When Favray met Von Baldenstein

Abstract

The good news is that one of Antoine Favray’s masterpieces is back in Malta, and that there is no bad news to go with it. Quite recently, one of the finer portraits by the finest portrait painter (with Caravaggio) Malta ever hosted, returned to its natural home, back where it was painted and where its narrative is more relevant to the history of the islands. Antoine Favray (1706-1798) painted innumerable portraits, mostly of knights, Maltese aristocrats, prelates, professional notables and of anyone else who could afford his services and believed posterity would be cheated if left without their likeness. They vary in quality – his style and finesse evolved over his very long life – he died aged 92 – and he remained productive almost up to the end. Correct, if academic at first, virtuoso when he reached full maturity, and tired towards the latter end of his trajectory. Quite likely, when he could not cope with the pressures his clientele placed on him, he may have delegated part of his commissions to his bottega. That too may account for some occasional faltering in his products.