The Crucifixion, a painting by Prof. Giuseppi Briffa which spent the past 30 years slowly deteriorating in humid storage, will finally grace the church for which it was originally painted and restored to its original glory.
The painting was installed into the purposely built niche for the first time, an event marked by a Mass held recently at the parish church of St Mary in Birkirkara.
The painting had never been stretched: it had been rolled up after completion following the death of the artist and was only retrieved from storage and suspended by two horizontal wooden beams some seven years ago. Over the years, the paint had flaked due to water infiltration, and as a consequence the canvas had become extremely weak.
“Bank of Valletta is delighted to have participated in the restoration of this masterpiece,” said Vanessa Macdonald, head of Media and Community Relations at Bank of Valletta. “It is gratifying that this beautiful piece of art will finally be displayed for the public to enjoy, and we hope visitors will now be able to admire this work of art.”
Restoration works, which were entrusted to Prevarti Co. Ltd, comprised consolidation of fragile paint, superficial cleaning, relining of painting and restretching of canvas over a new expandable frame.
At the end, a reversible matte varnish layer was applied to saturate the paint used and to protect it from surface dust and dirt, as well as from harmful UV light.
“I feel privileged to have been involved in concluding the artist’s intention by installing the painting in its rightful place,” said founder and senior conservator Pierre Bugeja.
This initiative forms part of the bank’s global arts programme, which aims to promote the critical role art plays in enhancing cultural awareness and understanding.