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50-535: It houses a collection of works by Maltese and foreign artists mainly representing the major European artistic styles. The museum was inaugurated on 7 May 1974, and it was located at Admiralty House , an 18th-century palace which was formerly the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet . The museum was closed down on 2 October 2016. In 2018 the national collection of fine arts

100-444: A " strana idea in forma non cattiva " (weird idea in not a bad form). Until the year 1910 Sciortino worked on two more statues, Germinando un'idea and Remorse , which both reflect the influence of Auguste Rodin . During a visit to Paris , Sciortino worked a bust of Leo Tecktonius , an American composer and pianist. This work impressed Rodin, who asked him to create a model for him and to meet him personally. This meeting initiated

150-640: A 1:200 scale clay model. It is said that the idea of a memorial in honor of the 'Unknown Soldier' is a creation of the Maltese artist. As a memorial of the 24th International Eucharistic Congress held in Malta in 1913, Sciortino was commissioned to complete a monument. This work, entitled "Christ the King", was unveiled in Floriana on 30 December 1917 during a religious ceremony which around 40,000 Maltese attended. The statue of Christ

200-612: A collection of Maltese furniture and silverware , as well as majolica jars mainly of Sicilian production. Many of the jars were in use at the Sacra Infermeria, the Hospital of the Order of St John. Ecclesiastical silverware was also on display, including a rare fifteenth century chalice of Parisian workmanship. The museum had a very active calendar of temporary exhibitions mainly by Maltese artists. Museum curated exhibitions have included

250-719: A government scholarship (via the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) for a course in Rome, where at 22 he went on to continue his studies in art. In Rome, Sciortino studied in the Istituto Reale di Belle Arti where for two years he studied civil engineering and monumental architecture. He also attended the evening classes at the British Academy and at the Scuola Serale Preparatoria alle Arti Ornamentali at

300-451: A monument to the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko . The designs were accepted and the sculptor won first place. This monument, made of granite and bronze, is 7.5 meters high and represents the poet in an act of meditation sitting on a tree trunk wearing the Ukrainian national dress. On the pedestal there is a group of figures representing the people of Ukraine. In 1914 Sciortino wanted to join

350-482: A single residence between 1761 and 1763. In 1808, Louis Charles, Count of Beaujolais was received at the house, where he died of tuberculosis. From 1821 to 1961, the building was the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet , hence its name. The building housed the National Museum of Fine Arts from 1974 to 2016. Currently there are plans to restore Admiralty House and convert it into

400-601: A tendency towards sculpture, and his aunt Vittorina Sciortino encouraged him to follow this passion. Sciortino enrolled at the Valletta School of Arts, where he studied drawing under the established painter Lazzaro Pisani and modeling and sculpture under Vincenzo Cardona. It was Pisani who encouraged Sciortino to enroll in the School of Art in Valletta where he studied for two years. The Strickland family helped Sciortino to obtain

450-609: A very beautiful picture and is in perfect state of preservation and in my opinion is school of Leonardo da Vinci , also ' Bottega di Leonardo ' (Studio of Leonardo)". On commission of the people of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic , Sciortino had to complete a monument for the Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov to be erected in Rostov-on-Don . The plaster draft was completed in 1923 but

500-525: A work which continued to improve his reputation. Depicting three poor children, the bronze sculpture is inspired by the Victor Hugo novel Les Misérables , in which Hugo describes the life of three poor street urchins living in the streets of Paris in the time of the French Revolution of 1848. This sculpture was brought to Malta in 1907 and is considered to be Sciortino's first masterpiece. The original

550-899: Is preserved at MUŻA , while a replica is exposed in the Upper Barrakka Gardens . The mould of the statue is today at Buckingham Palace , a gift which the Government of Malta gave to Princess Elizabeth II in the name of the Maltese people when she visited the islands in 1951. Sciortino's fame emerged from the Italian capital and spread to other artistic centers in Europe. Antonio Sciortino won several international competitions that made his name known in America , Russia , Japan and South Africa where some of his best works are located. His participation in international exhibitions raised interest in Rome and in

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600-519: The Museo Artistico Tecnologico . After earning a diploma with distinction in 1902, he opened an art studio in via Margutta 33 in the heart of the Roman artistic tradition. Here Sciortino decided to free himself from imitative tradition and develop a personal style. Il filosofo (1902) is a work of artistic study with which Sciortino established a reputation as an original artist and which drew

650-580: The Order of St. John that are now used by government ministries and departments. It is also well known for its wine bars and cafes, and views of the city's grid-shaped streets. The museum housed the major part of the national collection of Malta. The collection began in 1923 when the first fine arts curator, Vincenzo Bonello, embarked on establishing a collection within what was then called the National Museum. Bonello acquired numerous works of excellent quality on

700-609: The Royal Academy of Arts in London. This success led to his appointment in 1911 as director of the British Academy of Arts in Rome, a position he held for twenty-five years. In 1905 Sciortino won the competition for a monument to Sir Adrian Dingli , which was unveiled in April 1907 in the presence of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in the Mall Garden of Floriana . A little while later he

750-624: The Royal Engineers , but on the advice of the ex-governor of Malta, Lord Grenfell , he continued with his work in Rome to start work on a memorial for the first world war. For three whole years Sciortino was mesmerized by the thought, planning and modeling of this vast and imposing monument which was to be known as the Temple of the British Empire to the Unknown Hero . Sciortino realized this work in

800-527: The 1760s, the two houses were occupied by Fra Raimondo de Sousa y Silva, a wealthy Portuguese knight who was the Balì of Lessa. The Treasury rebuilt the houses to their present form between 1761 and 1763 so as to better accommodate the Balì, and the building became known as Palazzo Don Raimondo after him. The reconstruction is attributed to Andrea Belli , the architect who also redesigned Auberge de Castille . The building

850-674: The French occupation of 1798–1800. The building has a monumental free-standing staircase, which is said to be one of the finest in Malta. It might have been influenced by the staircases at Auberge de Castille in Valletta, Würzburg Residence in Bavaria and Palais Kinsky and the Upper Belvedere in Vienna. Antonio Sciortino Antonio Sciortino ( Ħaż-Żebbuġ ; 25 January 1879 – 10 August 1947)

900-499: The Jungle , Detachment of the Soul from Humanity , Speed ', Madonna protecting Navigators , Dangerous Sport , Consolation , Late , First Kiss , Laughing , Surprised , Smiling and others. These are all jobs that express vitality and enthusiasm. Finally the exhibition could not take place due to the death of the chairman of the commission Frank Pedry , the economic recession that America

950-512: The Maltese Islands . Admiralty House is an example of late Baroque architecture , although it has also been described as Italianate or Rococo . The building consists of halls built around a central courtyard , and it has two floors above ground along with a basement. The façade was originally decorated with escutcheons containing the coats of arms of the Order and of Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca , but these were defaced during

1000-672: The Maltese in the Siege of 1565. The monument is composed of three figures that represent courage, faith and civilization. In 1929 Sciortino's design for an equestrian monument of General Simon Bolivar took second place. Between 1931 and 1936, in preparation for an exhibition by the American Art Commission, Sciortino completed a number of works of different artistic forms and subjects – in all twenty-one pieces of sculpture in plaster, bronze and marble. Among these we find Lindbergh on Eagle , Courage of Future Generation , Arab Horses , In

1050-640: The Office of the Attorney General. The site of the Admiralty House was originally occupied by two houses which were built by the French knight Fra Jean de Soubiran dit Arafat in 1569–70. The properties passed down to another knight François le Petit de la Guerche, and were taken over by the Treasury of the Order of St. John upon his death in 1663. From 1668 onwards, the houses were leased to various knights. In

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1100-672: The Order of Malta who also contributed to the transformation of the interior of St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. This, together with a fine and rare collection of antique maps, represented one of the strengths of the collection. The works of other artists on display included Guido Reni (1575–1642), the Caravaggisti Valentin de Boulogne (1591–1632), Giuseppe Ribera (1591–1662) and Matthias Stom (1600–1652), as well as Carlo Maratta (1625–1713) and Bernardo Strozzi (1581–1644). Works by Dutch, French and British artists were also on permanent display. The collection also included

1150-455: The Redeemer is a bronze figure 3.5 meters high that dominates on a granite pedestal and expresses the majesty and greatness of a king. Malta is represented as a female figure kneeling under the pedestal in an act of submission while asking for a blessing. The figure also recalls the victories over "the enemies of Christ". Originally, Sciortino planned the monument with a figure of Christ only because

1200-416: The attention of many art critics. This sculpture, along with another known as Testa di Vecchio were shown in an exhibition with the name Promotrice di Roma . With the statue Studio di Donna (1904) Sciortino moved away from the usual representation of the female figure by contemporary French sculptors, towrds an adaptation inspired by Greek art. In the same year Sciortino worked on Les Gavroches ,

1250-409: The beginning of the twentieth century lived for almost thirty years in the capital city of Italy, Sciortino is of great interest for Maltese social history; he thought about identity, personality and the Maltese language – this especially from a person in a position of wider perspective and consequently with greater objectivity. He kept in touch with his country, although the exact reasons are unknown. He

1300-520: The bronze monument was not realized due to the turmoil in Russia following Lenin 's death in 1924. Today the plaster cast is in the courtyard of the National Art Museum in Valletta. Between 1924 and 1927 Sciortino completed Rhythmii Vitae , a work considered one of his best in bronze and which was exhibited in the Royal Academy of Arts in London. He worked on a bust of Carmen Sylva on a stetina of

1350-573: The coats of arms on the façade were defaced according to orders issued by Napoleon . After Malta became a British protectorate in 1800, the house was occupied by Civil Commissioner Alexander Ball . It was then let to Alexander Macaulay, Secretary to the Civil Commissioner, between August 1802 and June 1803. In 1808, the palace received Louis Philippe, Duke of Orléans and Louis Charles, Count of Beaujolais during their visit to Malta. Louis Charles died of tuberculosis there on 29 May 1808, and

1400-467: The following: Admiralty House (Valletta) Admiralty House ( Maltese : id-Dar tal-Ammirall ), formerly known as Casa Miari , Palazzo Don Raimondo and by several other names, is a palace in Valletta , Malta . It was originally built in 1569–70 as two private houses by Fra Jean de Soubiran dit Arafat, a knight of the Order of St. John . The houses were later leased to various owners, including Fra Raimondo de Sousa y Silva, who rebuilt them

1450-612: The influence of Auguste Rodin . He studied and worked in Rome . He developed an original style which drew the admiration of many and brought him commissions in Russia, Brazil and the United States. Sciortino was a director of the British Academy of Arts in Rome (1911–1936), and from 1937 until his death he was a curator in the Malta Museum of Fine Arts . From childhood Sciortino showed

1500-416: The lasting friendship between them. In 1911, Antonio Sciortino participated in an international competition for the monument in memory of emperor Alexander II of Russia (1818–1881). His designs and models won the first prize but the prize was not given for a formal reason. However, Tsar Nicholas II , fascinated by the project, bought the designs willingly. In 1913, Sciortino entered a competition to build

1550-539: The late 18th and early 19th century, it was known as Casa Miari after Fra Antonio Miari di Belluno, Secretary to Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim , who lived in the house from 1795 to 1798. During the French occupation of Malta , the government offered the building to Bishop Vincenzo Labini as a seminary, but these plans were never implemented due to the Maltese uprising and blockade of 1798–1800 . At this point,

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1600-518: The local art market, and in London and Italy . Most were purchased at a time when prices in the art market where still within reach of the museum's modest budget. Public spirited individuals and organizations also left significant bequests. The permanent display included the largest collection of paintings by the Southern Italian Baroque artist Mattia Preti (1613–1699), an Italian Knight of

1650-539: The main goal was a representation of transubstantiation , the concept of the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist . For this, the figure of Malta does not look at the face of Christ but instead bows her head in an act of reverence bringing before her eyes the image of the body and blood of Christ. In 1922, Sciortino examined the Isleworth Mona Lisa , and wrote a letter expressing his opinion that it "is

1700-575: The museum is transferred was unclear until November 2013. The National Museum of Fine Arts closed on 2 October 2016. There are plans to restore the building and convert it into the offices of the Attorney General, which is currently housed in part of the Grandmaster's Palace . Admiralty House is a Grade 1 monument and it is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of

1750-531: The new museum opened in 2018 as one of the projects of Valletta's title of European Capital of Culture . The museum welcomed 30,000 patrons in 2012, and the relocation aimed to increase the number of visitors. MUŻA opened on 10 November 2018. The museum was housed at the Admiralty House , a palace in Valletta , originally built in the 16th century as a residence for the knight Fra Jean de Soubiran dit Arafat. The present building dates back to 1761–63, when it

1800-491: The ravages of the Second World War. Sciortino's last work was the monument of Lord Gerald Strickland erected in 1945 in Valletta's Upper Barrakka Gardens . Upon his death, Sciortino bequeathed his collection of plaster casts and drawings to the nation; they are today held at MUŻA . Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest it was shore-TEA-no. As a cosmopolitan Maltese of British citizenship who at

1850-527: The royal family of Romania and created an imposing monument commemorating the proclamation of Brazil as a Republic. At this time he also worked on the bust of Marquess Godi de Godio . On 8 May 1927 another great monument of Sciortino was unveiled in Malta, the Great Siege Monument , located in front of the Auberge d'Alvergne (today's Court of Justice). This monument commemorates the bravery and heroism of

1900-443: The works of two outstanding Maltese sculptors, Melchiorre Gafà (1636–1667) and Antonio Sciortino (1879–1947), and a noteworthy group of Maltese landscapes. The Grand Harbour of Malta and its environs is the subject of a Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) watercolour. Other works by Edward Lear (1812–1888), Louis Ducros (1748–1810) and local artists representing the same subject were also on display. The museum exhibited

1950-545: Was a Maltese artist, considered Malta's foremost sculptor of the twentieth century. His career unfolded almost entirely in Rome, where he resided from 1900 till 1936. Despite his stable residence in Rome, Sciortino maintained strong connections with Malta, where he was commissioned several public monuments, and where its bronzes where later acquired by the Fine Arts Museum. Sciortino's work reflects several artistic movements, including Realism and Futurism , as well as

2000-573: Was buried at Saint John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta. From 1808 to 1820, the British military authorities occupied the building without paying any rent. In 1821, the building was officially leased to the naval authorities as the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet , becoming known as Admiralty House . The building received various notable personalities as residents or guests, including Lord Mountbatten , Winston Churchill , King George V and Queen Elizabeth. The building

2050-474: Was concluded that further development of the buildings would not be appropriate and the three joined houses are not adequate to host the entire ministry with its necessities and to accommodate roughly 200 people as working staff. The Ministry for Tourism has moved to new premises in 233, Republic Street, and the Malta Tourism Authority is set to move to Smart City , so the use of Admiralty House after

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2100-417: Was constructed from limestone quarried at Floriana . De Sousa died in 1782, and from 1783 to 1785 the house was divided into several apartments. It was subsequently converted back to a single residence, and was again let to a number of knights. Throughout its history, the house was known by a number of names depending on its occupants, including Maison Arifat , Casa de Guerche and Maison Fleurigny . In

2150-692: Was given a commission for a sculpture representing Il lavoratore (The worker) for the Casa del Popolo in Rome. In 1909 Sciortino worked on " Irredentism " which was exhibited in Venice. It is an allegorical representation of Italy, completed with the sentence from Dante's Inferno " sì com'a Pola, presso del Carnaro / ch'Italia chiude e suoi termini bagna " (as in Pula , near Kvarner , which closes Italy and wets its borders). Writing in Vita d'Arte , art critic Ettore Cozzani defined it

2200-520: Was going through, and the international political events. In 1936 the British Academy of Arts in Rome had to close due to political conflicts over the Italian invasion of Abyssinia . This caused Sciortino to resign from the position he held within the academy and to return to Malta where, on 3 May 1937, he was appointed curator and inspector of fine arts at the then Malta Museum . He spent his last years of life committed to saving Malta's cultural heritage from

2250-512: Was handed over to the Government of Malta in 1961. The building was subsequently restored and on 7 May 1974 it was inaugurated by Minister Agatha Barbara as the National Museum of Fine Arts . Among those present were the director of the museum, Francis Mallia, and the President of Malta, Anthony Mamo . Plans to move the museum from Admiralty House to Auberge d'Italie began in 2013, and it

2300-502: Was managed by Heritage Malta . The National Museum of Fine Arts, at the Admiralty House , was inaugurated by Minister of Education and Culture Agatha Barbara on 7 May 1974. In 2013, plans began to be made to move the museum from Admiralty House to Auberge d'Italie . In September 2014, it was announced that the move will occur and the new museum would be called MUŻA (from the Maltese acronym Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Arti ). The museum at Admiralty House closed down on 2 October 2016, and

2350-428: Was moved and put on display in the new National Community Art Museum, MUŻA (from the Maltese acronym Muż ew Nazzjonali tal- A rti ), located at Auberge d’Italie in Valletta. Its collection had previously formed part of the National Museum at Auberge de Provence . Following the split, the museum at the auberge was left with archaeological artifacts, and it was renamed the National Museum of Archaeology . The museum

2400-421: Was offered Italian citizenship but chose to keep the British one. How Sciortino thought about Italian fascism—he lived through the birth of this movement, and how he associated it and thought about the Maltese national movement. Of interest is the loyalty to England; this when compared to many Maltese art students, who in the last years that Sciortino was in Rome were going to study there on scholarships granted by

2450-526: Was officially announced that the move will occur and the new museum would be called MUŻA (from the Maltese acronym Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Arti ) in September 2014. In early 2013, plans were made to transfer the Ministry for Tourism and the Malta Tourism Authority into Admiralty House and two nearby buildings ( Casa Scaglia and 8, Old Mint Street ) after the transfer of the museum. In November, of that year, it

2500-511: Was reconstructed in the Baroque style for the Portuguese knight Fra Raimondo de Sousa y Silva. From 1821 to 1961, the building was the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet , hence the name Admiralty House . Admiralty House is located at South Street in Valletta. Apart from the museum itself, the area contains several fine historical palaces dating from the times of

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