https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/62497 2026-04-04T21:19:44Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/89781 Title: Leonello Spada, Alof de Wignacourt and Jacomo Bosio : an analysis of the mechanics of patronage and the literary and visual sources for Spada’s fresco cycle at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta Abstract: This research discusses the fresco cycle at the Grand Master’s Palace painted by the Bolognese artist Leonello Spada (1576-1622) in 1610. The cycle depicts twenty-four scenes from the early history of the Order of the Knights of St John and was commissioned by Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt (1547-1622). The research assesses the extent through which these frescoes follow the international trends of palatial decoration in the early Baroque era. The frescoes will be analysed and the capability of the artist to project the narrative through the style of Bolognese classicism will be assessed. The manner in which the artist incorporates the visual and literary sources into the narrative programme is explored in detail. The main literary source, Dell’Istoria Della Sacra Religione et Ill.ma Militia di San Giovanni by Jacomo Bosio has been identified and the illustrations of Antonio Tempesta were utilised as the inspiration for the composition of the scenes. Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia was used both as a literary and visual source. This research contributes to scholarship in Early Baroque art as well as studies on Leonello Spada and the larger context of the spread of the Accademia degli Incamminati outside Bologna. The fresco cycle provides an excellent case study for the facilitation of iconographers and historians in pictorial narratives. The commission is laden with political and propagandist motives, which promote the Order’s somewhat tragic history, it is one of the only depictions of the subject and one of the most important fresco cycles in Malta. Description: PH.D.HISTORY OF ART 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/70569 Title: Imitation, quotation and inventiveness in the oeuvre of Stefano Erardi (1630-1716) Abstract: This dissertation primarily seeks to delve deeper into this aspect of imitation and quotation within Erardi’s practice and its implications on the artist’s inventiveness when such practices are considered within the appropriate intellectual climate of the seventeenth century. The life of the artist, his works and the related archives have been extensively researched and published. It is not the scope of this dissertation to add to the artist’s biography or oeuvre, or to discover unpublished documents. The central subject of the study is rather the uncovering and analysis of Erardi’s sources and inspirations and, perhaps more importantly, his motivations behind them. Archival research, already exhausted by Sciberras and Bernadine Scicluna among others, is thus beyond the study’s remit. This dissertation engages predominantly with secondary sources on Erardi himself and discussions on and around the subject of artistic imitation throughout the progress of art history. Some of the most imperative of the consulted secondary sources played a major role in forming the understanding and therefore the backbone of some of the dissertation’s most essential arguments. Sciberras’s argument that Erardi’s quotation reflected the practices of contemporary classicists was immediately substantiated by two readings of particular importance – Maria H. Loh’s article New and Improved: Repetition and Originality in Italian Baroque Practice and Theory (2004) and Elizabeth Cropper’s publication The Domenichino Affair: Novelty, Imitation and Theft in Seventeenth-century Rome (2005). Both studies excellently argued the markedly different views, as opposed to the general modern perception, that seventeenth-century contemporaries held of artists and artworks which explicitly integrated motifs from the works of other masters within one’s novel compositions. Loh’s discussion on the concept of the ‘double pleasure’, reiterated by Cropper, proved crucial for the intellectual development of this dissertation. Cropper’s arguments on contemporary perceptions of imitation and originality in light of Lanfranco’s accusation of Domenichino’s supposed ‘theft’ and the subsequent controversy were likewise of considerable importance. Description: M.A.HIST.OF ART 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/62931 Title: A visual exploration of construction sites and their impact on the Maltese landscape Abstract: This project focused on the visual analysis of construction sites as a source of artistic inspiration. The subject was chosen for two main reasons: it was a topical contemporary issue related to current environmental concerns, and it was equally intriguing how such construction sites can trigger a creative process. Fertile land or local houses of character transform into massive buildings, which, due to the pronounced height and sheer mass generally render themselves out of context in the local urban landscape. The central focus of this study was to identify construction sites, particularly buildings in progress, including materials used in contemporary architecture and analysed them through an artistic eye. What attracted the artistic eye is the transition – the chaos form machinery and materials to high-end development, which could become an eyesore or blended in with the surroundings. The research question tackled how construction has overwhelmed localities within the past century. This research attempted to address the gap in artistic analysis since ongoing construction, at the time of writing, was not the focus of many local artists, probably because iconic places and ideal landscapes were more attractive to the eye. The project analysed and discussed several aspects related to construction. In chapter one – the literature review, four topics were analysed. Firstly, the effects of construction on the environment was discussed. The second topic focused on the methods and material used in traditional and contemporary architecture. The third topic evaluated the types of machinery as an inspiration for my artistic project. In the fourth topic, international and local artist were researched as a source of inspiration for the final project. In the second chapter – the methodology and findings, the focus was on how experimentation with different media and materials were used to interpret the impact of construction from an artistic point of view. The process of trial and error was also discussed on the methods of experimentation and which methods were more suitable for the final artistic project. In the last chapter - the project description, the development of how the artistic project was achieved and presented was discussed. In addition, the limitations and alterations of the final artistic work were also mentioned. Description: B.A.(HONS)HIST.OF ART - FINE ARTS 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/62930 Title: Self-portrait of the creator : analysing the image of individuality, divinity and mortality Abstract: This project and dissertation will be analysing and connecting the ideas surrounding the human condition, where the nature of the existence of The Individual Self, transcendence and divinity, and their relationship with mortality will be discussed. This project is motivated by the strange times we live in: where man has become obsessed with themselves and their image, but has lost touch with the transcendental aspects of the universe while seeming to have forgotten the fickleness of our existence. The obsession with the image of the self stands witness all throughout the history of mankind, made manifest in the arts most forcefully in the quattrocento, and nowadays through the convenience of a digital or smartphone camera. Contemporary belief structures have however dismissed the idea of a transcendental presence within each human being as a result of the modern era destroying the individual with communism- serving the collective as one being- and individuality with capitalism- where consumerism of the mainstream kills the creative fibre. Perhaps it was with Nietzsche's proclamation that, “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him,” that man has realised that the Enlightenment has not only stripped the socio-political power and wealth of church institutions, but has destroyed man's transcendental journey to finding their value and meaning of life. This does not mean that one should perpetuate a nihilist's ideology, in that regard losing faith and denying oneself happiness because of the inexistence of a higher power. Transcendence does not have to mechanically take on the form of God or another idol. It could be found within oneself in their perception of beauty, the scientific exploration of the world, and in philosophy. The real problem society has been faced with is not the replacement of God per se, but that society as a whole has not realised that God has been replaced inadequately. Renaissance humanism, its understanding and the application of its ideas of every individual‟s inherent worth are critical for an artist's role in humanity. An artist cannot begin to analyse and understand the external world, society and its behaviours without first understanding oneself and their place within the world. By coming to terms with the mortal aspect of life, the artist decides to create and take on the role of a God archetype, producing art and therefore leaving a part of themselves which will succeed them. The artist paints what they know, leaving traces of what they are. Thus, the artist becomes the artwork, and the artwork will assume the presence of the artist when they are no longer with us. This concept will be fleshed out in my research and visual project which will take on the form of a personal journey and a confessional artwork in understanding my own value as a woman and artist, and as a female artist taking on the role of a transcended being. In acknowledging the fact that as an artist I am also flawed and what I may leave behind and what my life had designed does not embody what a transcended, moreover a divine creator should be like at first glance, secures the idea that transcendence does not suggest perfection but rather, that a human being has found value in one's life, and an artist that finds value in one's art. Description: B.A.(HONS)HIST.OF ART - FINE ARTS 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z