Paladini painting donated to museum
A late 16th century painting by Filippo Paladini has been donated to the National Museum of Fine Arts by historian and Judge Giovanni Bonello and his sister Anna Xuereb.
Heritage Malta, which runs the museum, said the Mystic Marriage of St Catherine of Alexandria was perhaps one of the few painted by the artist, who was born in 1544 and died in 1616.
It originally belonged to the Judge's father Vincenzo, who in 1923 founded the fine arts section within the museums' department, which later became the National Museum of Fine Arts.
Paladini is perhaps one of the most important mannerist artists to work on the islands during the late 16th century. He arrived as a galley rower but immediately attracted the Grand Master's attention, who commissioned large scale works from him, including the decorative scheme for the chapel at the Grand Master's Palace and Verdala Castle.
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Anthony Grech
Aug 21st 2009, 09:39
A great donation to the Maltese Nation by two Gentle and Noble Patriots.
J Galea
Aug 20th 2009, 11:31
What an honourable and generous act to give to the nation in this manner. This type of donation is what helped set up the Museum early on in its history but had since seemed to fall 'out of fashion' when it should never have done so. Children under 14 should be allowed free access to the museums in Malta so they have direct access to such works; this is one of the purposes of giving to the nation in this manner. It is also high time we had a state museum for modern art both for accomplished local artists as well as some foreign pieces. Works that currently hang in the government offices and banks as well as private salons could be donated under name (what better form of sponsorship and advertising?) to set up an initial collection and new commissions from today's budding artists made to replace the works held in camera, thus boosting the art scene for the future.
Mario Tabone-Vassallo
Aug 20th 2009, 10:55
Grazzi EC Bonello u sra Xuereb, grazzi mill-qalb u mhux ta' dan biss. Grazzi wkoll lil missierkom patrijott genwin u lil ommkom li sawritkom.