Lazzaro Pisani commemoration

The celebrated Maltese artist Lazzaro Pisani (1854-1932) is being commemorated in his home town, Zebbug, with a lecture at the 12th May Band Club on Saturday at 7.30 p.m.

The lecture will be delivered by Lino Borg, BA, MA, an art lecturer at a local secondary school and at the University of Malta. Mr Borg is also a close collaborator of the artist's daughter, Maria R. Pisani, who is currently conducting extensive research on her father's career.

The lecture will be followed by a short recital by soprano Joan Mangion, who will sing two of Pisani's favourite arias from Puccini's La Boheme.

An exhibition including original bozzetti for Nadur basilica and St Philip's parish church, Zebbug, will be held before and after the lecture.

Lazzaro Pisani was educated at Zebbug primary school and the Valletta Lyceum, where he always distinguished himself in the art lessons under the tutorship of Dr Michele Bellanti (1807-1883). He studied under Carlo Ignazio Cortis for two years. Cortis encouraged his pupil to continue his studies in Rome.

At 16, Pisani was admitted to the distinguished Accademia di San Luca in Rome and also attended evening classes at the British Academy of Art.

Besides being an able artist, Pisani was also involved in teaching, both privately and within public institutions. They included Abram Gatt, Emmanuele Buhagiar and Toussaint Busuttil. Pisani also introduced in the artistic field his younger cousins Antonio and Francesco Saverio Sciortino. These in turn established themselves as sculptors in Rome and Canada, respectively, and gained an international reputation.

The Death of Abel earned Pisani a silver medal at the Colonial Exhibition in London in 1885.

Out of his vast oeuvre, one should single out the works he carried out for Nadur Basilica, where Pisani embarked on his magnum opus at the age of 56 and continued for the following 12 years (1915-27) to complete a total of 153 paintings. This work, covering some 390 square meters of canvas, now adorns this magnificent church, which was remodelled according to Francesco Sciortino's architectural designs.

At Zebbug parish church one can find a selection of Pisani's best works. These include the segments of the main dome featuring the Eight Beatitudes and four Fathers of the Church, which are depicted in its pendentives, as well as four altarpieces.