A study of the works of Russian artists in Malta in the first part of the twentieth century

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to examine the role of three Russian artists, namely Boris Edwards, Nikolay Krasnoff and Gregorius Maltzeff, in the development of the Maltese artistic climate in the beginning of the twentieth century. In order to place the artists in their proper historical context, the first chapter of this dissertation aims to give a general account of the history of the Russo-Maltese connection, from the sixteenth century to the tum of the twentieth century. More detailed attention is given to the artistic link between the two nations, with a section of the opening chapter dedicated to a focus on some of the key highlights of the Russo-Maltese art historical connection. In the final part of the chapter, a brief account is given outlining the details of the presence of such Russian refugees in Malta, thus bridging the gap to the twentieth century. The rest of the dissertation is divided into three main chapters, devoted to Edwards, Krasnoff and Maltzeff, respectively. Each of these chapters is divided into two subchapters. The first section details the respective artist's life and works, including a description of their time spent in Malta and their artistic output while on the island. The second part of each chapter is devoted to a critical analysis of the works by the artist in question that are pertinent to this study. As the artworks produced in Malta by both Krasnoff and Edwards have never been the subject of a proper comprehensive study, my primary focus was to locate as many of the pieces as possible. Dr Albert Ganado, author of the only Maltese publication concerning Krasnoff and Edwards, was kind enough to let me look though the information he had

gathered for his essay. Besides granting me access to the large number of relevant works in his own personal collection, Dr Ganado also provided me with a list of contacts who had confirmed that they owned pieces by one of the two Russian artists. My dissertation was entirely dependent on private collectors and their willingness to allow me to study the works in their possession. A number of interviews were also conducted with individuals who had a particularly significant connection to the artists in question. The lack of public works created an obstacle when attempting a thorough analysis of Edwards and Krasnoff s Maltese works, as a number of important works are found in collections that I was unable to access. For this reason, in the sections of this dissertation which are dedicated to artistic analysis, I have focused on the works that I was able to study first-hand. Unfortunately, a number of primary sources devoted to the works that each artist produced prior to their connection with Malta and, in the case of Nikolay Krasnoff, after they had left the island's shores, were not available for study. Regrettably, it must also be noted that the majority of Edwards' Russian sculptures are no longer in existence as, due to his close connection with the Imperial family, many of them were destroyed in the aftermath of the Revolution. This accounts for the lack of images provided of his earlier sculptural works.