https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/9102 2026-04-09T20:02:28Z 2026-04-09T20:02:28Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/10129 2017-07-27T09:03:14Z 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The eclectic project for Palazzo Parisio (1898-1907) : the industry of the art and its protagonists Abstract: The scope of this thesis is to study the redecoration of an eighteenth century Maltese palazzo, namely Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar, from its genesis and project designs by Catania‟s foremost architect Carlo Sada to the industry involved in the implementation of Sada‟s designs in the different media of painting, stucco, marble and the other decorative arts. This thesis aims at placing the decoration in Palazzo Parisio within the general story of Maltese art and on showing how this decoration reflects the industry of such programmes generally undertaken in Italy (especially Sicily) and elsewhere on the continent. The case studies provided are of fundamental interest for the study of the architects planning, reviewing and execution processes. This together with that of coordinating works undertaken by numerous artists and artisans working in the field of painting, stucco, sculpture, gilding, carpentry and metal work. This reflects, for example, the same methods undertaken for Sada‟s masterpiece in Catania, namely Teatro Massimo Bellini. Equally significant is the study of the commissions for marble works from major companies in Carrara. The aim here was to study issues of design and the mechanics of patronage, including costing, cutting, transport and installation of such marble works. The methods of research involved in the gathering and analysis of the data mark the exciting diversities of research required in art historical studies. On site analysis of the work of art was coupled by extensive comparative work undertaken in Sicily, particularly in Catania where the main focus of such comparative research was undertaken. Archival study included work in the Scicluna family archives, the National Archives at Rabat, the Public Registry at Valletta, and elsewhere. such research has unearthed the extraordinary correspondence between the Marquis Giuseppe Scicluna, the architect Carlo Sada and the other protagonists in this redecoration project together with a list of properties purchased, the ships used for the transport and to this should be added the research on drawings particularly those in the collection of the Biblioteca Riunite Civica in Catania. The daunting task of compiling data on what was evidently, a largely unstudied area made this research even more exciting. Data collection was generated at its onset during my undergraduate thesis on the subject, wherein I realised the potential of the documentation and the analysis of which could not be completed within the short term parameters of my B.A. honours thesis handed in in May 2012. This provided the initial platform for work on my Masters, which I coupled with research work undertaken on Carlo Sada by Catania‟s leading scholar on the subject Zaira Dato Toscano. Her work on Sada was focused on his commissions in Catania specifically the Teatro Massimo Bellini and this provided me with the context for comparative data. Description: M.A.HIST.OF ART

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/9937 2019-06-11T08:10:26Z 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The ecclesiastical decorative arts in Malta 1850-1900 : style and ornament Abstract: This thesis analyses the complex and multi-faceted context of the decorative arts for Roman Catholic churches in the small Mediterranean islands of Malta and Gozo in the second half of the nineteenth century. It critically discusses them within their rightful arthistorical international context. It focuses on style and ornament and engages with the artistic influences which shaped the nature of the design invention of a wide array of liturgical objets d’art, sacred vessels, vestments and movable church furnishings which were specifically commissioned for use during solemn liturgical functions held especially in honour of village patron saints as part of the increasingly popular village feasts. This research investigates the stylistic developments in the second half of the nineteenth century and places them within the context of changing artistic taste and style in Malta which started occurring at the turn of the nineteenth century. Consideration is also given to the older tradition in Malta to which the period under study was the natural heir. The artefacts under scrutiny are divided according to their stylistic timbre which is discussed not only in conjunction with the larger oeuvre of their designer or manufacturer but also within the larger European artistic scenario. It also analyses the stylistic idiosyncrasies of the ornamental language of works produced locally and compares them to what was being produced in the more cosmopolitan European cities. It thus explores the evolving stylistic situation from Neo-Classicism in the early to mid-century and the Revivalist and eclectic attitudes in the later years of this fifty-year period. The major remit of this study is the extent to which the ecclesiastical decorative arts in Malta reflected the larger continental artistic scenario and the ways how they responded to the major trends in design in the more important European centres like Rome, London and Paris. The story of this thesis is primarily that of the numerous works in precious metals, wood and embroidery which were produced both by important foreign silversmiths and designers, but also by a significant number of local masters who fluctuated according to their artistic upbringing and talent. The artistic character of the designer who invented the particular work is thus highlighted, placing him within the larger artistic scenario that informed his ornamental vocabulary. The study also tries to address the problems of invention and execution which are always present in the complex discussion of the decorative arts. Artistic quality and the nature of artistic invention play a fundamental role in this discussion, with a special emphasis on style and the application of ornament. Description: PH.D.HIST.OF ART

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/9860 2019-06-11T08:10:17Z 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: St Paul's Shipwreck church at St Paul's Bay and its connection with vernacular Caravaggism Abstract: This dissertation defines and analyses the connection of St Paul’s Shipwreck Church in St Paul’s Bay with the Maltese artistic scene of the early seventeenth century. The in-depth study of the three paintings in St Paul’s Shipwreck church depicting St Paul shaking of the viper, The Healing of the Father of Publius and St Paul greeted by the Maltese respectively, alongside the attributed and signed works of Giulio Cassarino present us with an obscure artist and a considerably vast artistic period in seventeenth-century Malta that is vernacular Caravaggism. The affinities between these works are great and it very probable that they are the work of the same artist. Before going in media res, the following are a few words about the structure of this work. The first chapter of the dissertation sets the stage by introducing the reader to the fully documented history of StPaul’s Shipwreck church and its socio-religious context in seventeenth-century Malta and the cult of St Paul, according to which tradition, the church at St Paul’s Bay had already been built by the first century. Undoubtedly the Pauline Tradition was one of the most important shaping forces of Malta’s cultural identity. Secondly the chapter will discuss the church in the context of the seventeenth century, the tremendous boost of the Cult of St Paul, and how Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt changed the church’s fate forever. Research in several archives was carried out in order to extract as much information as possible to construct the most precise timeline possible since the history of the church can sometimes be confusing to follow. With the help of photos of the church dating back to the 1880s, the 1930s, and after Second World War, it was easier to understand the architectural changes it went through during the years and it became possible to create a virtual 3D model showing how the paintings adorned the church in the seventeenth century. In the first part of chapter two, the dissertation moves away from St Paul’s Shipwreck church to present an outline of the most important artistic developments that co-existed at the same time in Malta, that is the vernacular Caravaggism. The whole purpose was to delineate the art-historical context in Malta and to touch upon the great importance that Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio had on the native artists. This chapter beautifully sets the stage for the three paintings in St Paul’s Shipwreck church their artistic context in Caraveggesque Malta. This chapter also explores the fortuna critica of these three paintings, which have been for some years at the center of scholarly attention but never properly studied and documented. The greatest problem faced in this dissertation but which is also its fulcrum was when it came to study the three paintings still in situ in the church. These three large paintings of St Paul greeted by the Maltese, The Healing of Publius’Father and St Paul shaking off the Viper respectively are unfortunately in a very bad state of preservation. They were almost lost forever when a bomb partly demolished the church during the Second World War. The main altarpiece depicts St Paul shaking off the Viper ended up under the rubble and debris, causing considerable and irreversible damage. Chapter three discusses this episode but the prime objective was to provide the first-ever in-depth stylistic study of the paintings with the help of the various high-quality photographs and details of the paintings taken appositely for this dissertation by a professional photographer. These photographs became the backbone for this third chapter because they make possible a detailed study of the paintings and draw conclusions as to which parts are still original and have escaped the misfortune of being very badly over painted. The last chapter helps to put the paintings of St Paul’s Shipwreck church in the context of the Maltese vernacular Caravaggist idiom. It will focus on three other very interesting and again quite obscure paintings: the Martyrdom of St Catherine (Parish Church, Żejtun), St Sebastian tended by St Irene (St John’s Co-cathedral, Valletta), and St Maurus healing a Sick Child (Virgin of Liesse, Valletta). The Żejtun painting has been in the center of scholarly artistic debate for a long time, while the barely legible signature of Giulio Cassarino has been discovered on the Valletta paintings. This chapter will discuss these paintings and their connections with the paintings at St Paul’s Bay on a stylistic level in order to find stylistic similarities and hopefully shed more light on Giulio Cassarino. This dissertation more than anything else serves as point of departure with hope for any future research on vernacular Caravaggism and Giulio Cassarino. Description: B.A.(HONS)HIST.OF ART

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/9858 2018-11-29T13:41:22Z 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Lost buildings and urban areas of the order of St John in Valletta Abstract: In this dissertation I have tried my best to portray as many lost buildings and urban areas in Valletta as is possible. In this way I have tried to bring these structures back to life thereby acting as if they are still extant even today. Our capital city, Valletta has undergone many changes during its chequered history. However, I have limited my time frame to the period of the Knights of the Order of St. John. Sometimes, it was very difficult to find information on the buildings that have been lost. Nevertheless, I have researched this particular period and have synthesized my findings in this dissertation. I have focused on lost churches, auberges, public buildings, houses, palaces and urban areas. The loss of these buildings and urban areas may be seen as hampering the architectural unity that the Knights of the Order of St. John left behind. However, with this dissertation I do not only intend to describe the lost buildings and urban areas therein referred to but also to contextualize the same within the urban reality that is Valletta and at the same time, bringing them back to life. My conclusions discuss some very economically viable measures that may yet help future generations to conceive the natural beauty of what has unfortunately been lost. Description: B.A.(HONS)HIST.OF ART

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z