Stepping inside the interiors of Malta and Gozo’s churches is not only a sacred experience: it’s also an immersion in splendid art and décor, individually designed elements of design created with skill and thought to a generate an atmosphere of faith, honour and reverence for worship and contemplation. And all too often we see the end-result without stopping to think about those who first envisaged or contributed to the magnificence of these hallowed spaces. , a new exhibition at , Victoria, that runs until June 16, is set to change this.
It showcases for the first time a collection of original hand-drawn designs prepared for Victoria’s Saint George’s Basilica by one of Malta’s finest decorators, Giuseppe Galea (1911-1993). Many of these designs have been donated to the museum by the artist’s family, while others were acquired through sponsorship by Lombard Bank. The museum is adjacent to St George’s Basilica, a beautiful church described as ‘the golden church of Gozo’.
Inside, in contrast to the grandeur of the basilica’s stucco ornamentation, on the simple white and gold walls of the museum, Galea’s sketches, technical considerations and pencil drawings give an insight into the design process, a chapter in the basilica’s development that is easy to overlook. These sketches include those of stained-glass windows, mosaics, a collegial mace – included in the show – and a highly-decorated neoclassical (or base) on which a statue of St George stan.
