Birth of Maltese Art
It was towards the end of the Neolithic period (3,800 BC) that the first sculptural representations were found. Known as the world's oldest statue of this size, the Goddess of Fertility was found at the Tarxien site. Although her skirt and legs remain, her schematic, rounded forms bring her closer to a modern abstract sculpture. Clay statuettes such as the Venus of Malta and the Sleeping Woman, on the other hand, are finely crafted. Most can be admired at Valletta's Museum of Archaeology. Megalithic temples are also adorned with numerous spirals and frescoes engraved in stone, often depicting animals.
The earliest surviving local paintings are frescoes in catacombs and cave churches (Sainte-Agathe and Tad-Dejr in Rabat). Dating from the 14th century, they are strongly influenced by the Siculo-Byzantine style. Italian and Byzantine influences can also be seen in the painted panels of the Mdina Museum. The arrival of the Knights of the Order considerably enriched Maltese painting. Devoting considerable resources to embellishing buildings, they also repatriated works from Rhodes (icon of the Damascene Virgin), and commissioned canvases from artists such as Bartolomeo Perugrino and Giovanni Maria Abela. Some of these are preserved in the Mdina museum: Lamentation of Christ, Saint Agatha in Majesty, and in Naxxar, the Virgin of the Rosary.
The Renaissance
At the end of the Great Siege, the victorious Order attracted donations from all over Christian Europe, notably for the construction of Valletta. Numerous painters, influenced by the Renaissance and Mannerism, were invited to Malta. Some found refuge here, such as Matteo Perez d'Aleccio, who settled permanently on the island, and painted for the Grand Master's palace, St. John's cathedral and the church of St. Paul the Shipwrecked. Francesco Potenzano painted the oratory and sacristy of Saint John.
Caravaggio's exile
The illustrious Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, known as "Caravaggio" (c. 1571-1610) set sail for Malta in 1607 to escape 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 didn't take more than a year for his fiery temperament to get him into 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 his indelible mark on Malta's cultural heritage. Malta offered him asylum and a studio, in exchange for which the artist supplied five paintings. The most famous, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, is preserved in the Oratory of Saint John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, along with Saint Jerome Writing. Created in situ, the monumental work (361 × 520 cm) is the only painting signed by the master.
Of the three other works he produced in Malta, two are on show at the Pitti Palace in Florence(Amour endormi and Portrait d'un chevalier de Malte) and the last at the Louvre in Paris(Portrait d'Alof de Wignacourt).
His palette based on chiaroscuro and his powerfully expressive compositions with their innovative realism set new standards in Malta and elsewhere. However, he quickly fell into oblivion, until the 20th century, when his influence was finally recognized.
Mattia Preti
Following in the footsteps of Caravaggio, Calabrian painter Mattia Preti is one of the most famous artists to have lived in Malta. Born in 1613, he died in Valletta in 1699, where he spent most of his career, after several years practicing in Naples and Rome. His talents were manifold, but he excelled particularly in drawing and the art of coloring. He also mastered chiaroscuro and expressive compositions, particularly in low angle. In 1661, he was entrusted with the heavy responsibility of decorating the vault of the co-cathedral of Saint-Jean. It took him five years to transform the austere building into a marvel of Baroque art. The oil-on-stone painting depicts the 18 episodes in the life of John the Baptist, and shines with a mysterious light. Mattia Preti also made architectural modifications to brighten up the cathedral. A prolific artist, he was knighted.
The end of the 17th and 18th centuries
Among the painters of 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, testifying to Malta's golden age under Pinto. At the end of the 18th century, Pinto commissioned Antoine de Favray (1706-1798), a French artist from Bagnolet but Maltese by adoption, to paint the court portrait (on display in the sacristy of Saint John). Favray depicts the monk 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 Baroque for more realistic sources of inspiration. Giuseppe Hyzler (1793-1858) and his son Vincent (1813-1849) were among them. Towards the end of the 19th century, ecclesiastics turned to the academicism of Italian painters (Gallucci, Gagliardi, Grandi). The romantic style of the Neapolitan Giuseppe Cali (1846-1930) endured until the early 20th century. Many of Malta's churches retain a trace of this style.
Towards contemporary times
Edward Caruana Dingli, born in Valletta in 1876 and died in 1950, is recognized above all as a pioneer in the depiction 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 painting tour before returning to Malta. He produced folkloric works such as The Guitar Player and The Orange Seller, as well as portraits of Maltese personalities such as governors, prime ministers, knights and King George V. Teaching painting at the Malta School of Art, he influenced the next generation of artists, including E. Cremona, W. Apap, E. Barthet and A. Inglott. Inglott. Edwin John Victor Pasmore (1908-1988), considered one of the pioneers of British abstract art, fell in love with Malta while looking for a second home with his wife. For the rest of his life, he remained deeply attached to Malta, forging strong relationships with local artists such as ceramist Gabriel Caruana and architect Richard England. The archipelago paid him back in kind by founding the Galerie Victor Pasmore, which brings together the paintings and sculptures he executed on the archipelago.
Outside the walls
2005 saw the birth of Malta's first urban art project. One spectacular fresco followed another to revive neglected areas. In Malta, street art is part of the school curriculum! So it's only natural that graffiti and frescoes dot the archipelago. Good to know: Marsaskala and Sliema boast a high concentration of murals. Qui-Si-Sana Beach, on the tip of Tigné, provides a perfect backdrop for monumental works of art, such as this bather splashing on the edge of a cliff. The skatepark at l-Msida, not far from the entrance to the University of Malta, is another favourite spot for urban art. It's hard to describe what you'll see here, as the works change regularly. Twitch has depicted vultures in a boxing match on one wall, and a portrait of Trump planted on the body of a rooster. Justin Bonicci painted a skeleton's head swept away by a wave. Explorers of the visual world continue their journey to Pembroke, where the White Rock complex awaits them. These former British army accommodation buildings, transformed into a student housing estate, were abandoned in 1995. Since then, they have become gigantic canvases, constantly renewed. Here, Twitch reflects on the value of money versus justice. Also abandoned is Marsaskala's prestigious Jerma Palace Hotel, ravaged by fire in 2007. While waiting for the developers, the graffiti artists are having a field day in this idyllic setting. Lewis Zammit's memorial-like work evokes the war in a scene of two children trying to escape, with the fort burning in the distance. Back to the capital, on the Valletta promenade, where giant gummy bears in multicolored 3D stroll alongside you.
Galleries to follow
Galerie Christine X in Tas Sliema unearths young artists, including a number of photographers who offer a captivating view of the archipelago. Sarka Kadlecova, for example, likes to combine drawing, sculpture and photography. She has recently embarked on what she describes as a 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. In 2017, Pop-Up Gallery became Iniala 5 Valletta, a branch born of 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 introduce tomorrow's Maltese talent to the world.
