Robert Caruana-Dingli (1882-1940) : a critical analysis of his works

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to study the art of Robert Caruana-Dingli and to give him the merit that he deserves but which has always been denied to him. Caruana-Dingli was a very prolific artist; his production covers a wide oeuvre: graphic works, portraits, religious paintings, genre scenes and mostly landscapes. These vary in mediums and sizes but all testify his competence as an artist. His works shall be analysed and where possible compared to that of his predecessors, contemporaries as well as students at the Government School of Art. To date no exhaustive work has been published on this subject with the exception of an unpublished manuscript 'The Life and Works of Robert Caruana-Dingli' written by M. J. Caruana-Dingli and A. Stivala in 1990, and an exhibition catalogue by G. Glanville and the Society of the Socialist Youngster, published in 1980, organized to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of Robert's death. However, there exist a number of publications which mention briefly the artist and his production. The most important being M. J. Caruana-Dingli's, 'The Caruana-Dingli Artists', published in 1989. For the purpose of this study, I have studied works by Robert Caruana Dingli found in private collections and Gozitan ecclesiastical establishments, together with the few found in public buildings. I have also surveyed the artist's caricatures and cartoons for both Maltese and English newspapers as well as his illustrations in various Maltese publications. As not all works are signed and dated, the authorship of some of his paintings are based on technical and stylistic grounds.

In order to get a more intimate profile of Robert Caruana-Dingli, I have interviewed some of the artist's students as well as people who became acquainted with the artist. I have also researched newspapers and various publications at the National and University Libraries and attempted reconstructing Caruana-Dingli's travels from the passport requests found at the National Archives Santo Spirito in Rabat. The major handicap I have encountered during this research was the failure to obtain sufficient information regarding his travels, namely his sojourn in England. My dissertation is an attempt to make Robert Caruana-Dingli's figure well known to the public. I belief that from the information I have gathered throughout my research, I have sufficient material to prove that Robert Caruana-Dingli is indeed an artist who holds a key position in Maltese Art history, especially through his role as a teacher of Art, and so deserves scholarly interest.