Cremona paintings being restored

The Bank of Valletta is forking out Lm10,000 to restore a set of 20 paintings by Emvin Cremona on which the mosaics that now adorn the Ta' Pinu Sanctuary, in Gozo, were subsequently modelled.

The bank's chief executive officer, Tonio Depasquale, said the BOV acknowledged that this was not only an important project for the Ta' Pinu Sanctuary but also for Gozo's cultural legacy and the country's artistic heritage.

Chev. Cremona was one of Malta's most respected artists and, as a pioneer of modern art, his artistic contribution to the embellishment of the Gozo sanctuary gained further significance, Mr Depasquale said.

The paintings were completed by Chev. Cremona between 1954 and 1962 and were hung in the sanctuary until they were sent to Italy for the mosaics to be produced.

They were subsequently stored in a closet in the chapel and subsequently forgotten. The exposure to humidity led to a severe deterioration in quality.

Earlier last year, the paintings were located by Fr Gerard Buhagiar, the sanctuary's curator, who immediately set a process in motion to have the priceless paintings restored to their former glory.

The restoration works have been entrusted to Gozitan restorer Godwin Cutajar, who has already started restorative procedures.

It is planned that once the restoration process is completed, the original Cremona paintings will be displayed in the sacristy of the sanctuary to be enjoyed by all the visitors to Ta' Pinu.

Chev. Cremona is one of the most prominent 20th century Maltese artists. One of his works can also be found at the United Nations headquarters in New York.