One of the great things about auctions is that it draws history out of the woodwork

One of the great things about auctions is that it draws history out of the woodwork.

On November 30, at Leon Gallery, a hitherto unknown photograph of Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo in his Paris studio goes on the block.

Holding brush and easel, the artist rests from doing the preliminary sketches on a canvas so huge he uses steps to work. This is a detail from the photograph, enhanced to bring out the painting to-be in the background: "The Assassination of Governor Bustamante" a.k.a. "L...