Paintings of the Assumption of the Virgin in the Maltese islands

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to present a chronological study of paintings of the Assumption of the Virgin found in the Maltese Islands. The time under consideration spans the Late Medieval period up until the tum of the Twentieth Century. The artists are both local and foreign, however some works remain anonymous. A critical and stylistic analysis of the paintings will be discussed together with their iconographical content. Importance will also be given to the historical context of the works, which so often determines changes in iconography, style and the popularity of a particular theme. The theme of the Marian devotion has been the study of various researchers. The most important published and ongoing research material is that of Mario Buhagiar, Keith Sciberras, Vincent Borg and Dominic Cutajar. Vincent Borg's study of the separate Marian devotions in the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, highlights the popularity of the devotion of the Assumption of the Virgin amongst the Maltese people. Art dissertations related to a particular Marian devotion in Malta include the theme of the Annunciation, the Virgin of the Rosary, and, currently under examination, the Virgin of Mount Carmel. However, the study of paintings of the Assumption of the Virgin in the Maltese Islands, has never been tackled as an isolated subject before. In this art historical study I have reviewed numerous public paintings of the Assumption of the Virgin, mainly sought in ecclesiastical collections, and undertaken a stylistic analysis of these works, coupled with research in order to set them within their correct historical context. The selective approach enabled the vast theme to be considered under a wide time span, and the appendix includes paintings that have not been discussed in the main text. The main difficulties encountered were mostly related to the language barrier in connection with research, specifically Italian and Latin. Also the high positioning of many of the paintings, often hidden by altar accessories, made a close examination sometimes difficult.