Views from another century

An exhibition of 18 Gozo paintings by local and foreign artists dating from the late 18th century to the first half of the 20th is being held at the Cittadella in Victoria.

The oldest work is an engraving of the Ġgantija temples by French artist Jean Hoüel who visited Gozo in the 1770s.

The most recent is a set of two impressionistic oil sketches by Giuseppe Briffa, dating to the late 1930s.

The works form part of the national collection and will be exhibited until September 12.

The works are of special importance to Gozo, not only because of their historic value in recording landscapes that have undergone considerable changes due to modern development, but also because, collectively, they represent an important period in landscape painting that features Gozo as an almost newly-discovered destination favoured by landscape artists from the turn of the 19th century.

Views of Gozo (1800-1940) is open to the public Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.