An artistic analysis of the Augustinian church and convent, Rabat

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyse the methods of patronage of the Augustinian Order in Rabat, Malta, between the 16th and 20th centuries and therefore the resultant art and architecture which emerged from this. The corpus of works of art and architecture of the church and monastery are placed within their suitable historic and social contexts whilst the actual creators of these works were further magnified as their contributions seem to become more crucial to the development of art in Malta. Amongst these personages were the architects Girolamo Cassar, Andrea Belli, Giuzeppe Bonnici, Emanuele Luigi Galizia, Francesco Sammut and Francesco Zammit. Amongst the artists and sculptors which emerged as having worked for the Augustinians were Filippino Dingli, Mattia Preti and his bottega, Tommaso Dingli, Pietro Paolo Zahra, Antonio Fabri, Stefano Erardi, Alessio Erardi, Alessandro Farrugia and Edward Caruana Dingli. By looking into the patronage of the Augustinian Order one can further understand and quantify the importance of the patronage of the other Mendicant Orders and therefore the impact of their presence on the island to the history and progression of our artistic endeavours. Throughout the analysis of the monastery various objects of importance to the History of Art in Malta are further magnified. Amongst these is the medieval retable which is of importance as it shows that from an early age the Augustinians turned to art as a means of expressing their individual identity in Late Medieval Malta. The aim of this dissertation with regards to this retable is to further study its origin and subsequent existence within the confines of the monastery through scientific analysis which was purposely commissioned for this dissertation.