Priceless painting by Caravaggio's friend under restoration

A priceless painting of the Baptism of Christ by Mario Minniti is being conserved and restored to its former glory in a project between the Caravaggio Foundation, the Studio Art Centres International of Florence and the University of Malta.

The painting was attributed to Minniti, the most important of the Caravaggio artists, by art historian and lecturer Keith Sciberras some five years ago.

The Caravaggio Foundation made contact with the Studio Art Centres International of the University of Florence and set the ball rolling to have the painting restored. Minniti's signature was found when the large work, measuring three metres by two-and-a-half metres, was taken off the wall of the church of the monastery of the cloistered nuns in Valletta.

"You can imagine the satisfaction I got on learning that the artist's signature was found. It's not every day that one comes across works by such masters," Dr Sciberras said.

Minniti was an intimate friend of Caravaggio, having worked with him in Rome when they were young. He probably masterminded Caravaggio's stay in Syracuse when the latter fled from Malta after he escaped from the prison at Fort St Angelo in Vittoriosa, where he was being held after being involved in a brawl in which a knight was seriously injured.

"Minniti was one of the first artists to use the chiaroscuro style after Caravaggio, and also had an intimate connection with Malta. We do not have evidence he was here for long periods of time but it is evident he came to Malta on several occasions, probably to deliver the works he was commissioned to do.

"The painting in question is one of his most impressive works from his later period in which he started losing Caravaggio's grip and opening up to the use of colour," Dr Sciberras said.

The conservation and cleaning works are being done under the supervision of Roberta Lapucci, a professional painting conservator and wood restorer who is also a teacher of history and theory of restoration at the School of Specialisation in Art History, University of Florence, in collaboration with Fr Charles Vella, who provided all the professional materials being used in the restoration works.

Dr Lapucci said that as the painting was an oil on canvas, the main job was to regenerate the fibres of the canvas by applying coats of special glue, re-joining a seam in the canvas and reinforcing it and cleaning the painting.

Dr Sciberras said several people were instrumental for this project to take place: Jovan Mizzi, from the Caravaggio Foundation, was one of the main driving forces while Heritage Malta, the University of Malta, the Cloistered Nuns of St Ursola and Fr Vella all had important inputs in different ways.

Virtu Ferries also helped the restorers familiarise themselves with other works by Minniti by providing them with the opportunity to go to Messina to see other works by the artist there.

All the restorers working on the project are working free of charge.

"It's indeed an honour for me to be working with such top restorers and who reinforce the way I worked on other paintings. The materials I have been using are the best one can use," Fr Vella said.