Antonio Buhagiar (1906-1998) was the last great master of the ecclesiastical decorative arts, according to Mario Buhagiar, head of the Department of History of Art at the University of Malta.

The son of the better known sculptor and designer, Emanuele, with whom he is often confused, he consolidated a late Baroque tradition in church decoration.

Of sound academic formation, he succeeded in introducing a measure of classical restraint to the rich but often undisciplined exuberance of his father's works, Prof. Buhagiar said.

His life and works are the subject of a monographic study by Prof. Buhagiar which is about to be published.

Called Antonio Buhagiar - Portrait Of A Neglected Artist, the book is published by Midsea Books in their Heritage Books series. The book is illustrated with photographs, most of which are being published for the first time, of some of Buhagiar's best works.

The exquisiteness and detail of his applied decoration remains unequalled. He was a painter, a good sculptor and an undisputed master of wood carving.

Trained under Ignazio Cefai and Robert Caruana Dingli, Buhagiar excelled in design.

"His drawings reveal a sound academic bias and a secure confident hand but it is his designs that constitute his most important legacy. It is in them that his creative genius and masterful command of the syntax and vocabulary of classically-inspired ornament are best experienced," Prof. Buhagiar said.

Further information about the book can be obtained from Midsea Books, Triq il-Karmelitani, Sta Venera; e-mail: admin@midseabooks.com.