Heritage Malta is today live-streaming an art masterclass by Frederica Agius on Leonello Spada’s fresco cycle at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta.

It was in early 1610 that the Bolognese artist travelled to Malta to paint the fresco cycle of the early history of the Order of the Knights of St John in three adjoining rooms of the Grand Master’s Palace.

This lecture will examine the logistics for this high-profile commission which stemmed from Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt shortly after Caravaggio’s dramatic escape from the island.

The fresco’s narrative has a complicated intellectual, didactic and propagandistic nature that corresponds to the carefully edited story that the Knights wanted to present about their troubled history.

This will be at the forefront of this discussion, while an analysis of the format, iconography and sources that contribute to the intricate scheme will also feature prominently.  

This lecture is being organised by MUŻA – the National Community Art Museum –  in collaboration with the Department of Art and Art History from the University of Malta.

‘Picturing History: Leonello Spada’s Fresco Cycle at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta’ will be live-streamed on Heritage Malta’s Facebook page at 6pm.