An artistic masterpiece by Maltese baroque artist Francesco Zahra (1710-1773) was brought back to its former glory thanks to a meticulous process of preservation and restoration. 

The restored painting, The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, was unveiled on April 29, in time for the annual May celebrations commemorating the 279th birthday of the city of Qormi as Città Pinto. 

The painting of The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple by Francesco Zahra before and after conservation and restoration.

On June 23, 2021, Rev. Mario Mangion, archpriest of St George parish church; George Sciberras, rector of the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament within the said parish; and Joseph Bugeja, who was overseeing the application process announced this long-overlooked Zahra painting had been approved for restoration. 

The monumental painting hangs in the right-hand transept above the altar of St George’s parish, which commemorates the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (also known as Candlemas or il-Festa tal-Gandlora). 

The painting was documented photographically in normal, raking and UV light before carrying out the restoration works.

In May 1743, Grand Master Pinto de Fonseca officially recognised Casal Curmi (also known as Casal Fornaro) as a city and Pinto’s shield with five upturned red crescents crowned by a fortified castello was adopted on its coat of arms. However, the Qormi parish dedicated to St George is far older. It is one of the oldest surviving Maltese parishes, so much so that it was listed in the inventory Quiterniolus Pro Concordia Taxarum, compiled by Bishop Senatore De Mello de Noto in 1436.

Hilary Spiteri, art historian and educator

Through the ages, Qormi grew into a melting pot, where various social and religious activities were held by the faithful who used to gather from the hamlets and villages nearby. Most probably, an official parish establishment had already existed in Casal Curmi before 1436.

The year, 1584 marked a new beginning for Qormi’s social identity and ecclesiastical history.  A new parish church was built, towering above the local townhouses and overlooking the surrounding rural areas. Qormi was the first Maltese town to pioneer the building of a new parish church in line with the architectural renewal and refined artistic taste introduced by the Jerosmolitan Order of St John soon after the Great Siege of 1565. 

The original plans consisted of a central nave flanked by two aisles. By 1630, two transepts were built to amplify the church into a Latin cross plan. The façade was constructed in 1636 and a decorative sculptural scheme was added to it, of which the designs are attributed to the early 17th-century Maltese architect Tommaso Dingli (1591-1666). In 1684, the church was finally crowned by a majestic dome designed by renowned Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà (1639-1703).

The 1630s’ modifications took around two decades to complete. Following these, the interior of the church was lavishly decorated with baroque reredoses conforming to the 17th-century decorative style. Documentary research by historian Joseph Grima confirms that the Brotherhood of the Sacrament was entrusted with the upkeep of the right transept. The carving work on the stone altar prospect was in full swing by 1656. The embellishment was completed in a short time, certainly before 1662. 

“This work is the fruit of Zahra’s golden years”

This documentation also sheds light on the commissioning of the altar painting depicting The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Count Saverio Marchese (1757-1833) confirmed in his diaries that it is by Zahra and lauded it as “… una delle più belle opere del bravo pittore Maltese …” (“… one of the most beautiful works of the virtuoso Maltese painter...”)

Zahra was a scion of a distinguished Senglean family of stone carvers. His father was prolific stone carver Pietro Paolo Zahra (1685–1747). Francesco Zahra’s career as an artist spanned four decades and was a crescendo both in terms of artistic quality and volume of commissions. His manner matured in a baroque style that was strongly influenced by the chiaroscuro highly popular in Naples, a constant reminder of the everlasting influence exerted by Calabrian master painter Mattia Preti (1613-1699) on the islands.

By 1745, Zahra had surpassed his tutor Gio Nicola Buhagiar (1613-1752) and emerged as the most prolific Maltese painter, rivalled only by the French classical baroque artist Antoine Favray (1706-1798). The latter worked in Malta at that time, mainly fulfilling commissions by the Hospitaller Order of St John. By the mid-1750s, Zahra’s style had developed further. His ever-growing confidence in rendering multi-figured compositions in more refined and colourful settings drew him closer to the manner of Favray. 

It was conservator-restorer Pierre Bugeja, director of Prevarti Ltd who, together with his team, undertook the painstaking conservation process of The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

This included reversing most of the damage from previous post-war restoration interventions. 

The painting was documented photographically in normal, raking and UV light before carrying out the restoration works.

According to Bugeja, the work can be confirmed to be entirely by Zahra’s hand and produced during the 1760s. (The first three digits are easily read as ‘176’ whereas the final digit remains a dubious 1 or 7.) Among art historians and connoisseurs alike, the hand of the master painter was never in doubt. Yet, it was unanimously believed that the work was produced during the 1750s and not later. 

In light of this discovery, as confirmed by fellow art historian Sandro Debono, this work is the fruit of Zahra’s golden years when he was enjoying a fertile artistic relationship with Favray, which possibly involved collaborating on some works.

Debono praises Zahra’s genius and artistic dexterity in composing a work which shares an affinity with the dignified French baroque manner imported by Favray and is highly comparable to Zahra’s magnum opus produced for St Philip’s parish church in Żebbuġ (The Ordination of St Philip of Agira, 1753, and the Death of St Philip of Agira, 1753) and the decorative scheme for the Chapter Hall of the Cathedral Church in Mdina (Apotheosis of St Paul, 1755-1756).

In conclusion, may I reiterate the sincere pleasure and gratitude with which the artistic community and the public welcome this initiative and the hard work involved in undertaking this mammoth task. Hats off to those who contributed to making this project a true celebration of local and national identity.

The project was co-financed by the European Union under the LEADER+ Programme with the help of the South East LAG Foundation.

From left: Neville Mangion, secretary of the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament, Joseph Bugeja, George Sciberras, rector of the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament, and Pierre Bugeja, director of Prevarti Ltd, in front of the restored painting.