The Sculptor

Guillermo Tolentino (July 24, 1890 - July 12, 1976) was an acclaimed sculptor who adhered to the tenets of neoclassicism. He was awarded National Artist for Visual Arts (Sculpture) in 1973. He graduated from the School of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. After specializing in the United States and in Europe, he returned to the country and became a professor and director during his tenure at the University. His masterpiece, the Oblation, eventually became the most popular symbol of the University. Tolentino’s famous works include the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan.

The Artwork

The Oblation adheres to the principles of neoclassicism or beaux arts which aims to construct the ideal form for the human figure based on the concept of the classical proportions. Even though Tolentino mentioned that he based his artwork from two models--one for the figure, and another for the extended proportion of the body--he did not categorically name the models for a particular part of the sculpture.

There are bronze versions of the Oblation in every campus of the University of the Philippines. The original version created by Tolentino in 1958 is at UP Diliman. It stands on a pedestal made of piled rocks from the Montalban (now Marikina) River. Versions of the Oblation in UP Manila, Baguio, and Iloilo were created by Anastacio Caedo, while Napoleon Abueva created the ones that stand at UP Los Baños, Tacloban, Miag-ao, and Davao. Grace Javier-Alfonso made a version for the UP Open University and Philippine General Hospital. For these versions, the sculptors used a cast from the original Oblation, while the artworks created by Javier-Alfonso for the UPD Extension Program in Pampanga and Bonifacio Global City (BGC), as well as Fidel Araneta’s artwork for the UP Cebu, were derived from the original infused with a modified design. In every version of the Oblation, there is a kataka-taka plant at his feet which symbolizes the essence of service.