Critical study of oil paintings of the Grand Harbour and Marsamxetto Harbour, Malta : mid-seventeenth to mid-eighteenth century

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to make a comparative and analytical study of oil paintings of the Grand Harbour and Marsamxetto Harbour, produced between the mid-seventeenth and mid-eighteenth century. In doing so it attempts to identify particular typologies and the extent of their popularity. Most of the paintings in this study are of anonymous authorship and few have received scholarly attention. However individual artists, to whom topographical views have been attributed, such as Alberto Pullicino, have received some attention and some of their works have been published. There has been a great dispersal of Maltese views over the past centuries. This study therefore focuses not only on paintings in Maltese private and public collections, but also on those in foreign collections. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M.), for example, holds a significant amount of Maltese Harbour views of very good quality in its collections abroad. The study of paintings in foreign collections was only possible through photographic reproductions. Books, usually relating to the Order of Malta, have also been a good source of photographs of painted Harbour views. Photographic reproductions of paintings in foreign collections, Museums and International auction houses were also accessed through the use of internet. The dates I have proposed for the paintings are approximate and should be considered as suggestions. In attempting to give a date to a painting I have taken into consideration topographical details such as buildings and fortifications as well as ship types. This has not always been a straightforward task as occasionally one encounters anomalies and liberal use of artistic license which makes dating more problematic. The fact that these paintings were reproduced vigorously in the seventeenth century and beyond also poses a problem for dating since a particular painting, though produced later, may show anachronistic features. Paintings may also include topographical features that had been planned but never actually brought to fruition. The fact that a painting, unlike a photograph, does not usually reproduce the smaller features very faithfully is a further hazard for dating purposes.