JIBDA R-RESTAWR TAL-GRUPP TAL-BRONZ LES GAVROCHES

Il-grupp tal-bronz maghruf Les Gavroches, xoghol Antonio Sciortino (1879-1947), tnehha mill-Barrakka ta' Fuq, il-belt Valletta, nhar it-Tnejn, 4 ta' Dicembru 2000, biex isirlu restawr fil-Muzew Nazzjonali ta' l-Arti.

Il-grupp tal-bronz, li juri tlett itfal tat-triq f'Parigi, kien imnebbah mir-rumanz kbir 'Les Miserables' ta' Victor Hugo, u nholoq fl-1904 fl-istudju ta' l-iskultur f' Ruma. Wara nxtara mis-Socjet'� ta' l-Arti, Manifattura u Kummerc li pprezentah lil Gvern Malti fl-1907. Gie inawgurat fil-Barrakka ta' Fuq fl-1908.

Wara li ntlaqa' tajjeb hafna r-restawr li ghamel fuq il monument ta' Sciortino li jfakkar il-Kungress Ewkaristiku tal-1913, maghruf ahjar bhala Kristu Re, (1917), ir-restawratur Taljan Sante Guido (Dip. I.C.R. Roma) offra li jirrestawra Les Gavroches bla hlas bhala omagg lill-artist, li ghandu ammirazzjoni kbira ghalih. Ix-xoghol qieghed isir bis-sovrintendenza tad-Dipartiment tal-Muzewijiet.

Ic-caqliq u trasport ta' Les Gavroches sar mid-ditta ta' trasportaturi TRANSPAK Overseas Removals Ltd taht it-tmexxija personali tad-direttur, is-Sur William Vella. Kienu prezenti wkoll is-Sur Dennis Vella tal-Muzew Nazzjonali ta' l-Arti flimkien mas-Sur Bernard Brincat, Works Technical Officer mad-Dipartiment tal-Muzewijiet u bosta haddiema tad-Dipartiment. Il-Kumitat ghar-Rijabilitazzjoni tal-Belt Valletta, is-Sezzjoni tar-Restawr fit-Taqsima tax-Xogholijiet, l-Ufficjal Xjentifiku Ewlieni (Barrakka ta' Fuq) lkoll taw l-ghajnuna taghhom.

Les Gavroches dalwaqt ser tkun attrazzjoni ewlenija fil-wirja "Antonio Sciortino Monuments and Public Sculpture", li ghandha ssir fil-Muzew Nazzjonali ta' l-Arti bejn l-20 ta' Dicembru, 2000 u l-20 ta' Marzu, 2001. Il-wirja, li hija kkurata minn Dennis Vella, ser tkun akkumpanjata minn katalgu originali mimli illustrazzjonijiet, u li jkun jista' jinkiseb mill-Muzew.

Il-wirja hija sponsorizzata mill-Valletta Fund Management, l-iStrickland Foundation u l-FOTOISH Photo Studio.

07.12.2000

RESTORATION WORK ON LES GAVROCHES BRONZE GROUP STARTS

The well-known bronze group Les Gavroches by Antonio Sciortino (1879-1947) was removed from the Upper Barrakka Gardens, in Valletta, on Monday 4th December, for restoration at the National Museum of Fine Arts.

The bronze group, representing three street urchins in Paris, and which was inspired by the great novel 'Les Miserables' by Victor Hugo, was created in 1904 in the artist's studio in Rome. It was later purchased by the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, who presented it to the Government of Malta in 1907. It was inaugurated at the Upper Barrakka in 1908.

Following his successful and acclaimed restoration of Antonio Sciortino's monument commemorating the Eucharistic Congress of 1913, better known as Christ the King - Kristu Re,(1917), the Italian restorer Sante Guido (Dip. ICR, Roma) offered to restore Les Gavroches free of charge, as a tribute to the artist, whom he greatly admires. The work is being carried out under the superintendence of the Department of Museums.

The removal and transport of Les Gavroches, a delicate operation which took some five hours from start to finish, was carried out by the removals firm TRANSPAK Overseas Removals Ltd under the personal supervision of its managing director, Mr William Vella. Also present were Mr Dennis Vella of the National Museum of Fine Arts together with Mr Bernard Brincat, Works Technical Officer at the Department of Museums and several members of the Museum's staff. The Valletta Rehabilitation Project, the Restoration Unit at the Works Division and the Principal Scientific Officer (Upper Barrakka Garden) also provided assistance.

Les Gavroches will soon be one of the main attractions at the forthcoming exhibition "Antonio Sciortino Monuments and Public Sculpture" which is being held at the National Museum of Fine Arts between 20th December 2000 and 20th March, 2001. A fully illustrated original catalogue of the exhibition, written by its curator, Mr Dennis Vella, will be available on sale from the Museum.

The exhibition is sponsored by Valletta Fund Management, the Strickland Foundation and FOTOISH Photo Studio.