Ghosts from the Renaissance

Obsessed with the grandeur of the Renaissance, Franco Navarro buried his head in books on the history of art to study the old painting methods.

Shifting from his contemporary style, Mr Navarro produced a collection of five-foot high paintings that hark back to the days of the Renaissance greats from Signorelli to Leonardo Da Vinci.

The 29-year-old artist insists that going back to the roots was not an outdated mode and there was a contemporary movement which was shifting towards ancient methods.

Titled Etcetera, Perchè La Minesstra Si Fredda..., the exhibition of 11 paintings and 10 sketches opens on Friday at Heritage Malta, Merchants Street, Valletta.

The title is a quote uttered by Da Vinci in old Italian. The aged genius was at his desk, probably working on theorems in his notebook when his gurgling stomach got the better of him and he cut short his profound thinking.

Art critic Christian Attard, who reviews Mr Navarro's work, says that by standing on the shoulders of such art giants, the public can get a better understanding of knowledge gained and a glimpse of the way forward.

"What may be understandably seen as brazen overconfidence or perhaps naïve ambition is survived by the artist with a degree of wit and humour," he said.

Mr Navarro's protagonists are like ghosts grudgingly visiting the 21st century.

This is the third exhibition the artist has set up. The first art tuition he received was at the Palazzo De La Salle in Valletta in 1990 and later spent six years at the Government School of Art, where he studied fine art and the history of art.

He graduated in history of art from the University of Malta. He teaches at the Art Academy Art Shop in Mosta.

Mr Navarro cannot imagine living without his art and he often spends endless hours alone with his canvas and oils. The exhibition is open until November 4 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mondays to Fridays.