The miracle of the Virgin of Liesse : an analysis of the art-historical context and state of conservation of the cycle of paintings in St Dominic’s Priory, Valletta

Abstract

This dissertation managed to excite my interest in both art history and the conservation of easel paintings. To explore both art history and the science of conservation I chose a technical approach towards the study of paintings analysing both their history and state of conservation. The cycle of paintings of The Virgin of Liesse at St Dominic’s priory came to my attention when I was searching for paintings which I could study. The narrative within the whole cycle offered me an interesting case study as I was not familiar with the narrative and thus, I could explore new ideas of how narratives and the art-historical context relate together. The state of the paintings also allowed for an interesting case study as although being one cycle the different paintings still developed unique forms of deterioration that I explore in the analysis of the condition of the cycle. The main goal I developed for this dissertation is to get an inherent understanding of the context and state of conservation of the cycle of the Virgin of Liesse in St Dominic’s Valletta. This study will scrutinise both the cycle as a whole and as individual works and aims to identify the several links the cycle has with the art-historical context. Given the current state of conservation limits connoisseurship the study will focus on identifying the major influences present in the cycle. Furthermore, this study will delve into the narrative of the Virgin of Liesse and how it related to the Order of St John and how its cult also related to the cult of the Virgin of Liesse in France. These steps aim to identify the rightful context of the cycle and its significance. The art-historical study is important as after consideration the cycle understudy could be the earliest within several cycles in churches and private collections that were executed between the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The cycle in question demonstrates influences, tendencies and details that place it earlier than other cycles. This makes the cycle more significant which further merits its preservation and study. The cycle is currently in a very deteriorated state of conservation; therefore, a part of this study will be dedicated to an in-depth analysis of the condition of a sample of four paintings from the cycle. This analysis aims to identify the different forms of deterioration and try expose any parts of the imagery that have been obscured. Together with the art-historical study, the immediacy for the preservation of the cycle will also be determined.