Antonello Gagini’s Observant Franciscan Ta’ Ġieżu 'Madonna and child

Abstract

This dissertation aims to highlight the significance of the Renaissance case study of the 1504 Madonna and Child marble sculpture by Antonello Gagini (1478–1536) through a multi-disciplinary approach split into three main chapters, followed by a final implementation. The first Chapter aims to build the historical context of the Franciscan Observants as patrons of this work, whilst taking into consideration the socio-economic elements to truly assess the power of their commission. Throughout this chapter, I analysed the significance and impact of the sculpture within the Maltese context. During the course of this research, I had the opportunity to view the sculpture from a close-range without any restrictions, and as such, this became the primary source for the second chapter. In this manner I attempted to understand the stylistic traits of the work and how this fit into Antonello Gagini’s oeuvre. A visual comparative study was also carried out wherein the Rabat sculpture was placed amongst its Sicilian counterparts, questioning the creative process, and whether it is correct to speak of a typology employed by Gagini in his workshop. The strength in this study lies in the traces of pigment which survive on the sculpture, traces which were diagnostically tested by Dr. Davide Melica, from the Consulenza e Diagnostica per il Restauro e la Conservazione (Copertino, Province of Lecce, Italy). In the third chapter an art historical background was employed wherein I analysed the factual data, to pose new hypotheses on the modus operandi of Antonello Gagini on this commission, and the general workshop practices. The research carried out in all three chapters was then implemented into a hypothetical digital reconstruction of the Madonna and Child in which I made use of the software Adobe Illustrator. Whilst this final section acts as a visual conclusion to this study, it is in itself an emphasis on the need to challenge the way we see works of art in present day and allow ourselves to open up to new ideas.