It has been just a few weeks since the Salesian Theatre in Sliema reopened its doors after four years during which a lot of attention was given to restore the theatre’s original beauty and, at the same time, modernise and equip it to serve Malta’s cultural scene.

Built between 1907 and 1908 on land donated by the philanthropist Alfons Maria Galea, it became known as Juventutis Domus, literally ‘a house for young people’ that would nurture in them the love and talent for the arts.

PrevArti was part of this noble regeneration project in the conservation and restoration of the historic proscenium painted by the renowned artist Giuseppe Calì. The Maltese artist produced an oil-on-stone lunette painting called the Virtues of Mankind in 1910, while Calì’s close collaborator, Giuseppe Cardona, decorated it with relief gesso decorations.

The Virtues of Mankind oil on stone lunette painting by Giuseppe Calí with relief gesso decorations by Giuseppe Cardona.

The semicircular composition of the painted lunette has a central allegorical figure of Religion stretching out her arms in a gesture combining blessing and protection. On the left side, the figure of Truth is found seated, summarising the tension resulting from the threat of doubt and error.

The lunette has a central allegorical figure of Religion stretching out her arms in a gesture combining blessing and protection

On the right, Justice kneels while holding the symbols of the lily and the scales. On the extreme left, Loving Care is represented by means of a young semi-clothed boy helping a frail man, illustrative of the dawn and dusk of life for which humanity cultivates the faithfulness of affection.

The youth and the elderly man in a gesture of affection, before (left) and after restoration.

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The stucco decorations, which are a prime example of the stenographical expression, include a soaring eagle which draws the curtain away with its talons, revealing the painted lunette. On the other side, a set of musical emblems together with a theatrical mask are also represented. The palm on the top centre of the proscenium corresponds to the sublime aspirations of martyrdom and witnessing in the Christian faith, which was the original inspiration behind this theatre.

The conservation of the artworks was split into two main phases: a conservation that addressed the lunette painting and one that addressed the sculptural reliefs.

The conservation of the painted lunette started by initially cleaning the surface superficially from accumulated dust and dirt. A soft bristled brush was used along with a sponge of mild abrasiveness.

Detail of the face of Justice being cleaned by a scalpel.

After this initial stage of cleaning, areas of detaching and powdering paint were consolidated via an injection of consolidating material. This effectively reattached the pictorial layer to the underlying preparatory layers and masonry support to prevent it from being lost.

Members of our team at work.

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There were several areas that had been retouched in the past where colour had faded or where it had been completely lost. Repainting of the surrounding entablature and other architectural details extended in some areas onto the edges of the painting. The overpaints were carefully removed by means of a scalpel, a procedure that uncovered areas of original green paint and a painted book that was partially hidden. After these conservation efforts, areas that suffered from losses were infilled using restoration gesso to bring them to the same level as the rest of the paint layer. These were eventually retouched to aesthetically reintegrate the losses with the rest of the decorative scheme without being of visual interference.

Stucco decorations of musical instruments before (left) and after conservation and restoration.

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The surrounding architectural elements were also restored to their original colour. While, at the surface, a pink colour could be seen, our tests revealed that a lighter yellow colour was hidden underneath which showed that the original colour was the latter. Once the yellow colour was revealed, all the painted areas that were lost were reintegrated with new paint that matched the original light-yellow colour.

The restoration of the sculptural reliefs similarly started by the cleaning of accumulated dust and dirt from their surfaces using a brush. Areas that had become detached were consolidated by injecting consolidant directly within the most problematic areas. The losses in the sculptural reliefs were reconstructed in such a way that the stucco used followed the contours of the existing structures to complete them.

The stuccoed eagle decoration receiving consolidation.

Detail of stucco decoration of the eagle unveiling the wall painting by Giuseppe Calí.

Once applied and set, these were then contoured further and given a texture resembling that of the surrounding sculptural decoration to minimise on their visual difference. Finally, these reconstructions were chromatically matched to their surrounding elements.

The theatre also hosts two busts representing two figures that are intricately tied to the theatre’s founder Alfons Maria Galea. His parents, Peter Paul Galea and Maria Carmela Galea, are represented in these busts, which were initially found to be painted black and adorned with stucco decorations. After carrying out cleaning tests, it was found that the paint was unoriginal. The removal of this dark paint, which must have been applied in a past intervention, revealed a bronze effect that was the original polychromy of these two busts.

Bust of Peter Paul Galea before (left) and after restoration.

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PrevArti is proud to have contributed to this conservation and restoration project for many reasons. First of all, it was an opportunity to work on an artwork by the hands of Giuseppe Calì, one of the greats among Maltese artists.

Secondly, this project of conservation and restoration was done in a place that is resonant with our values, especially the cultivation and care for the arts, in the belief that a place like the Salesian Theatre will continue to be a hub where values are passed on through the visual and performative arts, where citizens find the deeper meaning to life through the symbols, the beauty and the social element that art is able to transmit and generate.

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the generous sponsorship from Bank of Valletta as part of its continuous support for the country’s artistic and cultural scene. PrevArti is also grateful to the Salesian Theatre for having been entrusted with such an important project that brings out the best that humanity is capable of through the arts.

Pierre Bugeja is a warranted conservator and restorer of paintings and polychrome sculptures, and the director of PrevArti Co. Ltd.