These recent years have seen an upsurge in interest in Maltese art of the 20th century, especially that of its latter half.

The start of modernism in art in Malta is generally regarded as haven’t been sparked off by a Giorgio Preca exhibition in the late 1940s and promulgated by the three artist groups, Modern Art Circle, Modern Art Group and Atelier 56, of the 1950s. The artwork of most of the protagonists of these groups are highly coveted by collectors of Maltese 20th-century art.

Maltese auction houses have witnessed the allure of one collector vying against each other to augment their private collections with works by artists such as Antoine Camilleri, Alfred Chircop, Raymond Pitrè, Frank Portelli, Emvin Cremona, Esprit Barthet, Carmelo Mangion and a bevy of others. The works of sculptors like Josef Kalleya, considered to be one of the fathers of Maltese modernism, Gabriel Caruana and Anton Agius have changed hands, commanding eye-watering prices, as should be, especially in the case of Kalleya.

Annunciation by Antoine Camilleri

Artist and Wife by Antoine Camilleri

However, there are some sculptors who, although well-known among the more knowledgeable collectors, deserve much wider recognition. Toni Pace (1933-1989), Joseph M. Genuis (1934-1970), Edward Pirotta (1939-1968) and Frans Galea (1945-1994), notwithstanding their relatively short lives, have, through their creative output, projected Maltese 20th-century sculpture into new itineraries. For different reasons, their work very rarely appears on the market and when it does, it provides the unique opportunity for collectors to embellish their collections with a dimension that some collections lack – an honest representation of important Maltese 20th-century sculpture.

Important pieces by Galea, Genuis and Pirotta were auctioned last November. A sculpture of a cyclist, a theme that defines Galea, was acquired by Heritage Malta. Serious collectors now can purchase work by Genuis and Pace in a forthcoming auction at Obelisk Auctions, indeed museum pieces that easily rival the works by these two artists in the national collection at MUŻA. Besides these, a bozzetto of the famous Tritons’ Fountain by Vincent Apap (1909-2003) will also be auctioned.

Bust of Vincenzo Bonello's daughter by George Borg

Figure by Vincent Apap

Girl by Toni Pace

Mother and Child by Vincent Apap

Study of a Biblical Character by Vincent Apap

Joseph M. Genuis – a tortured soul

Genuis was a member of many of the artist groups of the 1950s and 1960s. This involvement in the early days of Maltese modernism shows that Genuis was deeply interested in being a protagonist and a contributor towards the transformation that Maltese art was going through in those heady years.

Large Prehistoric Motif by Joseph M. Genuis

His artistic voice developed into a very personal one that was inspired by Medardo Rosso, by the existentialist emaciation of Alberto Giacometti and the eroded biomorphism of Germaine Richier. He merged our archipelago’s richness of archaeological motifs and fat ladies into new narratives which predate Antoine Camilleri’s 1980s fertility-goddess-themed works on incised clay.

The spiral patterns in the altar that the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary of Balzan had commissioned for their chapel is further proof of Genuis’ interest in the Temple Period motifs that adorn our Neolithic temples. In his words: “I based my design on a prehistoric motif (the spiral pattern).

Face of a Man by Joseph M. Genuis

It is in a simple clean line which mingles harmoniously with the interior decoration of the chapel.” Two important sculptures bearing these motifs and referring to Maltese prehistory are available at the auction, together with, among others, an amazing piece representing a woman that elicits comparisons with Giacometti and Richier.

Genuis employed a holistic approach at the most basic conceptual level. He integrated a religious symbol of an ancient culture into the design of an artefact that is central to Roman Catholicism. It reflects on the universality of the sculptor’s take on spirituality and on religious cults of whatever denomination.

Reclining Nude by Joseph M. Genuis

On October 15, 1970, Maltese modernism lost one of its most promising protagonists at the young age of 36. 

Toni Pace – a sculptural pioneer

Toni Pace’s artistic journey metamorphosed from being a painter of an expressionist disposition to becoming a constructivist sculptor, adopting the technique of assemblages after a one-year course in Bath studying sculpture, assimilating the lessons of the American David Smith and the British Anthony Caro, Lynn Chadwick and Kenneth Armitage. Pace revolutionised Maltese sculpture and its development in the 20th century.

A constructivist sculpture by Toni Pace

On his return to the islands from Bath, he feared the public’s reaction to these unorthodox creations that challenged the traditional way of doing sculpture. Two of these epoch-defining works are available as well in the forthcoming Obelisk auction.

Pace’s sculptural style underwent a ‘reactionary’ path to a form of classicism after leaving Malta for Rome in 1973 to continue his studies under Emilio Greco.

Another constructivist sculpture by Toni Pace

The Pomona theme, much dear to Italian sculptor Arturo Martini and French sculptor Aristide Maillol, as well as Greco himself, was tackled by Pace, to become one of the defining themes of his late career. The sensual curves, feminine and voluptuous, replaced the virile, masculine protuberances of his work in metal and steel.

Malleable clay replaced resistant metal as Pace’s medium of choice. His art mellowed towards an appreciation of Greek mythology in the figure of Pomona, the fertile Greek goddess of fruit trees, gardens and orchards. Works from this later period of Pace will also be auctioned.

Bust of a Woman by Toni Pace

In the late 1980s, Pace was sadly diagnosed with terminal cancer and Malta lost one of its 20th-century beacons at quite a young age.

Not only sculpture

The rarity of the work of Genuis and Pace, coupled with Apap’s works, somewhat steal the limelight; it is on a few and far between instances that such important pieces are available on the local market. A work by the eminent sculptor George Borg (1906-1983), a bust of the daughter of Vincenzo Bonello, is also another highlight.

Scream by Raymond Pitre'

However, one cannot fail to mention a monumental Raymond Pitrè painting, belonging to his Scream series, a poignant depiction of existential pain, a main theme in this seminal Maltese artist’s oeuvre. His paintings in last November’s Obelisk auction were the object of intense bidding.

A large ceramic mural, titled Doorway to the Millenium, is another eye-catching piece, a masterwork by the Maltese master of 20th-century ceramics, Gabriel Caruana. Some other quality ceramics by Caruana are there for the taking too.

Doorway to the Millennium by Gabriel Caruana

An Antoine Camilleri Annunciation should also capture the attention of collectors. Besides these, paintings by Emvin Cremona, Esprit Barthet, Carmelo Mangion and Frank Portelli should be of interest. This is certainly one auction that, quoting auctioneer Pierre Grech Pillow, can’t be missed by serious collectors of Maltese modern and contemporary art.

Viewing days at Obelisk Auction Gallery, Villa Drusilla no. 1, Mdina Road, Attard, are from June 9 to 11. Auction will be held between June 12 and 16. Consult www.obeliskauctions.com for more information.