In the Maltese Islands, the cult of St George is synonymous with Victoria, Gozo, as well as the town of Qormi in Malta. The heat of the torrid Maltese summer does not dampen the enthusiasm of the locals who eagerly attend the two feasts held in honour of the saint. The occasion sees devout parishioners of both towns crossing over to the other sister island to participate in the dual celebrations that take place.

Mario Agius in Beesel.

In 2017, the Dutch town of Beesel invited veteran Gozitan sculptor Mario Agius to an international symposium under the aegis of the Organising Committee of St George’s Day, which has its own headquarters in Beesel.  Since 1736, the legend of St George and the Dragon has been kept alive in this town through various initiatives.

This was achieved particularly through theatrical activities thematically linked to the victory of the saint over the monster, symbolising the age-old battle between good and evil. 

Agius was the guest of this Limburgh town in April of last year, together with four other sculptors hailing from Germany, England, Lithuania and Holland. Each participant was provided with a huge tree trunk and tools, and instructed to present a finished wood sculpture to the organising committee within 10 days. Each of these monumental pieces was to adorn one of five public spaces across the town, to commemorate the bond that intimately links the town to one of the most famous saints of Christendom.

This tour de force was very taxing for the five artists. A preparatory maquette helped simplify the work ahead for the Gozitan sculptor. Following what proved to be 10 exhausting days for the artists, Beesel could display the finished works in the public spaces earmarked for them.

Agius came up with a totemic and heraldic representation of the saint.

The inclusion of the very ornate helmet of the Gozitan titular statue is the most recognisable motif, and it adds a special touch that roots Agius’s creation within the small Mediterranean island he calls home. Covering most of the saint’s torso is a webbed, leaf-like cloak, an almighty sword and the customary cross-emblazoned shield.

Presentation of the monument's maquette to Il-Ħaġar museum in the presence of Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana. Mario Agius can be seen receiving the maquette, with Joseph Agius (far right).

His totemic sculptures owe a lot to non-western iconography

This warrior’s ensemble draws the eyes towards the proud yet minimalist, Brancusi-like visage which sports a lack of defined facial features, in this manner increasing the totemic power of the piece. The hapless dragon cowers under the weight of the saint, humbled in defeat as evil succumbs to good and Christendom gains another immortal hero. The whole composition roots the monument to the ground like a pillar of faith, a totem pole that no heretical storm could ever dislodge. 

Agius’s piece seems to recall British sculptor Leon Underwood (1890-1975), who was intrigued by what he referred to as totemism. This artist’s method of direct carving, which owed its origins to the indigenous African and Amerindian tribes, followed in the footsteps of Constantin Brancusi and Jacob Epstein.

His totemic sculptures owe a lot to non-western iconography, which he weaved into the structure of a single block of wood. The Gozitan sculptor employed a similar approach when carving the Christian iconography associated with St George, evoking Underwood’s manner of treatment of totemic subject matter.

Working on the monument in Beesel.

He revoked the preconceptions of an idealised holy figure, instead delivering a more powerful image that essentially narrates the legend of a dragon slain by a Roman soldier in the last decades of the third century A.D.

This story gained popularity during the Middle Ages, at a time when the dark arts and magic were the realm of the devil – who allegedly manifested himself as the mythological fire-spouting winged creature. 

Last March, Il-Ħaġar Museum in St George’s Square, Victoria hosted Journey – a solo exhibition featuring Agius’s sculptures in different media.

During the official inauguration, the Gozitan sculptor presented the maquette of the St George monument to the directors of this eclectic museum. This was received as a welcome addition to the establishment’s art and artefacts collection that bears a thematic connection with St George and the Basilica across the street.

It is a memento that celebrates the link forged between the island of Gozo and Beesel – the Dutch town which shares the same ardour for the cult of this saint.