He went to Rome where he attended the Regia Accademia di Belle Arti and later to England, at the Academy of Arts in Bath.

Much of his work can be admired in public places, Government Departments and in many private collections in Malta and abroad.

There is a street named after him: 'Triq Esprit Barthet' in Swieqi, Malta.

Portraits; Romantic Tradition; cubism; abstract He was awarded the title of Knight of the Italian Republic by the Italian Government and also invested as a member of the Order of St. John.

During the reconstruction period that followed the Second World War, the emergence of the "Modern Art Group", whose members included Josef Kalleya (1898–1998), George Preca (1909–1984), Anton Inglott (1915–1945), Emvin Cremona (1919–1986), Frank Portelli (1922-2004), Antoine Camilleri (1922-2005) and Esprit Barthet (1919–1999) greatly enhanced the local art scene.