Heritage Malta confirms reports of mismatched frames, fixes coming with rehabilitation project
Heritage Malta has confirmed that historic paintings have been housed in mismatched frames and will be seeking to correct the mistakes as the rehabilitation programme at the Palace in Valletta continues, The Malta Independent on Sunday is i
Heritage Malta has confirmed that historic paintings have been housed in mismatched frames and will be seeking to correct the mistakes as the rehabilitation programme at the Palace in Valletta continues, The Malta Independent on Sunday is informed.
The discrepancies were highlighted on social media by former Ambassador and former Head of Secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister Richard Cachia Caruana.
Over the past days Cachia Caruana uploaded posts on Facebook calling attention to historical paintings such as portraits of Knights Hospitaller Grand Masters Manuel Pinto de Fonseca and Francisco Ximenez de Tejada being housed in the wrong frames.
Cachia Caruana said that the frames the Grand Masters' portraits were housed in were actually originally the frames for other historical artworks, in this case, portraits of Emperor Francis and Emperor Charles VI.
In his post, the former ambassador asked Heritage Malta to reattach the frames to their original portraits and restore the Grand Masters' portraits to their original frames as well.
"These frames need to be attached to their portraits as they were diplomatic gifts by the sitters to the Grand Master and Prince of Malta," he said. "The art might not always have been the most original but the political message was important."
He added that all of the official portraits in the national collection need to be re-evaluated, and that "in the main, the portraits appear to have been judged only on their artistic quality rather than their historic or diplomatic importance".
The Malta Independent on Sunday reached out to Heritage Malta and asked to explain. The newsroom also asked why the frames were replaced and when the artworks would be restored to their original frames, as well as if there are any other artworks which are currently not housed in their original frames.
Heritage Malta replied saying that it is "totally aware" and "confirms the observations that have appeared on social media" about paintings and frames at the Grand Master's Palace and the Verdala Palace.
It continued that "while appreciating such observations from the public", it would like to "clarify that the work to correct these inaccuracies has long been programmed".
Heritage Malta said that such work can be done later "against the backdrop of much other similar work which has already been done, is being done, and is yet to be done in connection with the massive rehabilitation project of the Grand Master's Palace and the collections within it".
Photos - Wrong frames: Grand Master Francisco Ximénez de Tejada and Grand Master Manuel Pinto de Fonseca
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