https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/100739 2026-04-14T23:12:41Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/103637 Title: Three early nineteenth-century mythological paintings at Verdala Palace, Malta : an art-historical, contextual and comparative study Abstract: The main theme of this dissertation was the focused analysis of three early 19th century Maltese artworks who share a common mythological theme. The paintings are Ajax Saving Himself from the Tempest, Aeneas holding Bleeding Branches and Turnus Being Tormented by the Furies, the former two by Salvatore Busuttil and the latter by Pietro Paolo Caruana. Art historians seem to have given these paintings small amount of attention. However, despite the lack of detailed information these works were still deemed important enough to be mentioned in a number of publications. Dr. Mark Sagona and Prof Mario Buhagiar, have mentioned the works as examples of the artists’ importance as examples of the artistic style at the time. This lack of attention is surprising due to the fact that the number of mythology-related artwork in Malta is disproportionately low especially when compared with sacred-themed art. This disproportionality in itself should have been reason enough to garner them more attention. This leads one to question to the why these paintings have never had an in-depth analysis dedicated to them in any study or thesis, let alone a whole book. In the first chapter of this dissertation, the aim was to discuss an extensive number of sources which mention the artists and the works, either separately or together. This was to try to contextualise and identify what knowledge has been compiled so far both in terms of these subjects as well as mythology in general in both a Maltese context as well as an international one. The focal aim of the dissertation was to investigate the stylistic, historical, social and political context within which the two artists in question worked, as well as what led to the creation of these works and place them within the context of the mechanics of their patronage in the Maitland bursaries and by analysing their creation. This dissertation also sought to understand the context of these works. The three works were analysed within the opus of the artists and within the larger international context. In the second chapter of the dissertation, the focus is centred around the artistic developments of the nineteenth century occurring in Malta. This was so that an attempt can be made to visualise the artistic situation in Malta during this time. In this chapter, the Maltese context of these works would also be discussed. This was done through an analysis of the lives of the Busuttil’s and Caruana’s humble beginnings up to the point that they both decided to leave for Rome in order to attend the Accademia di San Luca. This chapter also discusses the reasons why the artists were allowed to go to Rome and also within the context of the Scuola del Disegno, which had prompted the careers of many a hopeful Maltese artist. The third chapter of the dissertation was focused around the international context. This included topics such as the source of Salvatore Busuttil’s and Pietro Paolo Caruana’s inspiration whilst they were studying at the Accademia di San Luca. This chapter highlighted certain interesting aspects in the discussion of the Accademia and its art curriculum along with the reasons why foreign artists would be so interested in learning from Roman schools of art such as the Accademia. Furthermore, this chapter aimed to discuss foreign ideas regarding artistic education and artistic styles outside the scope of Rome. Finally, this chapter discusses the Maltese link with Rome and the Accademia di San Luca along with Salvatore Busuttil’s and Pietro Paolo Caruana’s stay at the so-called Eternal City. In the fourth and final chapter of this dissertation, a comparative and contextual analysis of the three works was to be carried out. The main component focuses on understanding these works by analysing the contexts from an artistic point of view, but also to analyse the social, religious and other dimensions behind the paintings. In this chapter, the artistic and historical background of the characters Aeneas, Ajax and Turnus were discussed, with the scenes depicted in the works being the highlight. An analysis was also done on how Salvatore Busuttil and Pietro Paolo Caruana adopted and integrated certain imprinted Romantic and Neoclassical elements into their own artistic style. Lastly, a comparative exercise was to be carried out, comparing these three mythological representations with similar works. This was an attempt to establish these works within the artists’ careers. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/103111 Title: The Berninesque impact on regional late baroque sculpture in Malta : the stone-carving tradition Abstract: This research analyses the Berninesque impact on the regional visual culture of the eighteenth century in Malta, as manifested in the production of sculpture in the vernacular stone tradition. It explores the channels through which High art was translated to the grassroots level and the result of the popular reaction to the reception of this influence from Rome. In its examination of regional characteristics and stylistic parallelisms with the Eternal City, it analyses the response of the local scalpellini families active in Late Baroque Malta to the typologies of Papal Rome. The dynamics of the production of sculpture and the scalpellino’s workshop are also examined within the context of the international spread of the Berninesque tradition. Sculpture produced in Rome during the seventeenth century constituted the primary source for sculptors and scalpellini working in the eighteenth century in Malta. The Order of St John, being a most forceful link with Rome for Malta, commissioned sculptural works from Rome in fulfilling its desire to emulate the Eternal City. The artistic environment which the Order of St John created also enabled the presence of foreign artists and architects in Malta, the travel of local artists to Rome, and the availability of printed sources for consultation by local artists. The culmination of these contextual factors swiftly resulted in the dissemination of the Roman Baroque style and the Berninesque tradition highly impacted the local visual culture from the late years of the seventeenth century. This spread of the Berninesque tradition in Malta belongs to the wider international context of the dissemination of the Roman Baroque style. This research distinguishes and analyses stylistic regional differences and parallelisms between the dynamic production of regional late seventeenth- and eighteenth-century sculpture in Malta and the south of Italy, particularly Naples, Lecce, Palermo and the Val di Noto towns. It determines the degree of Berninesque imprint and its interaction with regional characteristics of sculpture which add indigenous traits to the style. Late Baroque sculpture in Malta was dominated by scalpellini families, the protagonists of this research. The flourishing of these tightly-knit and personallyaffiliated artistic families was the direct result to the surplus of demand in commissions for newly-built or enlarged churches in eighteenth-century Malta. The Berninesque influence reached them at the right time in the right place for a sudden and impactful infiltration of the local stone tradition. Through extensive archival research and widespread comparative analyses, this research analyses the sculptural works of Pietro Paolo Troisi, Pietro Paolo Zahra, and the Fabri family of scalpellini as anchored within this internationally-relevant milieu of the dissemination of the Berninesque tradition. Description: Ph.D.(Melit.) 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/103110 Title: Enhancing biophilic awareness in society through public art Abstract: This project-based dissertation works towards the promotion of biophilic awareness within society . The research objective of this study analyses the possibility that public art and art installations create a dialogue with the public. The purpose of this dissertation is to engage the audience towards the relevance of the relationship between humanity and nature as well as to provoke interest in the benefits of absorbing the surrounding natural world through art. The research evaluates whether art as a language communicates with society and contributes to building biophilic affinities. Since this is a project-based and practice-led dissertation, the production of the project also forms an integral part of the objective as it is central to the research output. Together with the studio-based inquiry and the academic research, the reviewing of literature grounds this project theoretically. Interviews with local artists, together with photographic and videographic documentation, as well as sketches and written entries in journals all constitute towards the methodological process of this study. This research has proved to be challenging yet of great personal, academical and artistic growth steering me towards new artistic approaches whilst offering opportunities for reflective doubting and questioning my own modus operandi. The current construction works of the Central Link Project linking the towns of Balzan, Attard and Rabat, as well as the relinquishing of several trees for construction purposes, were the main cause which sparked an interest for this project-based study on the natural environment. Since this infrastructural artery road works took place within the student’s hometown, where she has resided in for the past forty years, she has opted to focus her study on this particular location, that is the bridge leading to Misraħ Kola and its appertaining site. The Central Link Project consists of the construction of an artery road from Mrieħel leading to Rabat hill, thus comprising of fourteen kilometres of road networking. This construction project includes ten kilometres of walkways as well as four kilometres of bicycles lanes. This controversial development included the removal of a substantial number of mature trees on its path of construction. Several hundreds of saplings and bushes were planted to substantiate the uprooting of the mature Aleppo trees. Nonetheless the uprooting of these flourishing trees has stirred up several debates amongst many, including environmentalists. After several environmental activists’ interventional actions, Infrastructure Malta subsequently altered the plans and a few mature trees were spared from being eradicated. Malta has a land coverage of three hundred and sixteen kilometres squared. Overbuilding consists of the process of the construction of several buildings in a specific area, often superseding the actual demand. The building splurge within the Maltese Islands has increased considerably since investing in a home is still considered as a sound asset in Malta. There has been an increase of 98.8% within the volume index of the production in the construction sector between the years 2015 and 2020. This rapid growth in the industry has caused several upheavals within varying sectors such as the environmental upkeep, the safety and safeguarding of the workers together with the neighbouring residents of the construction site, the changing skyline, the increase in air and sound pollution and the tarnishing of the island’s cultural heritage. An increase of 65.6% has also been reported, by the European Construction Sector Observatory, in the number of persons employed within the construction industry and these include employees in the architectural and engineering services as well as in real estate activities. There has been a drive of foreign workers into the construction industry as this may also be noted through the high influx of foreign labourers. This was portrayed in the sharp increase, in the past few years, in the net migration rate. 4 Besides due to the fact that there is a shortage of local skilled workers, the employment of low-skilled foreign workers within the construction industry had to be applied. The student stirred several questions around the possibility of eliciting biophilic awareness within the public through public art and art installations. Whilst keeping in mind that Malta’s forestry coverage consists of only one and one tenth percent (1.1%) land overlay, working on a project-based dissertation, where the study will expectantly be of benefit to the local natural environment, was of imminent importance to the researcher. Biophilia is a term that was coined by Erich Seligmann Fromm (1900-1980) in 1964. He believed that through progress, man should find unity with biophilia which he claimed was a prolific psychological acclimatization. This was then clarified and popularised by the theorist Edward O. Wilson (1929-2021). Wilson defines biophilia as human’s inborn kinship with nature as he explains that society has an inherent connection with nature and the natural world. This biologist specifies that all human beings are biophilic since there is an innate and genetically determined affinity within humans and the natural world. The human appreciation for the natural environment is seen in time spent in lush green open spaces such as trail walk activities. Besides offering a breath of fresh air, outdoor green sites are also a mode for one’s physical development and mental relaxation. The scenic verdure settings offer a relaxing environment, fresh air and mental wellbeing on the contrary to the chaotic urban spaces which are synonymous to pollution derived from the vehicles’ exhaust. Thus, the student’s choice of focusing her research on ways in which artistic installations and public art can create awareness about the prevailing benefits derived from the natural environment. I would like to convey my deepest gratitude to my supervisor and course co-ordinator for M.A. in Fine Art, Professor Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, for propelling me towards becoming more investigative through innovative practice-based research whilst unwrapping my creative potential. My sincere appreciation also goes to the Head of Department of Art and Art History Professor Keith Sciberras, who believed in me and took great interest in my personal, creative and intellectual growth. Moreover, this project-based study would not have been so fruitful personally, both practice-wise as well as academically, if it were not for the valid suggestions made throughout the Research Methods for Fine Arts interventions partially held by Dr. Mark Sagona and Dr. Gilbert Calleja. Additionally, I would like to thank Ms Nadette Xuereb for answering all my administrative queries regarding the course. A note of appreciation goes to all the friends I have made and crossed paths with during these past two years whilst sharing thoughts, ideas and issues about my project-based research and studio-inquiry practices. Description: M.F.A.(Melit.) 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101712 Title: In plain sight : exploring notions of identity, genderfluidity and self-representation through an expanded photographic practice Abstract: My goal with this dissertation is to show others how beautiful it is to be entirely yourself. I looked at individuals from the beginning of time to examine how this long-term process of gender crises has progressed over time. After that, I used my personal experience as a non-binary person who was born male but is ready to experience gender transgression. I perform gender in the strongest and most liberal way possible by using aims in respect to the opposite sex. I took the opportunity to make my dissertation based on my ‘coming out’ journey by documenting myself through self-portraits using the medium of photography. Conservatism is challenged by the concept of gender as a performative act. Society still believes that if a child is born with genitals associated with the 'male' sex, the child is already restricted in many ways. The new-born is expected to play with specific toys, such as car toys if they are a "boy," and dolls if they are a "girl." Statements like these urged me to create more images of myself to challenge these limitations. Why are we preventing our children from discovering who they truly are? Why is it that we, as a society, are ashamed of liking something that is generally connected with the opposing sex? Why do people still have only two choices in society? People want to feel like they have a place in society. People hide behind a character because they are afraid of being evaluated. They are afraid of transgression because youngsters are required to follow gender stereotypes from an early age. Males are suffering from a masculinity crisis as a result of unrealistic expectations of what men should be. Male suicide rates are higher than female suicide rates. What is the reason for this? If not the sense of having failed to achieve power and position. Throughout history, men have felt compelled to sacrifice their lives in order to become slaves of power and position. The happiness that comes from achieving accomplishment. Be a real man! Men are not prone to crying. Men work incredibly hard. Men are successful. Everything must be paid by Men. People must unlearn everything and concentrate on their desires. They should not create a character for the sake of pleasing others. So, who are we? Is it possible that we are all acting? Is it true that no one knows anything? Are we a jumble of perplexed individuals who have no regard for ourselves? I documented the history of gender and identity through the arts from contemporary to ancient history in the first chapter. The first sub-section, '1.1 Contemporary Representations of Gender in the Arts,' focuses on artists, fashion designers, filmmakers, photographers, and writers who influenced gender representation from the twenty-first through nineteenth centuries in some way. The goals, make-up, clothes, and accessories were prioritized so that I could see the works through a specific lens to aid me in my own personal practical project. By continuing to follow the historical process, in the second sub-section ‘1.2 Social context and the Politicised body’, I largely made reference to the political component of gender and identity. My project is very political, it is critical to comprehend the political and social aspects of the issue. The '1.3 Historical Background' section is the final section, in which I concentrated specifically on homosexual individuals from the eighteenth century to ancient times. Homosexuality has been documented since prehistory, and it plays a significant part in the historical and artistic portrayal of the LGBTIQA+ community. In the second Chapter, I discuss the methodology of the project. While explaining my project I made reference to the contextual review. The study plays a dominant role to my understanding of gender and identity. This knowledge was transferred into the visual that is captured by the medium of photography. The images I took are a documentation of my ‘coming out’ process. The beauty of the before and after, the boost in confidence, improvement in the artistic qualities, and the element of the public engagement. I conducted multiple interviews in addition to documenting and photographing myself. I chose the participants based on their histories, ages, sexualities, and lifestyles in order to conduct good responses and build an argument around them. It's crucial to compare other people's perspectives and experiences when working on this project, which is entirely based on my own personal experiences. The final chapter focuses on how to communicate my project to an audience as well as a list of challenges I encountered while creating this visual project. The significance of the exhibition and curation in narrating the artistic and personal processes in order to eventually shatter the ice between my personal development and that of the closet. I progressed towards the exhibition after analysing and editing a final version of the photographs that best describe the entire process. I began by planning the layout in order to select the best location for exhibiting my work, and then I concentrated on the image printing and audio visuals. In addition, I continued to engage with the public via social media, which I believe is an excellent tool for an artist to use to develop their art and concepts. The last chapter summarizes and contributes all the research and practical work that went into creating this practice-based thesis, as well as the future function it will play. I explained how I intend to continue my research into gender and identity through the arts, as well as how other studies might use my experience as a model for their own research. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z