An annotated catalogue of the paintings found in the Capuchin museum Floriana

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to catalogue the paintings found in the Capuchin Museum, which is situated in the Capuchin Convent, Floriana. It has been divided into various sections, the last of which deals with creating an annotated catalogue of the paintings. Firstly, the introduction aims at familiarising one with the Capuchins and their formation into a religious Order. It also goes into some detail about their coming to the Maltese Islands. It is here that the first evidence of the Capuchins are highlighted and discussed, showing the way in which the first friars won the love of the Maltese population and the Grand Masters at the tune. The end of this introduction discuses the way in which Grand Master Hughes Loubenx de Verdalle introduced the Capuchin Order to the Maltese Islands, and built for them, their first Church and Convent, in Floriana. It is this conclusion to the introduction which bridges the work into Chapter 1. It is the first chapter which further attempts to go into the formation of the three main Capuchin Convents of Floriana, Kalkara and the one in Gozo. This is done with the sole purpose of noting and understanding further the paintings in the Floriana Capuchin Museum, which in turn were gathered largely from these three main sources.

The second Chapter which follows, is a subject which is more closed in its nature. It focuses in a more direct manner on the formation of the Capuchin Museum and moves on into a somewhat brief synopsis of the objects in the museum, which does not just focus on the paintings yet in tum gives a more global discussion of its exhibits. After this historical spectrum has been discussed, the dissertation takes a somewhat different shape as focus is made upon the various paintings which are displayed in the Museum. A close up of forty-five paintings, placed chronologically in order, according to their date, starting from the 16th and ending in the 20th Century, has been selected for discussion. The aim of this catalogue is to place the works in their art historical context viewing them in the perspective of the artistic scene in Malta.