A Mattia Preti masterpiece was discovered hidden under a botched restoration job while a painting previously believed to be a Caravaggio was confirmed as being someone else’s work after restoration works were ordered by their owners, Times of Malta has learnt.
The two paintings are being exhibited at the Wignacourt Museum in Rabat and had previously remained under wraps in the possession of their private owner, the late Joe Pellegrini Petit.
Museum assistant curator Frederica Agius said the pieces were exceptional examples of baroque art and the Preti piece may have never been confirmed if the restoration works had not been carried out.
Ms Agius said the recently discovered Preti painting, a grand depiction of Greek hero Hercules, had previously been suspected as belonging to the Italian master artist due to its resemblance to his signature style.
However, she said not only had this never been confirmed, but the painting had been concealed under a repainting, a form of restoration, carried out several years ago.
Ms Agius said it was not until the owners had the painting restored a second time by a Maltese-British cooperative of restoration professionals that its painter’s original brushstrokes could be confirmed. Ms Agius said the piece, which dates to the 1670s, was particularly special as it was a rare example of Preti’s later works.
Meanwhile, however, another piece in the collection, previously believed to be by master painter Caravaggio actually was not.
The painting, a reclining Bacchus, had originally been attributed to Caravaggio in the early 20th century and Ms Agius said it still required restoration.
Although the owners had thought of it as a Caravaggio, scholars had long suspected that it was not
Ms Agius added, however, that although the owners had thought of it as a Caravaggio, scholars had long suspected that it was not.
In fact, there were other copies of the painting such as one in Frankfurt. The Maltese painting was widely accepted as the best version of the piece.
Despite not being an original Caravaggio, the piece was still an important example of “caravaggist” art, she said.
She also explained that the palette of the Preti piece, dominated by deep browns, was what the artist had moved on to after having previously used “bolder blonde notes” like those seen in his more notable Maltese works.
The best known example of this was the famous ceiling of St John’s Co-Cathedral.
The painting was officially attributed by Keith Sciberras, the head of the History of Art Department at the University of Malta.
The exhibition includes two other baroque pieces and general admission to the museum allows access to the paintings, which Ms Agius said were being displayed among other fantastic examples of baroque art.