Ex-voto painting dated November 11, 1872.In Malta, as in other coastal cultures, maritime man does not rely on technological knowhow alone. He has also set up a mechanism of a different kind, believing in a sanctified order in which the Lord is a refuge from sea stroms, with the saints always being man’s helpmates.
Maltese marine votive paintings demonstrate the human belief in divine concern for human safety.
The nature of a votive offering is human appreciation manifested in a physical manner for God’s intervention in a critical situation. Furthermore, a ‘votive offering’ does not necessarily indicate the fulfilment of a vow. The dedication may have been made by way of thanksgiving rather than in consequence of a vow.
A votive offering bears the sigla VFGA (votum fecit gratiamque accepit). It contains, in synthesis, the theological understanding of a conditional vow: the donor, finding himself in a serious quandary, resorted to the divine benevolence, and bound himself conditionally to perform a good work. His prayers were heard, ‘gratiam accepit’; the votive offering, itself constituting the object of the vow, attests to it.
Ex-voto painting dated March 20, 1884.These paintings are not masterpieces of art. The interest of historians in these paintings is minimal; yet it is amazing how these paintings of modest artistic value bring out certain aspects of life at sea and technical data of ships. Furthermore, landmarks in a votive painting are of importance as they pinpoint the locality of the disaster.
In an area of a few square centimetres the picture telescopes all the tragedy and dramatic effects of a sea voyage. A variety of disasters are encountered in these paintings but the common scene is that of a mighty hurricane that splits open a ship and people swimming frantically away from the wreckage.
The majority of maritime votive paintings were donated by local fishermen, sailors and soldiers employed on the ships of the Order of St John, or elsewhere, and by Maltese captains and crews, especially those who formed the backbone of the Maltese mercantile navy in the 19th century.
Ex-voto painting dated 1959.The painting of ex-voti was considered a profession in itself, and the painter was called madonnaro – a term deriving from ‘Madonna’. The name itself grants to the habitual dedication of ex-voti to the Blessed Virgin. If not highly competent, these madonnari showed nevertheless sufficient talent to reproduce the idea of their clients on canvas. The Maltese painters followed the same techniques as those used in Venice, Naples and other places around the Mediterranean.
Vincenzo Gonzi is rightfully considered as il madonnaro par excellance of the 19th century. He is mostly known by his initials and by the nautical quality of his works.
The deep trust of the Maltese in the intervention of the Blessed Mother in time of need is lucidly attested. The pictures may be crude and simplistic, yet they are a perennial testimony to the Marian cult during and after the period of the Knights of Malta. Strange as it might seem, very few ex-voto paintings carry the image of the Lord, Jesus Christ. The Lord is presented crowned with thorns (Ecce Homo), carrying the cross, crucified, or risen with the cross in hand.
Votive paintings’ importance rests on their visual documentation of the social, military, cultural and religious aspects of Maltese history
In Senglea one finds a unique collection of 15 ex-voto paintings dedicated to the Redeemer or to the crucified Christ.
The oldest of these paintings, dated 1745, depicts a number of galleys and half-galleys belonging to the navy of the Knights of St John caught in a tempest off the shores of Trapani on the night between May 9 and 10, 1745. The Lord from on high, keeps vigil over the restless sea.
The whole squadron is shown. In fact, each of the seven vessels is painstakingly identified by name. The caption reads: Dimostratione della liberazione nel caso pericolosissimo si trovo la squadra delle galere e mezze galere di Malta nelle acque fuori li bocche del Porto di Malta, 9, 10 Maggio 1745. A: Galera Capitana, B: la Galera San Luigi Padrona, C: la Galera San Nicola, D: la Galera San Gioseppe Magistrale, E: la Mezza Galera Sant Anna, F: la Mezza Galera Sant’Ursola Pinco Forastiero. The Pinco Forastiero is only ship mentioned but which does not appear because it was wrecked.
Ex-voto painting dated January 21, 1843.Within the inscription is the coat-of-arms of Knight Fra Ignatio Solaro with the words ex-voto below. This is an interesting and a rather exceptional case since, while Fra Ignazio Solaro, of the galley Sant’ Ursola, opted for the miraculous crucifix at Senglea, captain Fra. D. Silvio Vincentini, of the magisterial galley San Giuseppe, which was built and maintained by the money of Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca, sought the intercession of the Madonna Tal-Ħniena at Qrendi, and the crew of the galley San Luigi consecrated an offering to Our Lady of Graces at Żabbar.
All the other paintings, with the exception of a more recent one, were painted in the 19th century. This long interval and imbalance suggests losses in the collection. Some of them are known to have been destroyed during World War II.
A painting dated January 17 and 21, 1823, shows a brig in a thunderstorm in the vicinity of Marseilles, with Jesus the Redeemer in one corner, and light streaming from above descending to the ship and the sea. Our Lady appears on the opposite corner. This panel, oil on wood, is the work of Vincenzo Gonzi.
A painting created by an artist who signed with the initials P.A. in red, shows a schooner brig in an accident at sea. The event is faithfully represented as we see a man falling down. The Redeemer to whom the sailor, Raffaele Spiteri, a simple shipmate, had recourse on board ship is shown in the upper left-hand corner. Here too, the capitals V.F.G.A. are painted disjointly, two on each side of the caption describing the accident, which happened on May 14, 1833.
Ex-voto painting dated December 15, 1867.A common vessel depicted in most paintings is the barque. In an undated picture, which most probably belongs to the same period, the Redeemer is shown in the upper right hand corner, while the vessel is plunging in a wine-dark sea with plenty of wind, and yet more wind on the way.
Another painting, dated December 15, 1867, shows a Maltese barque in bad weather. In actual fact, two barques are shown under a darkened sky and bolts of lightning. The Redeemer looks on from the sky while both the captain and crew are mentioned, in caption, sending their common supplication that God’s grace may rescue them and preserve their lives.
A watercolour, dated February 2, 1870, shows the Maltese barque Montebello in a tempest. The crew made a vow to the Redeemer whose icon is shown in the upper corner. Another watercolour, dated November 11, 1872, shows the Maltese barque Brothers German in a storm off the Irish coast. The crew did not pledge themselves with a vow, so the painting seems to have been commissioned in thanksgiving to the Redeemer, whose icon appears in the sky.
An early steamship, the vapore Inglese Collingham, is the subject of a watercolour dated 1894. The ship is shown in a tempest and some of the crew have made a vow to the Redeemer whose icon appears as a small sign of hope in the clouds.
A modern steamer is the subject of a painting created as recently as 1959. This particular ex-voto – with the same ship, same details, same date, but different icon – is also found at the sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces, Żabbar. The devotee, Carmelo Cauchi, who himself is the painter and for many years was a captain, donated the painting following his retirement after a long career full of risks, just grateful to the Redeemer (and at Żabbar to Our Lady) for having survived, his requests for safety being perpetually granted. This canvas is particulary interesting since it shows the day-to-day involvement of saints in a society partaking of the achievements of modern technology. Heaven indeed is present in life on earth.
Ex-voto painting dated May 14, 1833.An examination of the dates on most of these marine votive paintings clearly shows that the majority of mishaps caused by rough sea occur between the months of October and March. This time of year coincides almost exactly with the period declared by the Order of St John as not fit for sailing. February and October claim most of the sinister storms. This does not mean that other months are free from the caprice of Neptune.
Votive paintings have always been treated as petty, antique items. Hardly any interest has been shown in them. Nonetheless, the truth is that their importance rests on the visual documentation of the social, military, cultural and religious aspects of Maltese history. Only a history amateur would fail to realise that in these pictures, our ancestors, insignificant as they might have been in society, have a story to tell us: the hardships and perils they endured, the terror they experienced, the humiliation they lived, the tears they shed.
Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges the use of A.H.J. Prins’ In Peril on the Sea, Malta, 1989 and Maritime Votive Paintings in Maltese Churches by A. Cuschieri and J. Muscat.