One of Malta's most important early renaissance paintings is being restored and conserved through a sponsorship by Banif Bank.
The oils on board painting of the Enthroned Virgin and Child on the altar of the Virgin of the Rosary in the St Catherine Parish Church of Żejtun, was identified by The Research Programme for the Study of Medieval and Early Renaissance Art in the Department of History of Art (Faculty of Arts, University of Malta), directed by Professor Mario Buhagiar.
It is one of the finest early renaissance paintings in Maltese collections. It carries the signature of Pedro -Nuñez de Villavicencio (1640-c. 1695) and the date 1672 on the Virgin's throne, and has for long been thought to be a copy of a much venerated, prestigious, lost, Renaissance painting.
One other copy is executed in oils on canvas and is situated at Verdala Palace, Buskett.
Bank CEO Joaquim F. Silva Pinto said that ever since Banif opened its doors to the public, it made significant contributions in line with its corporate social responsibility strategy. He pledged that the bank would continue contributing towards the improvement of the social well being in proportion to its business growth.
The conservation and restoration of the panel will be done by ReCoop. Culture Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco, Pro-rector Alfred Vella, History of Art head of department Mario Buhagiar and assistant lecturer Charlene Vella were present for a press conference announcing the restoration.
The Enthroned Virgin and Child
The oils on board painting of the Enthroned Virgin and Child on the altar of the Virgin of the Rosary in the St Catherine Parish Church of Żejtun, is one of the finest Early Renaissance paintings in Maltese Collections.
It carries the signature of Pedro Nuñez de Villavicencio (1640-c. 1695) and the date 1672 on the Virgin's throne, and has for long been thought to be a copy of a much venerated, prestigious, lost, Renaissance painting. One other copy is executed in oils on canvas and is situated at Verdala Palace, Buskett.
The artist of the Żejtun painting had an intimate knowledge of Antonello da Messina (c. 1430-1479), and the painting is possibly by his nephew Antonio de Saliba (1466/7-c. 1535).
De Saliba was extremely prolific and ran a busy bottega. De Saliba was the son of Antonello's sister and of a Maltese father.
Villavicencio was a distinguished Baroque artist from Seville, and a Knight of St John who while in Malta was greatly influenced by Mattia Preti whom he copied on several occasions. In the inscription on the Żejtun painting, he describes himself as Capitano Fra.
It was uncharacteristic of what is known about Villavicencio to copy faithfully in oils on panel an Early Renaissance work. Ongoing research has shown that the painting is much older than 1672, and that Villavicencio's intervention was carried out for restoration purposes.
This concealed many interesting features that will be revealed with this much-needed restoration interference, and will solve the mystery of the Villvicencio signature and the 1672 date.
The painting can in fact be traced back to the sixteenth century and that it was the central panel of a triptych in the Old Parish Church of Żejtun (San Girgor). It remained in the Old Parish Church until 1709 when it was transferred to the new Parish Church of St Catherine and placed on the rosary altar, where it still has cultic relevance.
Diagnostic tests on pigment samples carried out on private sponsorship by the Research Programme for the study of Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Art (Department of History of Art, University of Malta) by scientists attached to the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence, and infrared and ultraviolet photographs undertaken at the Recoop Conservation Laboratories, Malta, confirm that Villavicencio intervened heavily on the painting and repainted extensive sections.
The inscription on the panel therefore commemorates its restoration not its execution. This was noted in 1693 in the Pastoral Visitation Report of Bishop Davide Cocco-Palmieri.
The conservation and restoration exercise is being undertaken thanks to the generous sponsorship of Banif Bank. This will give back to the painting its original qualities and make it possible to attribute it in a meaningful context.