Sixth-former’s praiseworthy initiative

I would like to congratulate Timothy Scicluna, a sixth-form student from St Aloysius’ College, for the brilliant idea of producing a 2011 calendar featuring the iconography of the Annunciation. This idea stemmed from the project he had to work on as part of his course work in Systems of Knowledge.

The calendar features 18 paintings of the Annunciation, ranging from works by unknown artists to masterpieces by Stefano Erardi, Antoine Favray and Emvin Cremona. The titular paintings of Balzan and Tarxien, the works of Giuseppe Calleja and Pietro Gagliardi respectively, are also included.

Furthermore, the calendar is rich in information about the various churches and chapels that house these works of art.

This is a very praiseworthy initiative which should have the support and encouragement of people who have at heart the promotion of our national heritage. The residents of Balzan and Tarxien especially should make it a point to obtain a copy of this calendar from their parish offices, thereby contributing to their respective parish funds.

May I also encourage lecturers and tutors in post-secondary institutions to take note of this initiative and encourage students in their care to consider similar projects which help in the promotion of historial art appreciation.