Portraits are not just paintings; they speak volumes about the sitter, the culture and values of the time. For this reason, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, has invited Bernadine Scicluna, Curator at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, to present a talk on the portraits at the Presidential Palace in Valletta.

Ms. Scicluna will bring portraits of grand masters, royalty and presidents to life as she interprets the body language of the sitters and explains what the props, costumes and settings tell viewers about the sitter and his times. Ms Scicluna will also discuss how the physical space in which they hang contributes to the portraits of the Presidential Palace, formerly the Governors’ Palace and previously the Grand Masters’ Palace.

Spanning the centuries, the talk will take in works by Antoine Favray, Jean Baptiste Van Loo, Antoine Francois Callet, Gaetano Calleja, Pietro Paolo Caruana, Edward Caruana Dingli, Ray Pitre’, Esprit Barthet, Madeleine Gera and ties in with FAA’s Patrimonio art exhibition, which featuring some of the most eminent names of the Maltese art scene of the past and present including Giuseppe Arcidiacono, Carmelo Mangion, Joseph Bellia, Esprit Barthet and Emvin Cremona.

The exhibition is open until the 7th of December 2012 and proceeds go towards the restoration of a unique four-panel painting depicting The Virgin of Mercy and Saints from the Medieval period, ensuring that this work of art will be enjoyed by future generations. The exhibition is at the Italian Cultural Institute in St. George’s Square, Valletta, a cultural monument itself, built in 1602.

Besides lecturing history of art at the former Conservation Institute at Bighi at the Institute for Maltese Studies, University of Malta, Ms. Scicluna was awarded the First Prize by the National Book Council for her research for the book she co-authored “Watercolours of Malta by Charles Frederick de Brocktorff at the National Library of Malta.”

The talk will be held at the Istituto di Cultura Italiana, St George’s Square, Valletta on Thursday, th 29th of November at 6.30pm. The public is requested to be seated by 6.15pm.

Seats are to be booked by emailing: bookings@faa.org.mt or by phoning Corinne on 99249572. A donation towards FAA’s art restoration project would be greatly appreciated.

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