A new book about Maltese artist Esprit Barthet is being published on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Self Portrait of Artist, oil on canvas, 22x37cm, unsigned and undated

Born in October 1919, Barthet was a prolific artist known for his emotional and spiritual expression and versatility. In a career spanning over 40 years, he produced hundreds of landscapes and seascapes, still life artworks, portraits, self-portraits, rooftops, nudes, abstract art, sacred art, drawings and sketches. He passed away in July 1999, aged 79.

Over 400 of his works can be admired in the voluminous publication Esprit Barthet, 1919-1999, A Critical Appraisal, penned by well-known art critic E.V. Borg.

Mr Borg studied art under Barthet during his days at the Lyceum in Ħamrun in the early 1960s.

“He was a kind family man and a great painter, besides being a great teacher,” Mr Borg told Times of Malta.

The Farmers (early work influenced by Vincent Van Gogh), 1944, oil on board, 47x33cm

“As a painter, he was a colourist and an expert of light, known especially for his ‘stained glass luminosity’... He loved to use brilliant colours. He also managed to integrate painting and sculpture, creating 3D artworks with materials such as metal and plastic.”

Still Life, 1960, collage, 51x46cm, Bath Academy, UK

He added that Barthet’s major contribution was in the development of artistic flair in Malta in the 1960s, before and after Independence, alongside Emvin Cremona (whose birth centenary is also being commemorated this year) and Antoine Camilleri.

Mr Borg considers the book to be his magnum opus. It took him five years to compile the 424-page publication, which includes several articles and essays he wrote about Barthet for the press and magazines, and a catalogue of works.

There is also a chapter featuring quotations taken from critics’ reviews, a timeline of the artist’s career, a section with photos of Barthet with his family and friends, and catalogues and brochures of his personal and collective exhibitions since his very first one in the 1930s. The book’s foreword is by Sir Ugo Mifsud Bonnici and Joseph F.X. Zahra.

Poinsetta, 1970, oil on canvas, 81x100cm

Esprit Barthet, 1919-1999, A Critical Appraisal is being launched on November 16, during an exhibition at Cavalieri Art Hotel in St Julian’s. About 120 works by the artist will be on display between November 12 and December 9.

Another exhibition celebrating the eclectic artist will be held at the House of Representatives in Valletta between February 12 and March 12, 2020.

Detail of Reclining Nude, 1959, charcoal on paper, 56x38cm, Bath Academy, UK.

Table with Fruit, Bottle and Grapes 1962, oil on canvas, 74x58cm