, education, and culture around the globe, from his birthplace in Southeast Asia to his residence in Mexico. Active in the Philippine Art Gallery, which opened in 1951, Tabuena created groundbreaking works that contributed to the evolution of art in the Philippines. In an interview, Tabuena stated that Cubism and Chinese vertical format painting greatly influenced him. Most of Tabuena’s works were acrylics, oils, and watercolors that featured a combination of Filipino and Mexican cultural themes, such as the everyday working people, traditional housing, and native plants. Some of Tabuena’s watercolor landscapes are his most sought after works. Born in Iloilo City, Philippines in 1921, he earned an architecture degree from the Mapúa Institute of Technology in Manila and a painting degree from the University of the Philippines. His talents were first recognized around 1949, when he held numerous exhibits at the Philippine Art Gallery that displayed his watercolors and drawings. Tabuena wanted to learn more from the Masters, so he left the Philippines to study at the Art Students League of New York in 1952 and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in 1954. In 1955, he moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an up and coming artist community, where he would paint for decades to come. The work he produced while in Mexico includes colors from the entire spectrum and features common people, such as street vendors and laundry women. Bibsy M. Carballo described Tabuena as “a gentle soul who appreciated good food, friends, [and] the many similarities between Mexico and the Philippines”. While living a humble and simple life in Mexico, Tabuena met his wife, Nina, a Swiss woman who also studied art and learned about her future husband through American Artist magazine. Despite his geographic separation from the Philippines, Tabuena preserved connections with his homeland. He participated in exhibitions and important art projects, including a ten-year retrospective at the Philippine Art Gallery in Manila in 1959 and a noteworthy solo exhibition sponsored by the Philippine government at Mexico City’s International Salon of the Palace of the Fine Arts in 1962. This show “further elevated the status of Philippine painting in the world of contemporary art”. From the Estate of Anne Parker Neal and Avon Neal who were active in Mexico in the 1950s and 60's The Neals worked throughout the world making their stone rubbings and are present in dozens of institutional collections including the Metropolitan museum of art.
Merrill's Auctioneers & Appraisers
Dec. 05, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (PH/MX 1921-2015) Quiet Village
Est: $4,000 - $8,000
Romeo Tabuena (Filipino/ Mexican 1921-2015) Quiet Village oil on board signed lower right dated 1960 15 x 22" - Filipino postwar Neorealist painter and printmaker Romeo Tabuena experienced life, education, and culture around the globe, from his birthplace in Southeast Asia to his residence in Mexico. Active in the Philippine Art Gallery, which opened in 1951, Tabuena created groundbreaking works that contributed to the evolution of art in the Philippines. In an interview, Tabuena stated that Cubism and Chinese vertical format painting greatly influenced him. Most of Tabuena’s works were acrylics, oils, and watercolors that featured a combination of Filipino and Mexican cultural themes, such as the everyday working people, traditional housing, and native plants. Some of Tabuena’s watercolor landscapes are his most sought after works. Born in Iloilo City, Philippines in 1921, he earned an architecture degree from the Mapúa Institute of Technology in Manila and a painting degree from the University of the Philippines. His talents were first recognized around 1949, when he held numerous exhibits at the Philippine Art Gallery that displayed his watercolors and drawings. Tabuena wanted to learn more from the Masters, so he left the Philippines to study at the Art Students League of New York in 1952 and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in 1954. In 1955, he moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an up and coming artist community, where he would paint for decades to come. The work he produced while in Mexico includes colors from the entire spectrum and features common people, such as street vendors and laundry women. Bibsy M. Carballo described Tabuena as “a gentle soul who appreciated good food, friends, [and] the many similarities between Mexico and the Philippines”. While living a humble and simple life in Mexico, Tabuena met his wife, Nina, a Swiss woman who also studied art and learned about her future husband through American Artist magazine. Despite his geographic separation from the Philippines, Tabuena preserved connections with his homeland. He participated in exhibitions and important art projects, including a ten-year retrospective at the Philippine Art Gallery in Manila in 1959 and a noteworthy solo exhibition sponsored by the Philippine government at Mexico City’s International Salon of the Palace of the Fine Arts in 1962. This show “further elevated the status of Philippine painting in the world of contemporary art”. From the Estate of Anne Parker Neal and Avon Neal who were active in Mexico in the 1950s and 60's The Neals worked throughout the world making their stone rubbings and are present in dozens of institutional collections including the Metropolitan museum of art.
Merrill's Auctioneers & Appraisers
Dec. 02, 2025
Pair Romeo V. Tabuena (Filipino, 1921-2015) Ink /watercolor Drawings. Male/female. Approx. 4 x 2-1/2 inches each. 8-1/4 x 6-1/2 inches.
Est: $200 - $400
Pair Romeo V. Tabuena (Filipino, 1921-2015) Ink /watercolor Drawings. Male/female. Approx. 4 x 2-1/2 inches each. 8-1/4 x 6-1/2 inches.
Bill Hood & Sons Arts & Antiques Auctions
Oct. 28, 2025
Romeo Tabuena, Market Woman
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
Romeo Tabuena Market Woman 1982 acrylic on canvas 30 h x 26.75 w in (76 x 68 cm) Signed and dated to upper left 'Tabuena 1982'. Sold with a digital copy of the invoice and certificate of authenticity from Galeria Rudic. Provenance: Galeria Rudic, Acapulco, Mexico | Acquired from the previous in 1982, Private Collection This work will ship from Lambertville, New Jersey.
Los Angeles Modern Auctions
Oct. 25, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (1921- 2015)
Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000
Untitled signed and dated 1959 (lower left) oil on paper 19” x 11 1/2” (48 cm x 29 cm)
Leon Gallery
Oct. 25, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (1921 - 2015)
Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500
Nude signed (lower right) charcoal on paper 19 1/4” x 10” (49 cm x 25 cm)
Leon Gallery
Oct. 18, 2025
Romeo Tabuena Mother and Child, 1964
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Romeo Tabuena (Filipino 1921-2015) Mother and Child, 1964 Oil on board 11.5 x 10 (in); 17.5 x 15.75 x 1.25 (in) framed Signed and dated Tabuena 1964, upper left $1,000 - $2,000 Park Avenue Gallery tag, verso.
Larsen Art Auction
Sep. 13, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (1921 - 2015)
Est: ₱220,000 - ₱286,000
Landscape with Madonna signed and dated 1962 (lower left) oil on masonite board 19" x 25" (48 cm x 64 cm) PROVENANCE Private collection, USA Romeo Tabuena was an internationally acclaimed Filipino artist, his artistic virtuosity evident in the numerous awards and accolades he garnered throughout his career and beyond. While he was most renowned for his watercolor landscapes, Tabuena’s prolific artistry also produced a diverse collection of acrylic, oil, graphite, charcoal, and ink works. Landscape with Madonna is Tabuena’s rendition of the mother and child theme, with the title “Madonna” paying homage to the deeply rooted Catholic faith in the Philippines. Ostensibly Filipino, this piece depicts a typical rural scene with a man caring for his carabao, a woman selling various goods, and a mother cradling her child protectively, engulfed in a morning fog. Despite the absence of facial features, Tabuena’s figures seem to look directly into the viewers’ eyes, establishing a connection and drawing them into the scene and the emotion it evokes. At first glance, this 1962 work may appear childlike, with its attenuated figures and straightforward composition. However, it is a testament to Tabuena’s excellent grasp of color and form, as well as his command of his chosen medium. Albeit being an oil painting, his translucent layers of paint create a rich tonal intensity and give the image an appearance of a watercolor piece, a style and subject matter reminiscent of his earlier works. (Jessica Magno)
Leon Gallery
Jul. 26, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (1921 - 2015)
Est: ₱120,000 - ₱156,000
Untitled signed (lower left) watercolor on paper 15 1/4” x 18 1/4” (38 cm x 46 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jul. 01, 2025
ROMEO TABUENA - Landscape with lake and figures
Est: -
ROMEO TABUENA Philippines 1921-Mexico 2015 Landscape with lake and figures. 1964 Oil on panel Signed and dated 1964 Measurements 47 x 63 cm
Subastas Segre
Jun. 24, 2025
ROMEO V. TABUENA (Philippines/Mexico, 1921-2015) Portrait of a Woman
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
ROMEO V. TABUENA (Philippines/Mexico, 1921-2015) Portrait of a Woman signed, and dated 'TABUENA / Mexico - 1956' (lower left); inscribed indistinctly (on the frame) acrylic and sand on paperboard 39 x 29 in. (99.1 x 73.7 cm) framed 47 1/2 x 37 3/8 x 2 in. (120.7 x 94.9 x 5.1 cm)
Bonhams
Jun. 20, 2025
Painting, Romeo Villalva Tabuena
Est: $600 - $900
Romeo Villalva Tabuena (Filipino, 1921-2015), "Firewood Gatherers," 1966, acrylic on masonite, signed and dated upper left, titled and dated on artist's label verso, masonite: 12.5"h x 16.25"w, overall (with frame): 20.25"h x 24.25"w
Clars Auctions
Jun. 07, 2025
Romeo Tabuena (1921- 2015)
Est: ₱220,000 - ₱286,000
Still Life 2 signed and dated 1978 (lower right) oil on masonite board 19 1/4" x 24 3/4" (49 cm x 63 cm) PROVENANCE Private Collection, Spain Though not born there, the works of Romeo Tabuena echo the aesthetic of San Miguel de Allende. His works prior to his move to San Miguel in 1955 were rustic and cubistic, the zeitgeist of Manila at the time. His proletarian roots were evident as he portrayed the desolation of life in the Philippines, a fact he knew well as he became one of the many who became a part of the diaspora in his search for a better life. However, his work transformed when he moved to San Miguel. Though he had not met some of the great artists the town could provide, he had access to their works. Their fine murals decorate the city, bright and bejeweled in its hues. And so, Tabuena’s works became as vivid as befitting San Miguel’s adopted son. This particular still-life is as vibrant as San Miguel, in shades of yellows and blues, and reds. It seems as though it was not San Miguel who adopted a son of his own. “[He is] another artist San Miguel de Allende can call its own,” Natalie Taylor wrote in her article published in Atencón San Miguel. “Both he and the city adopted each other.” (Hannah Valiente)
Leon Gallery