Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz (1713-1772) : a study on the set of paintings found at San Anton Palace and Verdala Palace

Abstract

This dissertation will shed light on the set painted by Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz, painted in Mexico, and is currently located in the Presidential Palaces of San Anton and Verdala. The set will be analysed on its own, but also within the context of eighteen century Mexico. The art historical contexts of Europe and Malta will also be explored: the former due to the artistic imprint on Mexico, and the latter because of the set’s present location. The research methodology for this dissertation included initially the viewing of these paintings in the palaces physically, which aided in a detailed study and analysis of their composition and the space in which they are exhibited. Further formal and technical analysis was carried out from photographs taken during physical viewing and also photography taken by Steven Psaila during the set’s conservation. Another main focus of this dissertation was the set’s provenance from Mexico to Malta and hence various archives were consulted, the National Library of Malta however was the only archive which needed to be consulted locally. The Archives of the Order provided information on one of the patrons of the set, Antonio Maria Bucareli y Ursúa, who was part of the Order of St John, specifically being in possession of his will. Chapter 1 will focus on the art historical context of the set, first discussing the immediate effects of art development in Mexico, then Europe and lastly Malta. Chapter 2 will be dedicated to the set’s provenance, with a small overview on the artist’s corpus of works. Chapter 3 delves deeper into the Maltese set by discussing its iconography and comparing and contrasting to the original works which the artist copied from. Chapter 4 will be a select catalogue out of the eighteen works, shedding light on each view. The aim of this dissertation is to shed light on one of art’s foundations whose importance is noted throughout history: the art of copying. Such copying enabled artists, as seen in various academic works, as a means of practice and study. This Maltese set however exemplifies a different reason, due to the nature of its commission. Copies after Great Masters are sometimes neglected, which was the case with this Maltese set, as little was known about it until recent scholarship. Despite the fact that they are copies, these paintings portray the mastery of such an artist who chose the colour palette of these works since they were copied off of black-and-white prints.