In thanksgiving for their victory over the Turks in the Great Siege of Malta of 1565, Grand Master Jean de Valette and the Order of St John decreed that the first building of Valletta should be a church – Our Lady of Victory church. De Valette personally funded the construction of the church, which was completed in 1567 and dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin. It is believed that the titular Mannerist painting on wood depicting the birth of the Blessed Virgin is the original painting which stood above the altar of the 1567 church.

The painting of the Nativity of Our Lady, prior to conservation treatments.

The painting of the Nativity of Our Lady, after conservation and restoration treatments.

Iconography

The paining depicts St Anne, the mother of the Virgin, seated in bed. She is being offered food by a servant. St Joachim, Mary’s father, prays, while observing the midwives tending to the infant’s needs.

When consulted about the painting’s iconography, art historian Martina Caruana notes that “the panel follows the typical domestic interior post-partum nativity scene that was used especially in Late Medieval through Renaissance times, largely until the Reformation, to represent the birth of Mary. Interestingly, such iconography is also adopted for other nativity representations such as that of the equally miraculous birth of St John the Baptist”.

She adds that “in the case of representations of The Nativity of the Virgin, there is no official text such as the four gospels to act as a source of inspiration for the artist. Nonetheless, references can be found in the apocryphal gospel according to James, and in the Golden Legend, which highlight the humanity of the birth of Mary.”

Caruana indicates that “such humanity is evident in this panel whose intimate interior composition is essentially divided into two parts and planes. The resting St Anne dominates the left side of the background, while her husband St Joachim’s gaze, together with the warmth of the fireplace on the right, connect with the lower half of the painting. The foreground presents baby Mary who receives her first wash with the assistance of three caring young women. Through her central position and frontal stare, Mary draws the viewer to contemplate the scene”.

Through her central position and frontal stare, Mary draws the viewer to contemplate the scene- Art historian Martina Caruana

Of further interest is Caruana’s additional observation that “such scenes are often good documentary sources that inform us about contemporary fashion and interiors, the study of which is in this case facilitated by conservation-restoration which improves the readability of the work”.

Analysis and conservation

Conservation director Amy Sciberras during consolidation treatments to stabilise the painting.

Until recently, visitors were not able to see the original 16th-century paint layer but merely layers of overpaint and darkened varnish applied throughout the years. Many of its exquisite and fine details were completely coated by such interventions. The paint layer was also in a rather unstable condition, exhibiting localised paint liftings and losses.

Hence Din l-Art Ħelwa, under the direction of former executive president Simone Mizzi, and together with the support of PwC Malta and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, initiated the process of saving and bringing to light this important painting. Conservation works were entrusted to the author and her team – Amy Sciberras Conservators – Fine Arts Restoration.

Detail showing the state of the painting prior to treatments.

Cleaning of aged varnish layers and overpaint, hence uncovering more details from the original composition. All photos: Amy Sciberras Conservators – Fine Arts Restoration

The author started with preliminary investigations of the panel painting in 2021. Following this study, conservation works started in January of 2022 whereby the painting was fully stabilised through consolidation treatments of the various strata comprising this artefact.

Detail taken during consolidation treatments.

A specific consolidant was locally injected under and within unstable areas of the paint, ground and wooden support using a syringe. Magnifying equipment was utilised during this delicate procedure and localised heat was also applied by means of a heating spatula, hence ensuring re-adhesion and the complete stabilisation of the panting’s strata. These treatments were followed by cleaning of past retouchings, varnish and overpaint, revealing more delicate details of the original composition, such as the vase depicted at the very bottom in front of the Virgin’s tub, which was entirely hidden.

Various past infilled lacunae in the original paint and preparatory layers, which were concealed by aged and altered retouchings, were uncovered. In fact, it seems that past restorers had carried out such extensive overpaint due to the amount of losses and micro-losses that were present in the original; however, unfortunately, they also overlapped on the original.

Uncovered losses which were then integrated according to current conservation standards and procedures.

Following the removal of unprofessional past interventions, losses in the ground layers were infilled through the application of a compatible filler, which was levelled and chromatically integrated. Reversible varnish colours were carefully and locally applied to the numerous infilled losses and micro losses, hence reinstating full legibility to this exceptional 16th-century panel painting. The titular painting was also protected with a final protective coating aimed at keeping agents of deterioration at bay.

The conserved painting, following the removal of the scaffolding.

In this specific case, all interventions were carried out in situ, utilising a scaffolding system assembled by Agius Stone Works Ltd. This ensured that the panel painting was not subjected to a change in climatic conditions while undergoing conservation treatments which have stabilised the painting and brought back to life the original paint layer.

Acknowledgments

Amy Sciberras thanks all Din l-Art Ħelwa council members, staff and volunteers with whom she has worked closely over the years, in particular Simone Mizzi, Maria Grazia Cassar, Alex Torpiano, Luciano Mulè Stagno, Josie Ellul Mercer, George Camilleri, Patricia Salamone, Rosemarie Stagno Navarra, Stanley Farrugia Randon, Mario Sciberras, Ann Marie Navarro, Rosanne Zerafa, and all those who gave a helping hand, namely, ex-HSBC Bank (Malta) plc and PwC Malta volunteers, as well as colleagues from the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage for their ongoing collaboration. Special thanks also to art historian Martina Caruana for her insight. Last but not least, the author thanks the sponsors for the abovementioned project – PwC Malta, without whom such conservation work would not have been possible.

Amy Sciberras directs a team of conservators and has been entrusted with restoration projects of national and international importance. One may contact Amy Sciberras via the website www.amysciberras.com or e-mail info@amysciberras.com.