Possible Calì painting uncovered at Verdala Castle

A hitherto unknown work which is probably by renowned Maltese painter Giuseppe Calì has been uncovered by a team of restorers from the Malta Centre for Restoration during a conservation project being carried out on wall paintings at Verdala Castle.

The centre said the wall paintings decorating the vault of the main hall had been totally whitewashed during British rule in the 1930s. Previous interventions, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, had consisted mostly in repainting, if not total replacement by painter-restorers.

President Guido de Marco had entrusted the centre to remove the whitewash and uncover the wall paintings, which may originally been done by the renowned Italian painter Filippo Paladini.

The eight-stage three-year restoration project was started in January this year and it was during the past two weeks that a date (1910) and what appears to be the signature of "Giuseppe Calì" were found on the painting of a tree trunk on the left-hand side of a figure of Bacchus.

Calì was the Maltese painter who dominated the local scene in the latter part of the 19th century and the first 30 years of the 20th century.

Art critic and historian Emmanuel Fiorentino, who co-authored the most comprehensive biography of Calì published to date (1991), was consulted by the Malta Centre for Restoration about the discovery.

Chev. Fiorentino not only expressed surprise at the discovery of this unknown work but, during a preliminary consultation, pointed out that the figure of Bacchus uncovered by MCR is stylistically much closer to Calì's works than that of either Paladini or even Salvatore Micallef, who is known to have restored the vault in 1854.

The MCR said that while much more research now remains to be carried out, Chev. Fiorentino's comments appear to further confirm the first attribution to Calì which was made on the spot at the moment of discovery by the team leader for the project, MCR's Maurizio Tagliapietra.

For the past three years, Mr Tagliapietra has also been responsible for the restoration of the mural paintings and sculpture at the Palladian Villa which is one of the seats of the renowned Italian Bank Monti dei Paschi di Siena, but co-incidentally had recently also been directing MCR's team of restorers responsible for the restoration of the wall paintings by Calì at St George's church, in Qormi.

The latter project, completed by MCR in April and inaugurated on May 6 gave a new lease of life to Calì's Triumph of St George which the artist had completed in 1905 and enabled MCR to take samples and study the technique and materials utilised by Calì.

The MCR said that further investigation and research is required to determine as to whether the underlying drawings are by Calì or by some other artist whose original work Calì over-painted.

The discovery of this hitherto unknown work apparently completed by Calì in 1910 will be one of the many subjects discussed during a seminar that was planned as being the next stage of the project.

MCR's restorers are being assisted by nine students in their second year of the B.Cons. (Hons) course offered by the University of Malta through MCR's Institute for Conservation and Restoration Studies.

The President and Mrs de Marco, accompanied by Minister of Youth and the Arts Jesmond Mugliett, yesterday visited the castle to see the restoration work.

While admiring the work being undertaken by the restorers, President de Marco expressed his satisfaction at the progress registered in such a delicate project and that such a beautiful work of art and part of Malta's cultural heritage was being restored to its original beauty.