Painter, Lithographer

Raffaele was the son of the Maltese painter Pietro Paolo Caruana* and Ursola D’Andrè who was born in Rome, when his father was studying. At baptism, painter Tommaso Minardi stood as his godfather.

He studied art from his father and later under Tommaso Minardi in Rome at the Accademia di San Luca and was awarded first prize.

Between 1838 and 1840 Raffaele together with his father Pietro Paolo published in three volumes a monumental litographic work on the monuments and tombstones in the Co-Catheral of St John in Valletta.

In 1843 Raffaele Caruana ventured into publishing and produced a set of prints from his own invention inspired by Bible stories and poetry. In 1850 he painted the Adoration of the Magi and the Dispute Among the Doctors at the parish church of St Dominic in Valletta.

In 1852 he was appointed art teacher at the Lyceum but was later dismissed. In 1865 he submitted a report on the internal condition of the Palace with  a list of 200 paintings existing therein and in 1869 he was engaged in the restoration of some pictures at the Palace, Valletta.

Other paintings of his are to be found in at the parish churches of Qormi, Jesuit church, Valletta, St Dominic, Vittoriosa, Lapsi church St Julians, and the National Museum, Valletta.

Raffaele married Giustina Nani.

Faced with the impossibility of earning a leaving, he sought employment as a draughtsman in the Public Works Department.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.