A Nativity tableau by artist Emvin Cremona (1919-87) at the Jesuits’ church in Valletta is undergoing a conservation project funded by The Alfred Mizzi Foundation, the Jesuits’ Church Foundation has announced.
Can. Nicholas Doublet, rector of the church, explained that this intervention constitutes an integral component of a wider, long-term conservation and research programme that has been under way for several years.
This holistic project seeks not only to conserve the church’s architectural structure and artistic collections to the highest professional standards, but also to study, interpret and present them in a manner worthy of their historical and spiritual value, he said.
Can. Doublet reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the church continues to function as an active place of worship while being responsibly safeguarded and meaningfully shared with the public, so that this patrimony may be preserved and appreciated by future generations.
The art historian on the project, Daniela Apap Bologna, said that Cremona is regarded as one of Malta’s pioneers of the modernist idiom. His works are diverse, with a significant amount dedicated to religious art.
Although no research on this tableau has yet been conducted, stylistically, the work dates to the 1960s and was intended for display during the Christmas season as a Nativity crib on the epistle side of the church, just outside the presbytery beneath its imposing dome.
Apap Bologna first encountered this work approximately 20 years ago while conducting studies on various artefacts. She noted that although the Jesuits’ art collection is primarily valued as an exceptional ensemble of baroque art, the presence of Cremona’s Nativity tableau serves as evidence of the importance of continuity in ecclesiastical commissions across the ages, from the early modern period through the contemporary period.
The restoration intervention will be carried out by Atelier del Restauro. The chief restorer at the Atelier, Valentina Lupo, has confirmed that the work is structurally compromised, presenting fractures and delamination of the wooden support. Furthermore, areas of paint loss and active insect damage have also been found.
The completed project will cost €2,230, which the Alfred Mizzi Foundation has agreed to cover. Chairperson Julian Sammut said this project is in line with the foundation’s aim of promoting research and preserving Maltese heritage.
Sammut said that since Cremona was himself a Valletta resident, it would be fitting to have his work restored and displayed annually, so that those visiting the city during the Christmas season may enjoy it in its original glory.
