It is hard to tell how many paintings and portraits in the national collection have been dismounted from their original frames only to be fitted to others with which they share no common history.

Judging by recent evidence, historical anecdotes about misplaced or looted items are not hard to believe.

Historically, in many instances, the culprits were members of the invading French army in 1798 or were 19th-century British governors, officials and their wives in equal measure.

The French are known to have removed items from palaces and auberges to be sent to France while the British relocated pieces of art or tableware from one auberge to another.

In other cases, the reason for the disappearance of certain artefacts is less ‘criminal’. Materials deteriorate over time, especially when, in the past, they were subjected to outdated conservation methods below the standards of modern scientific techniques.

Invasions of wood-eating termites, for example, would cause wooden frames to slowly disintegrate, necessitating their replacement.

Historical disruptions and past administrative oversights aside, the matter is well known in professional circles but was recently raised by Richard Cachia Caruana, an eagle-eyed visitor.

He served as a personal assistant and head of secretariat for Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and adviser to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi until 2012. He was also Malta’s first permanent representative to the EU.

Cachia Caruana observed that the portrait of Grand Master Pinto at the Palace in Valletta hangs in a frame belonging to the portrait of Emperor Francis I (Francis Stephen).

Another portrait depicting Grand Master Ximenes “is found ‘squatting’ in a frame belonging to Emperor Charles VI”.

These are not isolated incidents; other paintings also hang in incorrect frames.

Sandro Debono, former senior curator at the Palace, confirmed the complexities that mark the history of the national collection.

Basing his arguments on his doctoral research, Debono confirmed that the issue is historic and dates back to the French and British periods.

“Historical looting and relocation of items contributed to the current confusion which can only be addressed by a veritable piece of detective work,” he said.

The issue is not whether Emperor Francis I would have anything to say about being misidentified as Grand Master Zondadari. Or whether Grand Master Pinto would complain about having his portrait mounted to a frame belonging to a portrait depicting the Holy Roman Emperor.

Cachia Caruana argues that misaligned frames and portraits, originally diplomatic gifts with significant historical importance, offer a skewed representation of Malta’s rich history.

“The art might not always have been the most original, but the political message [in their donation] was important. These works should not only be judged on their artistic merit but on their historical and political significance as well.”

He stressed the need to contextualise these artworks properly. “Heritage Malta now has the resources to re-examine every painting in their collection, including those previously deemed unimportant.”

'Problems inherited from former Department of Museums'

Emmanuel Magro Conti, a senior curator at Heritage Malta, acknowledged the issue and detailed ongoing efforts to rectify it.

Speaking to Times of Malta, Magro Conti explained that the national agency, responsible for conservation and cultural heritage since its establishment in 2002, inherited these problems from the former Department of Museums.

“We have been aware of these mismatches for quite some time now and we are thoroughly analysing what we have in our collection as we seek to construct their histories,” he said.

The correct identification of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis Stephen, in a portrait that was noted in past inventories to be that of Grand Master Pinto and eventually Zondadari, is a relatively recent development.

“These attributions were revoked, and research based on symbols, crowns, decorations and facial features within the portrait was carried out. Analysis of coats of arms, initials and/or symbols was also carried out in the quest for correctly attributing paintings with their frames.”

Magro Conti said Heritage Malta is aware of several other mismatches, including a pair of frames featuring portraits of Grand Masters de Rohan and Ximenes, the former sitting correctly while the latter mounted to a frame that should belong to a portrait of Carl Theodore of Bavaria.

All the shifting of these portraits occurred over a century ago during the British period.

“These frames have been identified because they bear intertwined letters such as EM, which stands for Emmanuel Maria de Rohan, or FS, which stands for Franz Stephan, the Holy Roman Emperor.

“We seem to have two Carl Theodore frames and one painting. The other frame with the Grand Master Ximenes portrait features the same coat of arms as those on the more elaborate Carl Theodore of Bavaria and even the intertwined capital letters CT, not CF for Charles Francis VI.”

Magro Conti emphasised the importance of making informed decisions based on solid research and meticulously painstaking work.

“Misaligned paintings and mismatched frames are only the tip of the iceberg. Scattered crockery and items from various dinner and tea services, flatware, cutlery and incomplete pieces of suite furniture, can only be re-united through a proper use of old inventories and laborious hands-on work.

“We appreciate receiving observations from the public. We will make the necessary corrections when the time is right and we have solid bases for these changes to take place,” he assured.