' (t0 \ DECEMBER 13, 2020 , THE SUNDAY TIMES OF THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA DECEMBER.13, 2020 I 41 LIFE ANO WELLBEING

Seventh Station of the Via Matris, 1890, Oratory of HQly Crucifix. .

St Teresa of Avila, 1857, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel church, . PHOTO: FR VICTOR P. FARRUGIA CIARLO, 0. CARM. Immaculate Heart of Mary, 1890, Senglea basilica. St Joseph and the Holy Family, 1860, Senglea basilica. Giuseppe BOnnici (1835-1900): an artist Of prestige

EOrdine (June 9, 1854, p. 4314), was exhib­ and other Marian symbols. In 1882, he parish church, dated 1890. Bonnici painted Conversion ofSt Paul; and another of Our ited for a few days at the public library in adorned the dome with figures of angels several images depicting St Joseph. Among Lady ofLourdes for parish church. Valletta. holding symbols of purity, peace, victory these, one can be seen in the parish church It is impossible to mention all of Bonnici's The painting was apparently praised by and other virtues. · of xaghra, and another in the church of St works, and many of his works were lost, FABIAN everyone, so much so that the same newspa­ He also painted the four pendentives Barbara, Valletta. This painting is signed such as those he painted for the Annuncia­ MANGION pe1; on Jwie 16, 1854, (p. 4318) expressed under the dome, with the figures of Judith, and dated 1889. tion church in Vittoriosa, which was com­ confidence that the young Maltese artist Esther, Deborah and Jael, considered as pre­ Also in 1889, he painted six Iunettes for pletely destroyed during the air raids of the ' would advance in the path he had chosen. figurations of Our Lady. the transepts of ~h church. This last war. In Rome in 1858, he created the painting In 1927, due to structural damages, the was the first time any of the parishes of that ' In addition to these works on religious Works of art, particularly those found in· showing The Marriage of the Virgin for dome was replaced and Bonnici's paintings region in Malta were decorated in this way. subjects, Bonnici worked on a number of our churches, give us an insight of God's parish church underthe supervision were lost in the process. During the follow­ These lunettes, enlivened by a bright .portraits. beauty. Sacred art not only manifests the of Minardi, who gave him a letter of recom­ ing decade, the paintings covering the choir palette, are characterised by a rather pro­ Bonnici also had contacts abroad. In 1873, artist's capabilities but also exalts the com­ mendation in September. In 1866, Bonnici vault were also replaced by new ones pro­ saic treatment, which is somewhat surpris­ he was paid 600 scudi from the Commis­ munity's level of faith, since the beauty of painted two other works for the same duced by Joseph Briffa. At that time, the ing for anyone familiar with the decoration sariat of the Holy Land, Valletta, which at what is human leads us to reflect on what is parish - the Rest on the Flight into Egypt painted decorations on the pendentives in Maltese baroque churches. that time was under the care of Fr Giovanni spiritual. This was the two-pronged consid­ and Jesus in the Garden ofGethsemane. were also earmarked for replacement. To Gaetano Galea, OFM, for the.altar p~ting eration of the Maltese artist Giuseppe Bon­ Also in 1858, he was nominated a delegate this day, this is still considered an unethical "He was undoubtedly of Our Lady ofMount Carmel, made for a njci, which he fully achieved. to the International Paris Exhibition and and controversial procedure on artistic and church in Bolacco near Port Said in Egypt. Born in Senglea on December 11, 1835, was awarded the Legion d'Honneur. teclmical grounds and is contested by many. one of the island's In addition to this-painting, Bonnici appears Giuseppe was the son of Antonio Bonnici On February 26, 1859, Bonnici, together Eventually, the destruction of the basilica foremostartists who to have done other works for that church. and Carmela nee Pappalardo. He was bap­ with some other Maltese artists, WflS wisuc­ during World War II put paid to any such Thus, one gets the impression that Bolacco's tised on December 13 by Canon Francesco cessful in his petition to decorate the dome plans and effectively destroyed any remains dominated the second Maltese benefactors were very keen to Bonello at the Senglea Collegiate. In the of St Paul's cat:Iwdral in . In the peti­ of these paintings. further beautify their church. Marriage of the Virgin, 1858, Mosta parish's Status Animarum of 1846, he is tion, he had offered to create his sketches in Bonnici also painted for the collegiate half of the 19th century · At the peak of his career, Bonnici en­ basilica. PHOTO: MARK MlCALLEF listed as the youngest of five siblings who Malta, orin Rome, under the guidance of his · In April 1876, Albert, Prince of Wales, the parish church of his home town. In 1860, church the images of OUr Lady of the Con­ and whose works we can joyed a high reputation and wide admira­ PER CONTE lived at no 70, St Peter and St Paul Street, Il)aster, and accepted to work eitherwith oil eldest son of Queen Victoria, paid an official he painted the canvas showing St Joseph solation and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. tion, as can be seen from an article in The Senglea. on canvas or a fresco, according to the visit to Malta. A special committee, cha1.red and the Holy Family, in which he included While the first was lost during the war, the still admire" Malta rnnes, February 27, 1886, (p.6}, in QQite naturally, the young Giuseppe wishes of the cathedral chapter. by Alfred Christian, chairman of the Cham­ an allegorical figure of the Faith presenting other was later modified by artist Carmelo which one reads that "Mr Bonnici, the ily who took up an artistic trade. His uncle started his a1tistic training widerTommaso A close look at Bonnici's list of works re­ ber of Commerce, was set up so that Valletta a model of the church to St Joseph. The Spite1i, also from Senglea, to adorn the altu· Bonnici painted other works for several painter at Senglea, is an excellent artist was sculptor Vincenzo Bonnici (1821-1865) Madiona (1803-1864) who, at the time, also veals that he painted several episodes from could be embellished for the occasion. Local painting, which was funded by the artist's of Our Lady of the Shackels. other churches in Malta and , includ­ who follows with great talent both the an­ while he cousin was Aristide Bonnici (1851- lived in Senglea. It was probably Madiona the life of Christ. Of particular interest are artists gave their contribution by making a own father, is the same one we see today on In addition to these, Bonnici painted the ing the altarpiece ofSt Teresa ofAvila for the cient and the modern school. His Judith 1888). Although we do not know much himself_who encouraged him to continue two paintings found at the Wignacourt number of quadri a trasparente to be the altar dedicated to the saint in Senglea images of the Sacred Heart ofJesusin 1880, Carmelite church, Valletta; two·paintings and Holofernes and his Eleanor and Tasso about his personality and character, he his studies at the Accademia di San Luca in Museum, Iµbat. One.depicts the Supper at placed in prominent places. Bonnici's parish church. ' and the Immaculate Heart ofMaryin 1890, depicting the Baptism of Christ and the do him great honour". was undoubtedly one of the island's fore­ Rome, underTommaso Minardi (1787-1871). Emmausand the other the Noli me tangere. quadro a trasparente showing Emperor However, Bonnici's more demanding as well as those of St AloJisius Gonzaga and Ecce Agnus Dei in parish church; a Around 1890, Bonnici moved to most artists who dominated the second Some time after he left for Rome) he sent In the latter, there is a ~etaU never seen in Charles V giving Malta to Grand Master work for the said parish church came later St Peter and St Paul. Towards the last years painting of St Andrew,.patron saint of fish­ where he lived together with his daughter half of the 19th century and whose works to Malta a small painting showing Prophet the iconography of this episode. We see I:Isle Adam in 1530, which was somehow lit in the 19th century, when he was commis­ of his career, he worked on the set of seven ermen, in parish church; two and used a workshop at no. 131, St Joseph we can still admire. Elijah Raising from the Dead the Son ofthe Christ carrying the shovel of the gardener, from behind, was placed at the Main Guard. sioned to decorate the choir vault with paintings, forming the Via Matris for the paintings for St Gajetan parish church, Street. He died in Hamrun in 1900. He was Like many other personalities, Bonnici Widow of Sarefta which, as one reads in as Ma1-y Magdalene had thought he was. Bonnici could notfuil to create works forthe figures of saints linked to the Blessed Virgin Oratory of the Holy Crucifix annexed to the Hamrun, of Our Ladyof the Rosaiyand the not the only member ~f his extended fam- certainly did his hometown, Senglea, proud.