A Mattia Preti painting that has never before been exhibited outside Spain will be on display at the President’s Palace, Valletta, between next week and July.

Manuel Arrias, a Spanish member of the Knights of Malta, had left the island in the late 17th century to serve as Archbishop of Seville, Spain. In his luggage was a collection of artwork, including by Mattia Preti.

Following his death, the paintings became property of the diocese of Seville. One painting from his estate, depicting the beheaded corpse of St John the Baptist (above) still hangs at the Archbishop’s Palace in Seville.

It is rarely seen by scholars, let alone the public, and has never been exhibited outside Spain.

Preti’s preparatory drawing (inset) was acquired for the Museums Department by the first curator of fine arts, Vincenzo Bonello, in the early 1930s. The drawing was executed by on the back of another drawing featuring a preliminary study for one of the figures painted on the vault of St John’s co-Cathedral.

Both the painting and its preparatory drawing will be on display at the international exhibition Mattia Preti - Faith and Humanity that opens on Saturday and runs until July 7.