Brotherhood cast in stone

In San Juan one late afternoon in August of 1958, a tragic death saw the fading into oblivion of the memory and works of Francesco Riccardo Monti, an Italian sculptor of note from Cremona, Italy.

Unknown to most Filipinos, the pre- and postwar years in the Philippines were to experience the flourishing of our country’s arts and architecture. Infrastructure and development programs were moving at a feverish pace. At this time, sculptor Francisco Monti played a major role in this period of our history.

Monti collaborated with the Philippines’ finest, such as architect Juan Arellano, to produce sculptures for the Metropolitan Theater of Manila, Quezon Memorial Shrine, Negros Municipal Hall Park, Quezon Provincial Hall and the then Iloilo Municipal Hall. Architect Otillio Arellano used Monti for the monumental works known as the Four Freedoms in 1953 for the Philippine International Fair held in Luneta. FEU still has Monti’s concrete reliefs in its lobby, the structure of which was designed by architect Pablo Antonio.

The list grows longer with the artist churning out exquisite work for the main-building roof deck of the University of Santo Tomas, Don Bosco in Mandaluyong, St. Scholastica Manila, and Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City.

The prolific Italian did not limit the sharing of his talent to architects and private patrons of the arts. He provided valuable aid in the production of the Bonifacio Monument. His expertise in the casting of bronze statuary was utilized by the great Filipino sculptor Guillermo Tolentino. It is said that Monti facilitated Tolentino’s magnum-opus casting in Italy.

Truly, the Philippines knew better times. The Bonifacio Monument was a prime example of cooperation between local artists. Setting aside egos, a veritable who’s who of the plastic arts participated in its creation. This is when a young Filipino sculptor named Conrado de Leon was able to work with names like Tolentino, Monti, and Caedo.

This would not be the last time de Leon would interact with the man from Northern Italy. Conrado would spend a few years as an apprentice, even going to the extent of doing household chores in the Monti residence.

A few years after World War II, the House of Precast was set up by Conrado de Leon in a remote area east of Manila now known as Cubao, Quezon City.

Monti, having adopted concrete as his medium of expression in the Philippines, could not but collaborate with de Leon who was by now gaining prominence as a producer of high-quality architectural ornamentation. Conrado’s eldest daughter, Mignon, and some retired employees still recall the Italian coming to the House of Precast early in the morning and slinging clay at an armature while singing his favorite Italian aria.

The mentor and apprentice would enjoy a close relationship both professionally and personally, as with the creation and installation of the Four Freedoms for the International Fair and private commissions through House of Precast, such as the relief of Cardinal Santos and wall relief in front of the Nautilus night club along Roxas (Dewey) Boulevard. Monti’s respect for the House of Precast’s craftsmanship was evident in his constant use of the atelier as a mold maker in plaster for his clay works that were sent to Italy for bronze casting.

Sadly, this fond relationship would end in 1958 when the de Leon household would receive a phone call from Monti’s wife saying that the sculptor had had a bad accident. A few days later he would pass away.

Four decades later, prompted by two autonomous researches by UST Dean of Fine Arts Jaime de los Santos and Galleria Duemila proprietress Silvana Ancellotti-Diaz, an Italian national, the momentum to spur the rediscovery of this great sculptor’s work in his beloved adopted land was set into motion.

A serendipitous event provided more fuel to the now expanding research being conducted locally. In Italy, Anna Filippicci Bonetti, wife of one of Monti’s grandsons, contacted Ancellotti-Diaz as she was in the process of doing a comprehensive book on the body of work left by Monti in Italy. With the latter’s help, the book L’Orto dei Marmi (Gardens of Marble) was published in 2003. It included substantial information and photos of the artist’s major public sculptures in the Philippines.

Later the research would lead them to the House of Precast now owned by Conrado’s daughter, Michelle de Leon-Galan. Michelle would not only provide them with anecdotes of the two gentlemen sculptors but also provide a treasure trove of personal works by Monti, not in the manner of high art as seen in his monumental and public works, but more in the manner of showing visions and concerns that he shared with his friend Conrado. In fact, Michelle was pleasantly surprised to discover that a number of sculptures featured in Bonnetti’s book were those she had actually grown up with, seeing them in her father’s desk or workshop, totally unaware of their authorship.

This would eventually lead full circle to an exhibit at the UST Museum. The grandchildren of Monti arrived from Italy for its opening. It was here that they saw and their grandfather’s works and met the grateful Filipinos whose lives their grandfather touched, enriched and loved, more than five decades ago.

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The Monti exhibit in the UST Main Building is ongoing until September 15, 2005.