Joseph Bellia, a pharmacist by profession made a name for himself painting colourful images inspired by Malta’s landscapes which earned him recognition as one of Malta’s foremost impressionists. Christian Attard will discuss the artist and his work within the artistic, political and religious contexts of 20th-century Malta, asking important questions such as: Why are Joseph Bellia’s works hardly ever discussed alongside those of his peers, of the likes of Anton Agius, Joseph Genuis, Harry Alden, Joseph Mallia and others? Or, how and why did Bellia resist the strong pull of Christian iconography? Last but not least Bellia’s images of Malta are discussed within the story of landscape painting in Malta.
Christian Attard is an art historian, lecturer and exhibition curator who teaches at the Malta School of Art, the University of Malta and at the Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary. Attard’s main areas of research interest are the art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and he has published extensively on various themes, including a monograph on the artist Gianni Vella.
The talk is free admission for members of the Italian Cultural Institute. Entry is subject to pre-booking by email to contact@faa.org.mt
