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The story of Baroque painting in Malta reflects that of the Italian peninsula and, in many ways, can be directly integrated within it. In terms of quantity, the island was impressively prolific. In terms of quality, works vary tremendously. There were, however, celebrated instances when the island was significantly at the forefront of stylistic development. A handful of Maltese artists worked beyond the island's shores and some, like the painter Francesco Noletti (il Fieravino), made major breakthroughs in Rome, the 'mother' of all cities. The island's small size also meant that it could be easily conditioned by one or two major artists working there. Therefore, a talented artist, Maltese or foreign, could exert tremendous influence on the stylistic currents that prevailed. The story of Baroque painting in Malta is thus marked by such artists. Contents: The pre-Baroque Years; Caravaggio; Leonello Spada; Caravaggism in Malta: Imported Works; Caravaggism in Malta: Copies after Caravaggio and Works executed in Malta; The mid- eventeenth century; Mattia Preti; The Bottega of Mattia Preti and Giuseppe d'Arena; The Erardi Family of Artists: Stefano and Alessio; The early eighteenth century; Gio Nicola Buhagiar and Enrico Regnaud; Mid-eighteenth century works by foreign artists; Francesco Zahra; Antoine Favray; Rocco Buhagiar; Giuseppe Grech; The late eighteenth century and the end of the Baroque.
The title Caravaggio to Mattia Preti aptly provides the parameters that span seventeenth century baroque painting in Malta. Caravaggio s move to Malta in 1607 opened this magnificent chapter in Maltese art, to which the island responded with extraordinary artistic foresight. Malta offered Caravaggio security, but more importantly it offered him the opportunity to redeem himself. On the island, the power of Caravaggio s brush and the celebration of his virtuosity overcame the dishonour of his lifestyle, despite the fact that this materialised in a Catholic frontier country until then renowned, not for the artistic patronage of its rulers, but for its military austerity. During this period, Malta was ruled by the Knights of the Order of St John and their fascinating political context impinged significantly on the character of its art. Their political clout and their eight-pointed cross attracted other artists, including Mattia Preti, whose four-decade stay on the island defined the triumphant manner of Maltese baroque art. Preti s death on the island in 1699 came at the end of the century. This book discusses the work of the major artists who painted on the island during the seventeenth century and analyses the context in which they were produced. It also discusses paintings of importance that were sent from mainland Italy and reviews them and their critical fortune within the story of Maltese art."
This book, now in its second revised edition, studies the mechanics of patronage of Roman Baroque sculpture produced for the Knights of the Order of St John and discusses the extent of such patronage together with the artistic and historical importance of the works commissioned. Leading artists such as Alessandro Algardi, Ciro Ferri and Melchiorre Cafà are thoroughly examined and new attributions to others are made. Moreover, Sciberras research sheds light on the lesser known aspects of the artistic liaisons between Malta and Rome, on who took care of the Orders artistic affairs in Rome and on how these works traveled to Malta. The book divides the sculptural works of art into three categories: Those which glorified the Orders patron St John the Baptist, the funerary monuments of the Grand Masters, and those made for the service and adoration of the Eucharist. Roman Baroque Sculpture for the Knights of Malta is an outstanding work of intense research which provides exhaustive detailed information. It is also a tribute to Maltas most magnificent artistic period and to an Order that made it possible. The book is published in collaboration with the Department of History of the University of Malta.
"Written by two leading authorities in the field, this illustrated book tells the story of Caravaggio's voyage to Malta, his interactions with the Knights and their leader Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt, and the magnificent paintings he made for them." "The book presents new iconographic, technical, and stylistic analyses of all of the Maltese pictures as well as two chapters devoted to discussion of Caravaggio's importance in the history of art and the chronological problems in his late works. Based on original archival research, this study also includes an account of Caravaggio's crime in Malta, his imprisonment, and daring escape to Sicily."--BOOK JACKET.
This book celebrates the 300th-year anniversary of Francesco Zahra's birth in 1710 and seeks to show the extraordinary range of the artist's output. Zahra was Malta's most important native painter of the mid-18th century and his style wonderfully captured the spirit of the Late Baroque. He was extremely prolific and could handle the brush with a fascinating ease, thus furnishing Maltese churches with hundreds of paintings, large and small. His extraordinary creative spirit also ensured that his pictures breathed the compositional freshness of mature artists. Francesco Zahra produced various designs for church furniture, marble altars, silver artefacts, liturgical vessels and other objets d'art that still survive scattered around the island. Zahra's output can be divided into a number of phases and this book seeks to trace such evolution and development. It also seeks to re-evaluate some of the most important works of his oeuvre. Zahra's early style is his weakest and was largely dependent on the works of his first tutor Gio Nicola Buhagiar (1698-1752). The 1730s were largely dominated by the artistic affinities of these two painters and there were instances when it was difficult to tell them apart. Zahra reached his early maturity by 1740 when his art started to depart from the manner of his tutor. By the mid-1740s, Zahra was the most important native painter on the island, only to be challenged by the arrival of the Frenchman Antoine Favray. Zahra's interest in proper disegno and in the work of Mattia Preti and Favray made him modify his style and - by the mid-1750s - adopt a more solid approach. His figurative forms changed and the general atmosphere of his works became more sophisticated. Francesco Zahra marked Maltese mid-18th century art with his timbre and distinctly shaped the character of religious painting. His decorative appeal and theatrical manner complemented the context of the period and made him one of the most fashionable of the Baroque painters active in Malta.
In July 1608, Caravaggio was invested with the habit of Magistral Obedience by Alof de Wignacourt, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta. In honouring Caravaggio, the Grand Master thought that he would thus keep the artist firmly attached to the Order of St John, hoping that the Order would find glory through his art: 'we wish to gratify the desire of this excellent painter, so that our Island Malta, and our Order may at last glory in this adopted disciple and citizen' (extract from the document of Caravaggio's investiture). The artist, however, soon fell out of grace and was deprived of his knighthood in the very same year. Malta had thus, strictly speaking, 'lost' Caravaggio. Caravaggio's presence in Malta was, however, to remain strong, partly because of the pictures that he painted and partly because of the overwhelming influence that his art had on realist paintings that found their way on the island thereafter. Caravaggio, the man dishonoured by the Order, was thus honoured through his art. This exhibition, entitled Caravaggio and paintings of Realism in Malta, forms part of a wider programme of events called CARAVAGGIO400, aimed at celebrating the 400th anniversary of Caravaggio's stay in Malta.
"This book studies the iconography of saints and heroes of the Knights of Malta as depicted by the artist Mattia Preti between 1658 and 1698."- [preface].
"This book examines Preti's art and studies the context of his Maltese period, which climaxed in the triumphant manner which imbued his first decade there. The book researches his life and his work, analyses the complications of his knighthood and examines the mechanics of patronage. It catalogues the paintings which are in Malta and, based on archival research and stylistic study, it attempts a chronology for the paintings under review. The book builds up on the work of other Preti scholars and addresses issues which have already been previously studied, whilst presenting others which are new."--Preface, page ix.
The study of architectural history during the British colonial period in Malta has been rather sparse and has not attracted the same attention as the architectural legacy of the Order of St John in Malta (1530-1798). This monograph focuses on the work of William Scamp, an architect in the employment of the British Admiralty. Although Scamp's architectural career in Malta was limited to a four-year period (1841-1844), his achievements were considerable. He pioneered the establishment of the British naval yard in Dockyard Creek by the construction of the first dry-dock on the island and an imposing Naval Bakery that serviced the entire British fleet in the Mediterranean. In addition, he salvaged the high-profile project of St Paul's Anglican cathedral, Valletta that had been mired in crisis under his predecessor Richard Lankesheer. Scamp was instrumental in introducing industrial steel structures to Malta. He not only replicated steel sheds typical of the factories and shipyards in Britain but also experimented with hybrid buildings systems of steel stanchions, beams, and local ashlar masonry. The Naval Bakery in Birgu (today the Maritime Museum) is testimony to Scamp's knowledge, pragmatism and ingenuity in adopting a variety of building systems. He was versatile and well-versed in various disciplines related to construction - an accomplished civil and structural engineer, a superb draftsman, a meticulous quantity surveyor, and a disciplined project manager. It would not be an exaggeration to state that Scamp was the architect who heralded Maltese architecture into the industrial era. Another outstanding quality was Scamp's ability to adapt local materials and simplify the construction to local labour resources. A pragmatist and a rationalist in his approach to building, he did not tolerate unjustified structural complexity or superfluous ornamentation. This is manifested both in his works and written documents relating to the projects. Scamp's achievements in Malta have to be placed within the context of an illustrious career with the Admiralty, which saw him actively involved in the naval yards at Portsmouth, Devonport, Chatham, Keyham, and Woolwich in Britain and in far-flung outposts of the British empire from Gibraltar to Bermuda.
The book outlines the history of the church. It also describes the chapels, the art and the treasures found within. Moreover it is the first book to be published after the completion of the restoration project of the main nave. This new edition retains most of the narrative of the 2010 edition however all photography has now been changed to reflect