The Medieval and Renaissance Imprint

edited by Charlene Vella

published in paperback by Midsea Books, 2024

This volume of essays published by Midsea Books, edited by Charlene Vella, arises from two conferences held at the University of Malta. The essays explore the dynamics of artistic exchange across the Mediterranean during the Late Medieval and Renaissance periods, highlighting the region as a vibrant crossroads of cultural interaction.

The book's cover

In the first section, titled The Medieval Imprint, the studies range from iconography to pilgrimage and cross-cultural interactions. Mario Buhagiar’s exploration of the Marian iconography surrounding the revered Our Lady of Mellieħa details how the icon has served as a symbol of protection and intercession for centuries. The icon’s history is also meticulously traced.

Kayoko Ichikawa investigates the evolution of the Coronation of the Virgin iconography. Initially conceived to reconcile the English and French royal families, the iconography evolved into a broader symbol of Mary’s role as a divine mediator and which had an impact on both political and spiritual realms, focusing on Guido da Siena’s 1267 depiction.

Tullio and Antonio Lombardo, marble tabernacle for the relic of the Holy Blood, sacristy, Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, c. 1500.

Michele Bacci analyses of the Hospitallers’ efforts to recreate elements of Jerusalem in Rhodes by replicating sacred sites like the Holy Sepulchre and the Via Dolorosa, enabling pilgrims to experience the sacred geography of Christ’s Passion. Bacci contrasts these practices with those in Malta and posits that the presence of monumental crosses in early Hospitaller settlements, such as the one in Cospicua, may indicate continuity in the tradition of Jerusalem in Malta.

Focusing on Scicli’s medieval harbour of Marsa Sciklah, Keith Buhagiar highlights its role in connecting Sicily and Malta, a relationship that facilitated the transfer of agricultural techniques, such as giardino cultivation, and architectural practices evident in Malta’s cave churches and rock-hewn settlements.

L’Isle Adam Graduals, Volume 5, folio 10 recto, St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta.

Paola Vitolo’s examination of 14th-century Sicilian sculpture delves into the artistic and socio-political factors shaping the creation and circulation of monumental works along Sicily’s east coast. Vitolo draws attention to the challenges of reconstructing fragmented sculptural pieces and their architectural settings. She proposes a multidimensional approach that integrates artistic quality assessment, typological reconstructions and the tracing of artist networks.

Fragment of Artale Alagona’s sepulchre, Museo Civico of Castello Ursino, Catania (from the church of the Carthusian monastery of Nuovaluce near Catania).

The second section, The Renaissance Imprint, shifts focus to the artistic developments of the Renaissance period, beginning with Donal Cooper’s study of Venice’s Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.

Through diverse topics and meticulous research, the essays offer fresh perspectives on Mediterranean’s role in shaping artistic and cultural narratives

Cooper examines a series of significant artistic commissions orchestrated by the Friars from the mid-15th to early 16th centuries. Central to Cooper’s analysis is the Holy Blood relic encased in an ornate silver tabernaculum and celebrated in Lent processions inspired by Constantinople’s Easter traditions.

Triptych of the Madonna del Soccorso after restoration.

In her study of the Madonna del Soccorso triptych at the Mdina Cathedral Museum, Charlene Vella strengthens the attribution of the triptych to Antonio de Saliba who had trained in Venice and, as a result, brought Venetian Renaissance elements into his work. Vella argues that the triptych reflects both this Venetian influence and Sicilian-Maltese devotional themes, particularly the Madonna’s role as protector. Alessandra Migliorato sheds new light on two remarkable 16th-century works originally housed in the ancient temple of San Domenico in Messina that was damaged in a devastating fire in 1848.

Joan de Joanes, Last Supper, c. 1563, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid.

Through meticulous research, Migliorato uncovers fresh insights into the provenance and significance of Polidoro Caldara da Caravaggio’s Immacolata.

Borja Franco Llopis and Miquel Àngel Herrero-Cortell analyse Joan de Joanes’s Altarpiece of San Esteban that reconciles Italian techniques with Valencian traditions. The study effectively underscores the interaction between artistic exchange and socio-religious factors, establishing the altarpiece as a cultural and artistic touchstone of Spanish Renaissance art.

Martina Caruana’s paper examines handcrafted illuminated choral manuscripts as significant items of Catholic liturgical paraphernalia. Caruana outlines their liturgical functions and explores the technological advancements in commercial bookmaking that shaped their production. The paper also provides a rich analysis of stylistic features.

Santa Maria in Trastevere apse mosaic in Colombo.

Anthi Andronikou focuses on understudied 16th-century frescoes in the church of St Nicholas in Klonari, painted during the Venetian occupation of Cyprus. Analysing their style and iconography, Andronikou situates the frescoes within a plural Cypriot context. Distinctive features of the Klonari workshop include stocky figures with pointed noses and dynamic gazes, alongside more classical portraits reminiscent of the Italo-Byzantine tradition.

Georgios Markou also explores Venetian Cyprus, analysing depictions of the Massacre of the Innocents in two churches, in Askas and Pareklissia. Markou demonstrates how their iconography departs from traditional depictions of the Massacre to evoke pathos.

View of the decoration, church of Holy Forerunner, Askas.

In Askas, the artist includes multiple soldiers instead of a single soldier pursuing Elizabeth, while in Pareklissia, the artist intriguingly omits the actual murder of a child. Markou concludes that the pathos conveyed marks a significant development in Cypriot art.

Through diverse topics and meticulous research, the essays thus offer fresh perspectives on the Mediterranean’s role in shaping artistic and cultural narratives. Good-quality images provide valuable context to further engage the reader.

This volume thus succeeds in illuminating the Mediterranean as a vibrant nexus of artistic exchange, making it an invaluable resource for both art historians and scholars of cultural exchange.