Art and History

For today's African woman, Cleopatra represents the phenomenal woman who stood out and wrote her name in the golden sands of time, at a time when women like her had no voice; a much needed example to challenge today's African women to take their place in society.

The notary Francesco Catania (1872-1960) was a central figure to the Wignacourt Museum and the Basilica of St. Paul in Rabat.

Realising that in a few months’ time the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s death will certainly be marked, I mused on how important some islands have been to this man.

I think it is better to refer to this lady by her family name. This is because she had so many titles they would fill a whole page. She was the only female sovereign that Austria ever had.

In Attard, opposite St. Catherine’s Residential Home, there is a monument commemorating Pope John Paul II’s visit to Malta in 1990. This is the work of Maltese sculptor Joseph Casha. It consists of a bronze bust of the pope, a remarkable likeness, placed in a large stone abstract form.

In the coming months, I shall be discussing a selection of works done by a number of Maltese artists who have, through their art, made an impact in the twentieth century. Malta has a good number of these.

Giuseppe Calì is a Maltese artist, born in Valletta on the 14th August 1846, and is originally of Neapolitan descent. Calì was one of the most prolific artists on the island during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, as he executed his works with a precision that was admirable for the haste with which he worked.

This exclusive preview of "Saint Sebastian" by Mattia Preti is the first in a series in which we will present and discuss significant Baroque paintings of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with particular reference to the Italian and Maltese context.

Born in Malta on 14th August 1846, Giuseppe Calì was the son of the Neapolitan Raffaele and Giovanna née Padiglione. He was baptised at the Dominican Parish Church of Porto Salvo in Valletta, where as a young boy he resided with his parents and his other six siblings.