Esprit Barthet – Mari’, the egg seller, 1964

Description

• Esprit Barthet – Mari’, the egg seller, 1964
• Sizes – 47 x 80cm / 60 x 102cm / 77 x 130cm
• Born in Valletta, Esprit Barthet commenced his artistic training in Malta and later furthered his studies in Rome and England. Many of his works are found in public and private collections in Malta as well as overseas. His experimentation with the Cubist and Abstract styles is his trademark. Esprit Barthet is after powerful immediacy for his depiction of this female seller of eggs. Her wrinkled weather-beaten face, arms and hands testify to her rural class and the toils she has to suffer in order to earn her bread and butter. By using vigorous brushwork, vibrant textures and heavy impasto, Barthet gives us an unflattering portrayal of an old woman, battered by life’s struggles but resilient as the determination in her piercing eyes reveal.