Malta National Museum of Fine Arts

The National Museum of Fine Arts

The National Museum of Fine Arts in Malta is located in the capital of Malta, Valletta, and has an extensive and complex collection dating back to the early Renaissance, including also modern and contemporary pieces.

Highlights from the collection on display in the National Museum of Fine Arts include paintings by the Caravaggists Mattias Stomer (1600-50), Jean Valentin de Boulogne (1601-32) Guido Reni (1575-1642) and Italian Baroque artists featuring mainly Mattia Preti (1613-99) and other paintings by local and internationally acclaimed artists. These include works by Antoine de Favray (1706-98), Francesco Zahra (1710-73) and Giuseppe Grech (1755-87).

The 19th century and the historical changes in the Maltese government are represented by are Giorgio Pullicino (1779-1851), Giovanni Schranz (1794-1882), and Girolamo Gianni (1837-95) who display very interesting pieces. The Maltese artist Antonio Sciortino (1879-1947) represents the first decade of the 20th century with several sculptures which must be seen.

The Malta National Museum of Fine Arts also has a collection of valuable local silverware, statues made of marble, bronze and wood, fine furniture objects and fine majolica pieces. This museum was established officially in 1974 and before that it was the residence of the Knights of the Order of St John. In fact, several pieces of work originally belonged to the Knights but were later donated to the museum. The building has architecture dating back to the mid-eighteenth century late baroque style and is an important example of its type in Malta.