Heritage Malta will be commemorating Vincenzo Bonello’s seminal contribution towards the establishment and development of Malta’s Fine Arts Museum collection with a number of events which will be taking place during the last week of October at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta.

Vincenzo Bonello (1891-1969) founded the Fine Arts section within the Museums Department, (later to become the National Museum of Fine Arts) in 1923 and immediately embarked upon a courageous policy of expansion. He acquired numerous works-of-art of excellent quality, mostly purchased at a time when prices in the art-market where still within reach of the Museum’s modest budget.

The first event will be a lecture on The Conservation Treatment of Mathias Stom’s “The Death of Cato” The lecture will be delivered by conservator Ray Spiteri on Wednesday, the 28th of October at 6.30pm. The lecture will be in English. “The Death of Cato” is one of four paintings acquired for the Fine Arts Museum collection by Vincenzo Bonello and indeed considered to be a major addition to 17th-century Baroque art in the national collection.

Another lecture will be delivered by Anthony Spagnol, Principal Conservator, on the Conservation Treatment of Le Valentin’s “Judith and Holophernes” on Thursday, the 29th of October 2009 at 6.30pm. Lecture to be delivered in Maltese. This painting was acquired in 1929 by Vincenzo Bonello and is considered to be one of the most important acquisitions ever to be effected for the Fine Arts Museum collection.

On Friday, the 30th of October, Ms Stephanie Vella M.A. will be delivering the official commemorative lecture. Ms Vella will be exploring Vincenzo Bonello’s contribution towards a greater awareness of Malta’s cultural heritage during the inter-war period. Bonello fulfilled this mission not just through seminal acquisitions that were to provide the foundation stone for Malta’s very own National Museum of Fine Arts. His contribution also includes the restoration of prime historic sites and the promotion of art historical research.

The lecture will be followed by a formal presentation of Filippo Paladini’s ‘Mystic Marriage of St Catherine of Alexandria’ to the Fine Arts Museum collection by Mrs Xuereb and His Honour Judge Giovanni Bonello in memory of their father’s contribution.

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