The iconography of St. John the Baptist in Maltese paintings

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to complete an art historical catalogue of the paintings of St. John the Baptist in Malta. As these are numerous and date from the late middle ages to present time, I have restricted myself to the period in which the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta ruled over the island- 1530-1798. The introduction deals with the cult of St. John the Baptist in Malta. It traces the churches dedicated to this saint through the ages. It also deals with the oldest works of art found on the island. In the second part of the introduction the cult and iconography of St. John the Baptist is discussed at length. The birth, life and death of St. John are duly depicted in works of art around the island. These works are found in various parish church, museum and sacristies, chapels and palaces. Works of art about the Baptist adorn the magnificent ceiling of St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valetta as also the humble wayside chapels. The life story of this saint is chronologically listed and explained in more detail. For each work an image is reproduced, and the catalogue entry starts with the title, artist, date and location, medium and provenance. Anonymous works were analyzed on stylistic grounds and attribution and period of execution were attempted. The documentation of each catalogue entry is based on careful critical appreciation and literature. Although some archival research was carried out, this study is primarily based on secondary sources. The dissertation follows a thematic order. The first chapter deals with altarpieces. The send chapter discusses the saint's life cycle, while the third chapter treats small devotional works. The last chapter examines John the Baptist as the patron of the Order of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta.