Stefano Erardi, Assumption of the Virgin, c.1679, 436 x 230 cm, Sanctuary Basilica dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, Mosta
The titular painting of the Assumption of the Virgin at the Sanctuary Basilica in Mosta dedicated to the painting’s namesake, was painted by Stefano Erardi around 1679, the year in which it was donated by Don Giacomo Chetcuti to the parish church.[1] This commission was indeed very important for Erardi and it served as an opportunity to reassert himself as a follower of Classicist tradition based on the works of the Carracci’s and other eminent artists who were active within the Roman context.[2] The Assumption contains direct quotations after Annibale Carraci’s famous rendition of the same subject as well as Ciro Ferri’s Last Supper. It is probable that Stefano Erardi knew these works through prints, namely those by Guillaume Chasteau and Cornelis Bloemert.3 The painting was also previously attributed to Pasquale Buhagiar, however, in 2009, Keith Sciberras had published that the quality was superior to what the aforementioned artist was producing. In fact, Sciberras had put forward the name of Stefano Erardi.[3] This conservation and restoration project has confirmed Sciberras’ attribution, where Erardi’s superior quality and technical characteristics successfully emerged from under a thick layer of yellowed varnish, grime and extensive overpaintings. Stefano Erardi’s titular was the crowning piece in a corpus of works that the artist had produced for the Mosta parish church.
The painting confidently occupies the space in the colossal basilica which was designed by Giorgio Grognet de Vasse (1774–1862) and completed in the second half of the nineteenth century. Unfortunately, the setting of Erardi’s paintings within the original context of the old church was lost, the imposing sublimity of the Assumption was not squandered. Erardi composes his altarpiece by using a centred pyramidal scheme and then divides the earthly and the celestial into two distinct registers. The area around the Virgin’s tomb is densely packed by the awe-stricken apostles who are witnessing the ascending Virgin who is assisted by a number of frolicking putti while another group of angels pray and gaze at the unfolding scene. Erardi’s palette is intense and incandescent as can be noticed in the hues of the reds, yellows and blues which create a stark contrast against the beaming golden sky.
Throughout the years the titular painting of the Mosta Basilica had undergone a number of interventions. The first intervention dates back to the early nineteenth-century and it was carried out by an exponent of the Nazarene movement in Malta, Giuseppe Hyzler. In 1860, Salvatore Barbara, a student of the same Hyzler had restored and enlarged the titular painting in order for the painting to be inserted into the new reredos, following the construction of the new Mosta parish church. Oral lore recounts another restoration intervention in the early twentieth-century however no documentation proves this.
Fifty years later Maurice Cordina had restored the painting on the occasion of the titular’s coronation. The last intervention was carried out by Alfred Briffa in the year 2000, the year in which the twelve stars around the Virgin’s head were were affixed.
After the dismantling of the titular painting from its reredos, an emergency treatment was carried out to address the extensive flaking present on the altarpiece, which if left untreated, the painting would have experienced significant losses from its paint layer. This operation was carried by means of an adhesive followed by the application of mild pressure on the detached areas in order to attain a complete adhesion.
Subsequently, the painting was photographed under diffused, raking, Ultraviolet and Infra-Red light. In the case of Infra-Red, the images were taken by means of a specialised IR camera. Photographic documentation is an essential part of the conservation and restoration process as it provides the conservator-restorer with information and insight regarding the painting’s condition, which is not easily perceived by the naked eye, so that a holistic treatment can be prepared.
Following the termination of the documentation process, all surface dust and grime were removed from both the recto and verso of the painting with aspirators and soft brushes in order to prevent any auxiliary contamination from any airborne dust particulates and other biological contaminants.
The cleaning phase involved testing different solvents and selecting acetone due to its efficient removal of varnish and overpaintings while minimizing damage to the original paint layers. The removal of overpaintings revealed elements that were not part of the original artwork, such as iconographical keys and specific painting techniques by different artists.
Following cleaning, the painting underwent extensive restoration, including the removal of unnecessary gesso, facing with Japanese paper, consolidation with chemical solutions, infilling of paint losses and canvas support, and retouching using reversible restoration colors to match the original artist’s intent. A new stretcher frame was fabricated for proper tensioning, and a protective varnish was applied to safeguard the painting.
The restoration also involved addressing structural issues with the gilt decorative frame, including the removal of patchy shellac, re-gilding using original techniques, and adding fastening devices for mounting the painting securely within its niche.
Furthermore, modifications were made to the attachments of certain decorative elements, such as the crown and stars, using magnets to eliminate perforations and carbon fiber panels for secure and non-invasive fixing.
Overall, the comprehensive conservation process involved various technical and aesthetic considerations to restore the artwork as closely as possible to its original state while ensuring structural integrity and long-term preservation.
[1] Christabel Micallef, ‘The Context of Stefano Erardi’s Paintings in the Old Mosta Parish Church’, unpublished Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) History of Art dissertation, Department of Art and Art History, University of Malta, June 2016, 54
[2] Samuel John Casha, ‘Imitation, quotation and inventiveness in the oeuvre of Stefano Erardi (1630-1716)’, unpublished M.A. Dissertation, Department of Art and Art History, University of Malta, 2020, 164
[3] Keith Sciberras, Baroque Painting in Malta, Valletta, Midsea Books, 2009, 224
