Baroque Painting in Malta

Book excerpt: 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.