Anton Agius: Fine artist, humble man (1)

Like many others I am saddened by the death of the well-known sculptor Anton Agius who dedicated much of his life to his art.

While I am not a great admirer of his big monuments, some of which are too much in the Socialist Realism style for my taste, I have been drawn to a few of the bronze statues, especially that of Francis Ebejer, one of our very few remarkable 20th century writers and a good friend for many years, in Dingli.

Where I think Mr Agius was truly outstanding was in his wood carvings of which I have seen many a fine exemple.

Probably few people know about a work, in wood, he produced in 1965.

This was a trophy portraying an Orpheus-like figure, which was commissioned by the short-lived Manoel Theatre Club and was meant to be presented every year to the theatre person who produced the best work at the Manoel in any one season.

What happened was that the trophy was won by Francis Ebejer - for his Boulevard unless I am mistaken - and remained with him permanently as the Manoel Theatre Club folded up before it could offer it, or something like it, again. I presume that the work is now in the possession of his heir, and has never, as far as I know, been on public show.

I myself have the preparatory sketch for the trophy, drawn by Mr Agius in green ink on brown paper. It is not a great drawing, quite inferior (if my memory serves me right) to the carved trophy itself, but I have always treasured it, and treasure it now more than ever as a memento of a fine artist who was also a humble man.