Vincent Apap,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(; 13 November 1909 – 15 February 2003) was a

Maltese Maltese may refer to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta * Maltese alphabet * Maltese cuisine * Maltese culture * Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people * Maltese people, people from Malta or of Maltese ...

sculptor who is well known for designing various public monuments and church statues, most notably the

Triton Fountain Fontana del Tritone (''Triton Fountain'') is a seventeenth-century fountain in Rome, by the Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Commissioned by his patron, Pope Urban VIII, the fountain is located in the Piazza Barberini, near the entrance t ...

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

. He has been called "one of Malta's foremost sculptors of the Modern Period" by the studio of

Renzo Piano Renzo Piano (; born 14 September 1937) is an Italian architect. His notable works include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (with Richard Rogers, 1977), The Shard in London (2012), Kansai International Airport in Osaka (1994), the Whitney ...

Biography

Apap was born in Valletta in 1909, and he was the older brother of the musician Joseph Apap and the painter

William Apap William Apap (26 June 1918 – 3 February 1970) was a Maltese artist. He was born in Valletta, Malta, on 26 June 1918. He was the youngest member of a family that included the sculptor Vincent Apap and musician Joseph Apap. His first work dates ...

. He attended the government central school, and in 1920 he began to attend evening classes in modelling and drawing. He was one of the first students to enroll in the newly established School of Art in 1925, where he studied sculpture under Antonio Micallef. In 1927, he won a scholarship to the

British Academy of Arts in Rome The British Academy of Arts in Rome was an art school established by a group of British artists in Rome in 1821, and put on a more formal basis in 1823. It closed in 1936. History The Academy had its origins in the community of British artists w ...

, studying under the renowned Maltese sculptor

Antonio Sciortino Antonio Sciortino (Ħaż-Żebbuġ; 25 January 1879 – 10 August 1947) was a Malta, Maltese artist, considered Malta's foremost sculpture, sculptor of the twentieth century. His career unfolded almost entirely in Rome, where he resided from 1900 ...

. He returned to Malta in 1930, and soon afterwards he won his first commission, the Fra Diego monument in

Ħamrun Hamrun ( ) is a town in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 9,244 as of March 2014. The people The townspeople are traditionally known as ''Tas-Sikkina'' (literally meaning 'of the knife' or 'those who ca ...

. This made him well known within Malta's art scene, and he regularly exhibited his works at the Malta Art Amateur Association exhibitions throughout the 1930s. He was appointed assistant modelling teacher at the School of Art in 1934, becoming head of school in 1947. He remained there until his retirement in 1971, but was recalled seven years later in 1978. Patrons of Apap's work included the Lieutenant Governor of Malta Sir Harry Luke as well as

Lord Mountbatten Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (born Prince Louis of Battenberg; 25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979), commonly known as Lord Mountbatten, was ...

, whose family still has some of Apap's best sculptures. In the 1960s, two exhibitions of his and his brother

' work were held in London. Statue Giorgio Borg Olivier Castille Square Valletta

Apap's best-known works include various public monuments in Valletta, such as the

(1959), the bust of

Enrico Mizzi Enrico Mizzi (20 September 1885 – 20 December 1950) was a Maltese politician, leader of the Maltese Nationalist Party from 1926 and briefly Prime Minister of Malta in 1950.Michael J. Schiavone, Louis J. Scerri, Maltese Biographies of the Twen ...

(1964), the statue of

Paul Boffa Sir Paul Boffa, OBE (30 June 1890 – 6 July 1962), was a Maltese politician and medical doctor who served as prime minister in the Colony of Malta after self-rule was reinstated by the British colonial authorities, following the end of the Seco ...

(1976) and the statue of

George Borg Olivier Giorgio Borg Olivier () (5 July 1911 – 29 October 1980) was a Maltese politician. He twice served as Prime Minister of Malta (1950–1955 and 1962–1971) as the Leader of the Nationalist Party. He was also Leader of the Opposition between ...

(1990). Other notable works by Apap include statues in the

Rotunda of Mosta The Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady (), commonly known as the Rotunda of Mosta () or the Mosta Dome, is a Roman Catholic parish church and basilica in Mosta, Malta, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It was built between 1833 an ...

, the Church of St. Augustine in Valletta, the Mdina Cathedral, St. George's Basilica in Gozo, the ,

St Helen's Basilica St Helen's Basilica () is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church situated in Birkirkara, Malta. It is built on the baroque design by Salvu Borg and built by Mason Domenico Cachia. The design was inspired by, and is similar to, the Mdina Cathedral ...

in Birkirkara and the Jesus of Nazareth Parish Church in Sliema. His last major work was a bust of

Guido de Marco Guido de Marco (22 July 1931 – 12 August 2010) was a Maltese politician, who served as the sixth president of Malta from 1999 to 2004. A noted statesman and lawmaker, de Marco also served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Interio ...

which was completed when he was 89 years old. The motifs of the theatre at Palazzo Carafa in Valletta were designed by Apap. Apap married Maria Bencini in 1941, and they had three children: John, Nella and Manon. He died in 2003 at the age of 93.

Awards and honours

*Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(1956) *Gold medal of the Society of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (1965) *Cavaliere Ufficiale Repubblica Italiana (1968) *

Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...

(1993) He was nominated a knight of the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

in 1963.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Apap, Vincent 1909 births 2003 deaths Artists from Valletta 20th-century Maltese sculptors Knights of Malta Officers of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the National Order of Merit (Malta)