The impact of art historical and critical issues in Malta in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Case studies of painting, sculpture and architecture

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to provide analysis on select art historical and critical issues in Malta in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and to assess their impact on works of art and monuments. This analysis is then discussed in relation to case studies of interventions on painting, sculpture and architectural examples on the Maltese Islands. The issues relating to art history and art criticism are identified in the various case studies presented, where a particular artistic ideology determined the way in which a work of art or monument was to be perceived. Other case studies show that the decisions taken to subjecting works of art to particular interventions did not always stem from formal art historical and critical issues, but were simply based on the need to repair their condition and appearance. This study refers to the term “interventions” which as will be shown, include restoration attempts, remodelling or renovation exercises, that could span from minimal alterations to major projects. Since the terminology involved, such as the terms “restoration”, “conservation” or “preservation” carry different connotations even in the present day, the term “intervention” has been opted for as it defines these actions in more general terms. The study provides the art historical context of the period, and includes various discussions on writings of art history and criticism as presented by leading figures within the art historical field.