Mattia Preti’s Self Image - a painting by the southern Italian artist acquired by Heritage Malta in May, is being exhibited at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta between tomorrow and November 30.

The painting is part of a larger work which was split into three in recent times.
It depicts Apelles, the famous Greek painter from classical antiquity, painting Campaspe, Alexander the Great’s lover. It is also a self-portrait, given that Apelles has Preti’s facial features.

This detail was noted by Preti’s biographer, Bernardo de Dominici, who makes direct reference to the painting.

Heritage Malta bought the painting for €75,000 through a sale by auction at the Artcurial Auction House in Paris.

It was subsequently brought to Malta, studied, researched, conserved and restored.

This research project has led to a better understanding of the painting and its relationship to the other two surviving fragments which once formed part of one canvas.

This painting will eventually form part of the Italian arts collection on display at MUZA, the new national community art museum at the Auberge d’Italie and flagship project for Valletta 2018 European Capital of Culture.

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said that in the last year Heritage Malta spent almost €300,000 in the acquisition of artefacts and paintings to enhance the national collection.

The biggest corpus of works by Mattia Preti on display in any public museum were housed at the National Museum of Fine Arts, which closed its doors at the Admiralty House last weekend after 42 years.

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