Byzantinesque icons in Maltese collections

Abstract

The primary aim is to contribute to the academic study on Byzantinesque Icons which are found in Malta. This dissertation therefore is based on the already published literary texts and new information which might help in the further research on the history of Icon painting and their inclusion in the history of Malta. The scope of the study is to catalogue and give a detailed reference to the icons found in Malta, therefore different texts were consulted, not withstanding their published date and obscured material. Different publications refer mainly to the same icons; but the ones published by Mario Buhagiar and Emmanuel Fiorentino indicate that these authors went a step ahead and opened up the way for the obscured and forgotten works found in Malta. Since the art of icons covers a wide range of periods, techniques and understanding, it was difficult to leave out a number of important factors, so much so that the word limit was exceeded. To understand the production, technique and history of the icons, part of the Bibliography includes a brief section on General History: some of these are not found in the footnotes, due to the fact that I was restricted to the Maltese periods. These books chosen are primarily concerned with Byzantium and Russia:- their History, Society and Art production. Even though it was deemed to be concerned with the existent works in Malta, it was possible also to include other works which were either destroyed during the war or misplaced. As I didn't come across any visual material, these icons are not found with the plates and their list. It was also difficult to see all the icons which are scattered in Maltese private collections; so it was impossible to study the large number of icons which were brought from Corfu. A note on the catalogue is important to be done here; due to the fact that some works are displayed within reach, it was impossible to give their exact measurements, (sometimes these are in approximate). Measurements given are all without the frame. Each chapter is divided mainly in two; a brief history of the Maltese islands in sub sections and a number of icons which correspond to the periods described in the chapter.