Our churches and chapels in Art

The idea here is to examine different aspects of how people look at these Holy buildings, that is how individuals Paint their images of them, make models of them and how they are presented to us through philately. Most of the representations are really artistic, some may be whimsical and some the fruit of a lot of patience on the part of hobbyists.

All images below are the copyright of the artists or owners.

Paintings

JOSEPH CASSAR: A special calendar of Malta was being sold a few decades ago made up of wayside watercolor images of chapels painted by JOSEPH CASSAR of Hamrun who was a leading professional photographer and a good artist.

EDWARD ABELA: This Maltese ex-patriate who lives in Canada, produces fine paintings depicting different subjects, some showing different churches and chapels around the Maltese Islands.

CEDRIC GALEA PIROTTA: Among the paintings in oils and acrylic of the young Maltese artist are some which depict Maltese and Gozitan churches and chapels. He brings out weathered Malta limestone beautifully.

JACQUELINE AGIUS: is an online artist friend part of the group Hbieb Kappelli Maltin. Her work is in watercolor and brings to life the beauty of our rural Chapels.

MARIS ZAMMIT: She is another watercolor artist from Malta who paints pictures of Maltese Churches and Wayside Chapels.

GUZEPPI THEUMA: He is also an artist friend of the Kappelli group. He makes exquisite drawings of Maltese Chapels.

ARTHUR BRITCH: He is an Architect in the UK and has approached Maltese Churches and Chapels from the view of appreciation of architecture especially Baroque. He does architectural drawings of the facades.

MY OWN: These are the few churches and chapels I’ve painted in acrylics myself: The parish church of St.Cajetan at Hamrun, the St.Cajetan wayside chapel at Marsaskala and the chapel of Porto Salvo in Hamrun where I was an altar server and where we later got married.

Philately

One can find most of the history of the Maltese islands depicted in our Postage Stamps. Churches and wayside chapels figure in many of them over the years.

Models

Artists and hobbyists have from time to time made 3D models of Maltese churches. The scope, finish, and media used varies. A special hobby group with a specific subject of Churches, statues and church paraphernalia conducts its own shows and activities. Below are models made of wood, matchsticks, styrofoam, transparent plastic, local limestone and even chocolate!

Models by Angelo Fenech:

Angelo who is retired has experience in the woodwork trade, also a love for wayside chapels. In his enthusiasm he is making models of these chapels in wood with the help of photos. He has finished a set of Naxxar chapels from the town of his birthplace and he has started on a set of Birkirkara chapels, the town where he lives. His aim is to build models of all the chapels of Malta.

Two models in Malta Stone by John Grima