The Deposition before restoration.

The church of Santa Maria di Gesù and convent of the Franciscan Friars in Rabat, Malta, was erected just outside the medieval walls of Mdina at the turn of the 15th century.

The Franciscans built their convent and church thanks to a private donation. Through the arduous research of the late Fr Ġorġ Aquilina, the history of the Franciscans in Malta has been analysed in great detail.

Although an altarpiece is not necessary for the liturgy, it is there to invoke contemplation. But there are other complex issues, such as iconography, subject, or patronage, that come into play.

The altarpiece for the Franciscan church was paid for by a private patron, Giovanni Frendo. The choice for the commission in 1510 fell on a polyptych by the Renaissance artist Antonio de Saliba (c.1466-c.1535), who lived and worked in Messina, and was the nephew of the deceased artist of great renown, Antonello da Messina (1430-1479).

The interventions on the three Renaissance panels mentioned, have allowed for the research programme to examine the type of wood used for the paintings

The Franciscans, therefore, directed their attention to an artist who was at his height of his career, and who had spent a good portion of his artistic training in Venice.

His Venetian experience was fundamental to the artist’s artistic and stylistic formation, which is reflected in paintings that survive in Sicily, Calabria, Malta and in museums worldwide.

The entire complex of the polyptych was completed in 1515, and probably consisted of between 11 and 17 painted panels. It has not come down to us in its entirety, however, two individual paintings survive in the Rabat church. These are Madonna and Child with Angels and The Deposition.

UV shot of Madonna and Child with Angels.

De Saliba’s polyptych survived as the main altarpiece of the church until 1785, after which, the polyptych was relegated to the sacristy, and dismembered at an unknown date. As a consequence, the elaborate and gilded Gothic type frame that probably adorned the panels was removed, and several of the panels dispersed.

The two surviving panels in question were central to the complex, located at the centre of two different tiers. The Franciscans are still very devout of the crucified Christ, which explains the choice of having The Deposition panel in this complex.

The Madonna and Child with Angels, moreover, reflects the same preoccupation with Christ’s death. It portrays symbolism linked to Christ’s suffering and eventual death, such as the presence of the goldfinch. Art historians can also reconstruct the polyptych through knowledge of de Saliba’s similar works.

These two 499-year-old paintings are currently being closely studied by the University of Malta’s research programme for the study of Late Medieval and Renaissance Art and Architecture, under the direction of Mario Buhagiar and myself.

Both paintings, thanks to the generous support of the University of Malta and Banif Bank Malta, have undergone diagnostic tests, and are currently being conserved and restored by ReCoop Laboratories. The delicate project also found the support of Atlas Insurance PCC Limited and Island Insurance Brokers.

This is the second collaboration between the University, ReCoop and Banif Bank working on Malta’s extant Renaissance paintings. In 2012, a panel painting in the parish church of Żejtun of the Madonna and Child Enthroned, attributed to de Saliba, was brought back to its original splendour.

The interventions on the three Renaissance panels mentioned, have allowed for the Research Programme to examine the type of wood used for the paintings, the artist’s painting methods, the pigments, and it has also helped to rediscover several original features executed by the artist and which were subsequently covered by over-paintings.

Additions to the paint layer have been freely applied especially to the Madonna and Child panel, which, with the cleaning of the several layers of paint, a different type of brushwork and details are emerging.

This is interesting because it provides parallels with the Żejtun Renaissance painting that has just been cleaned and restored, where the Knight Fra Villavicencio freely painted the entire painted surface.

When the cleaning is completed, however, a better understanding of the symbolism used and pigments will be possible. For instance, the nude Christ Child in the Madonna and Child panel originally wore a necklace with a coral pendant, which had been completely painted over.

The two paintings are distinctive for their stylistic traits, which allow art historians to study the style and development of the artist further, as well as adding to our existing knowledge of the history of Medieval and Renaissance art in Malta.

These paintings belonged to a significant commission for a church that was surely highly regarded. The Gothic cloister preserves an architecture that was commissioned by Grand Master of the Order of St John, Philippe Villiers de l’Isle Adam in the early 16th century.

The patronage of the Grand Master gives a good indication of the importance of this church and convent. In fact, L’Isle Adam even had a cell where he could rest, which was also where he passed away on August 21, 1534. Moreover, at his request, his heart was interred in a pilaster within the church.