Birth of Maltese Art
It is towards the end of the Neolithic (3800 BC) that the first sculptural representations are found. Known as the oldest statue in the world of this size, the Goddess of Fertility was found on the site of Tarxian. Although most of her skirt and legs remain, her schematic and rounded forms bring her closer to modern abstract sculpture. Clay statuettes such as the Venus of Malta or the Sleeping Woman are, on the other hand, finely crafted. Most of them can be admired in the VallettaMuseum of Archaeology. The megalithic temples are also adorned with numerous spirals and frescoes carved in stone, often depicting animals.The first local paintings to reach us are the frescoes in the catacombs and troglodyte churches (Sainte-Agathe and Tad-Dejr in Rabat). Dating from the 14th century, they are strongly marked by the Sicilian-Byzantine style. The Italian and Byzantine influence can also be seen in the painted panels of the museum of Mdina. The arrival of the Knights of the Order greatly enriched Maltese painting. Devoting considerable resources to the embellishment of buildings, they also repatriated works from Rhodes (icon of the Damascene Virgin), and commissioned paintings from artists such as Bartolomeo Perugrino or Giovanni Maria Abela. Some of them are kept in the museum of Mdina: Lamentation of Christ, Saint Agatha in Majesty, in Naxxar, the Virgin of the Rosary.
The Renaissance
At the end of the Great Siege, the victorious order attracts donations from all over Christian Europe, especially for the construction of Valletta. Many painters, influenced by the Renaissance and Mannerism, are invited to Malta. Some found refuge here, such as Matteo Perez d'Aleccio, who settled permanently on the island, and who painted for the Grand Master's palace, the Cathedral of Saint John and the Church of Saint Paul the Shipwrecked. Francesco Potenzano designed the oratory and sacristy of Saint John.
Caravaggio's exile
The illustrious Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, known as "Caravaggio" (c. 1571-1610) embarked for Malta in 1607 to flee Rome where he was condemned to death. He landed on the archipelago, aboard a galley of the Order of Malta, at the invitation of Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt. It took little more than a year for his fiery temperament to bring him further trouble. Imprisoned at Fort San Angelo, he escaped to Italy where he died shortly afterwards. During the fifteen months of his exile, Caravaggio left an indelible mark on Malta's cultural heritage. Malta offers him asylum and a studio, in exchange for which the artist provides five paintings. The most famous, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, is kept in the Oratory of Saint John's Co-cathedral in Valletta with Saint Jerome writing. Produced in situ, the monumental work (361 × 520 cm) is the only painting signed by the master.
Among the three other works he produced in Malta, two are exhibited at the Pitti Palace in Florence (Sleeping Love and Portrait of a Knight of Malta) and the last at the Louvre in Paris (Portrait of Alof de Wignacourt
). His palette based on chiaroscuro and his powerfully expressive compositions with an innovative realism set a new standard in Malta as elsewhere. However, he quickly fell into oblivion, until the 20th century, which finally recognised his influence.Mattia Preti
Following Caravaggio, the Calabrian painter Mattia Preti is one of the most famous artists who stayed in Malta. Born in 1613, he died in Valletta in 1699, where most of his career took place, after a few years working in Naples and Rome. His talents are manifold, but he excelled particularly in drawing and the art of colouring. He also masters chiaroscuro and expressive compositions, especially in contra-dive. In 1661, he was given the heavy responsibility of decorating the vault of the co-cathedral of Saint John. It took him five years to transform the austere building into a marvel of Baroque art. The oil painting on stone represents the 18 episodes of the life of John the Baptist, and shines with a mysterious light. Mattia Preti also had architectural alterations made to make the cathedral brighter. A prolific artist, he was knighted.
The end of the 17th and 18th centuries
Among the painters who marked the following period were Giuseppe d'Arena (1633-1719), Stefano Erardi (1630-1716) and his son Alessio (1671-1727). Gian Nicola Buhagiar (1698-1752) and Francesco Zahra (1710-1773) contributed strongly to Maltese art through the influence of Neapolitan Baroque, thus testifying to Malta's golden age under the reign of Pinto.
At the end of the 18th century, Pinto commissioned the court portrait (exhibited in the sacristy of Saint John) from Antoine de Favray (1706-1798), a French artist from Bagnolet, but Maltese by adoption. The latter portrays the religious as an absolute monarch, in ermine.
The 19th century
Neoclassicism is represented by Michele Busuttil (Gozo Cathedral) and his son Salvatore (Verdala Palace). In the 19th century, Maltese painting was influenced by the Nazarene movement. Founded in Vienna in 1809, it sought to revive religious art by rejecting the Baroque for more realistic sources of inspiration. Giuseppe Hyzler (1793-1858) and his son Vincent (1813-1849) were among its members. Towards the end of the 19th century, the clergy turned to the academicism of Italian painters (Gallucci, Gagliardi, Grandi). The romantic style of the Neapolitan Giuseppe Cali (1846-1930) lasted until the beginning of the 20th century. Many churches in Malta keep a trace of it.
Towards contemporary times
Edward Caruana Dingli, born in Valletta in 1876 and died in 1950, is first and foremost recognized as a pioneer in the representation of Maltese folklore. He studied with artists such as G. Calleja and G. Cali. After a military career, he decided to become a professional painter. To train, he completed a European tour of painting before returning to Malta. He then produced works of a folkloric nature such as The Guitar Player or The Orange Seller but also portraits of Maltese personalities such as Governors, Prime Ministers, Knights or King George V. Teaching painting at the Maltese School of Arts, he influenced the artists of the next generation such as E. Cremona, W. Apap, E. Barthet or A. Inglott. Edwin John Victor Pasmore (1908-1988), regarded as one of the pioneers of British abstract art, fell in love with Malta as he and his wife were looking for a second home. For the rest of his life, he remained very attached to Malta and developed strong relationships with local artists such as the ceramist Gabriel Caruana and the architect Richard England. The archipelago gave him back to him by founding the Victor Pasmore Gallery which brings together the paintings and sculptures he executed on the archipelago.
Outside the walls
The year 2005 saw the first Maltese urban artwork. The most spectacular frescoes follow one another to revive neglected places. It must be said that in Malta, street art is part of the school curriculum! It is therefore quite natural that graffiti and frescoes are scattered throughout the archipelago. Good to know: a high concentration of murals glorify Marsaskala and Sliema. Qui-Si-Sana Beach, on the Pointe de Tigné, offers a perfect setting for monumental works, such as this swimmer paddling along the edge of a cliff. Another sporting activity, sliding takes us to one of the favourite spots for urban art: the l-Msida skatepark, not far from the entrance to the University of Malta. It is difficult to describe what you will see there because the works are regularly renewed. Twitch has depicted vultures fighting in a boxing match on a wall or a portrait of Trump planted on the body of a rooster. Justin Bonicci painted a skeleton head swept away by a wave. The explorers of the visual world will continue their journey to Pembroke, where the White Rock complex awaits them. These former British army staff quarters, transformed into a student housing complex, were abandoned in 1995. Since then, they have been transformed into gigantic canvases that are constantly being renewed. Here we find Twitch in a reflection on the value of money versus justice. Also abandoned is the prestigious Jerma Palace Hotel in Marsaskala, which was ravaged by fire in 2007. While waiting for the promoters, the graffiti artists are having a blast in this idyllic setting, to say the least. Lewis Zammit, in a work with the accents of a monument to memory, evokes war in a staging showing two children trying to escape, with the fort burning in the distance. Back in the capital, on the Valletta boardwalk, where giant gelatine bears in multicoloured 3D will wander by your side.
Galleries to follow
The Christine X gallery inTas Sliema finds young artists including some photographers who offer a captivating view of the archipelago. Let's mention Sarka Kadlecova, who likes to combine drawing, sculpture and photography. Recently, she has started a process that she calls visual anthropology, focusing on street photography. Born in 1975, Katek Delia, a French artist of Maltese origin, imagines installations that combine photography, sculpture and writing, in a style that highlights her dual culture.
The Pop-Up Gallery became in 2017 Iniala 5 Valletta, a branch born from the merger of two cultural venues run by Maria Galea and Mark Weingard. Their aim is to broaden the spectrum of national and international artists on the contemporary scene. Located in the heart of the capital, the gallery promises to showcase tomorrow's Maltese talent to the world.
