| Briffa Alfred [b.1953] Born in Birkirkara on the 20th of March, 1953. He studied art at the Malta Government School of Arts under Carmelo Mangion (1967-72) and St. Joseph Technical Institute under Ganni Bonnici. Briffa furthered his studies at the Istituto Centrale del Restauro, Rome (1977), and the Accademia di Belle Arti, Rome (1980-81) He was involved in several restoration works, mostly in churches. He restored frescoes at Tad-Dejr and the mosaics at the Roman Villa, Rabat. In 1999 he took part in the Florence Italy Biennale and his work was chosen for the exhibition�s official poster. He is married to Helen Sillato. Works: Birkirkara. Floriana. Marsa. Haz-Zabbar. |
| The Immaculate Conception [1993] Church or the Lourdes Madonna Floriana |
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Briffa Guzeppi [1901-1987] Born in Birkirkara on the 12th of May 1901. At a very early age, with the help of Major A.E.James, he joined the St. Elmo School (where Guze Duca was teaching design) and there started his art education. In 1923, his grandfather, commissioned him to draw Canon Alphonse Borg. The Provost being very pleased with the result, invited him to paint two large panels for the Tal-Herba Chapel, Birkirkara. He attended the Regia Accademia di Belle Artii in Rome (1925) and when he returned to Malta in 1930, was commissioned to paint two enormous lateral panels for the Augustinian Church in Gozo. His greatest commission was to paint the ceiling and dome for the Senglea Basilica, which was completed in 1934. This was totally destroyed by enemy action in 1942. In 1931 he married Rosina Muscat and had two sons and five daughters. In 1965 he was made Knight of the Sovereign Order of St.John of Jerusalem. He died on the 13th of January 1987. Works: [Malta] Birkirkara. Floriana. Gharghur. Gzira. Hamrun. Kirkop. Marsascala. Mdina. Mosta. Naxxar. Qormi. Rabat. San Gwann. San Pawl il-Bahar. Senglea. Valletta. Haz-Zabbar. [Gozo] Ghajnsielem. Gharb. Kercem. Nadur. Santa Lucija. Victoria Xewkija |
| The Mystic Marriage Saint Joseph Chapel. Haz-Zabbar |
Buhagiar Aloysio [1696-1769] Aloysio Buhagiar is also known as Luigi or Alessio. He was baptized in the Parish of Porto Salvo in Valletta. He was ordained a priest but it appears that art was his main interest. During his artistic carrier he met Nicolo Nasoni of Siena and, having had misunderstandings with him, he considered him an enemy. So much so, that scribbling on the ceiling of the Grandmaster�s Palace he showed him in bad light. We know that he restored, or rather, repainted two important 12th Century Madonna Icons, The Damaxxena, and The Eleimonitria Madonna. He died on the 30th of December 1769 and is buried in the Church of St. Paul�s Shipwreck in Valletta. Works: Attard. Valletta. |
| The Ascension into Heaven (detail) Carmelite Church. Valletta |
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Buhagiar Gian Nicola [1698-1752] Born on the 17th of May 1698, in Haz-Zebbug, son of Paquale Buhagiar, a baroque inspired artist and Eleonora Buttigieg. Gian Nicola looked for his artistic formation elsewhere following the direction of Guiseppi D�Arena. His artistic trends became tied up with the Neapolitan Baroque. In 1791 he married Anna Maria Cachia and had three children, Maria, Eleonora and Ferdinand, who became a priest. He was a great friend of Francesco Zahra and was godparent to his daughter Blandina. He died on the 21st of March, 1752 and was buried in the Carmelite Church in Valletta. Works: [ Malta] Birkirkara. Burmarrad. Coscipua. Floriana. Ghaxaq. Mqabba. Naxxar. Qrendi. Rabat. Safi. Senglea. Siggiewi.Valletta. Vittoriosa. Haz-Zabbar. Haz-Zebbug. Zejtun. [Gozo] Gharb. Victoria. Xewkija. |
| The Sacred Heart of Jesus [1729] Haz-Zabbar Parish Church Haz-Zabbar |
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Buhagiar Pasquale [1648-1698] Born in Haz-Zebbug, son of Antonio and Magdalena Farrugia. He was primarily a stone sculptor but is traditionaly better known as a painter. He studied arts under Domenico Guidi. On the 24th of January 1689 he married Eleonora Buttigieg. Among his children we find the famous Gian Nicola Buhagiar Works: [Malta] Attard. Marsaxlokk. Mosta. [Gozo] Xaghra. |
| Santa Maria Attard Parish Church Attard |
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Buhagiar Rocco [1723-1805] It appears that this painter was born in Cospicua. When he was still young he settled in Valletta with his brother. From the Mdina Cathedral Archives we find that he studied under Enrico Regnaud. Although his art lacked imagination he was more competent than his master and much more prolific. This is evident by the numerous works found in Maltese churches. Between 1777 and 1790 he directed the redecoration of the Church of Saint James in Valletta. He did not make money out of his hard work and spent his last days living with the monks of Santa Theresa in Cospicua. There he died, in poverty, on the 10th of July 1805 and was buried in the Crypt of the same monastery. Works: [ Malta] Balzan. Birkirkara. Cospicua. Floriana. Gharghur. Ghaxaq. Kalkara. Mosta. Naxxar. Qrendi. Senglea. Siggiewi. Tarxien. Valletta. Vittoriosa. Haz-Zabbar. Haz-Zebbug. Zejtun. [Gozo] Nadur. Qala. Sannat. Victoria. Xaghra. Xewkija. |
| Saint Calcedonius Zejtun Parish Church Zejtun |
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Busuttil Clemente [1810-1883] The youngest son of Michele Busuttil and Maria Antonia Buhagiar. In 1893 he married Theresa Cassar from Rabat, Gozo and settled there. He designed several funerary tablets for the Gozo Cathedral and in 1861 he started teaching design in the Rabat, Gozo, Government School. Works: [Gozo] Nadur. Victoria. |
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| Ex-voto (Votive Painting) Manresa Chapel. Victoria.Gozo. |
Busuttil Luigi [1801-1878] Born in Valletta in 1801, he was the third born son of Michele Busuttil and Maria Antonia Buhagiar. Took up art under the competent direction of his father. He opened a bric-a-brac shop in Theatre Street, Valletta from where he sold paintings and engravings. He married Rosaria Caruana who died young and remarried to Emilia Cassar (1838) from Rabat, Gozo. There he spent the rest of his life. He died on the 28th of January 1878 and was buried in the Gozo Cathedral. Works: [Malta] Zejtun. [Gozo] Sannat. |
| The Baptism of Publius [1819] Zejtun Parish Museum Zejtun |
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Busuttil Michele [1762-1831] Born in Zejtun on the 14th of June 1762, son of Clemente and Rosa Magro. Learnt art under Rocco Buhagiar and in 1780 joined the Academia di San Luca, Rome where he furthered his studies. Although he was influenced greatly by the Neapolitan Neo-Classic, he remains essentially Baroque. In 1794, he married Maria Antonia Buhagiar from Rabat, Gozo and had five children. In 1800 he was elected professor for the Arts in the Faculty of Architecture in the Malta University. At that time Francesco Saverio Caruana was the Rector. He was financially well off and owned good property in Gozo, where he lived for a long time. He died on the 31st of October 1831 in his last residence, No 1 Saint Michael Street, Valletta and was buried in the Church of St. Paul�s Shipwreck, Valletta, in the family grave. Works: [Malta] Lija. Tarxien. Vittoriosa. Haz-Zabbar. Zejtun. [Gozo] Fontana. Ghajnsielem. Gharb. Victoria. Zebbug |
| The Sacred Heart of Jesus Zejtun Parish Church Zejtun |
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Busuttil Salvatore [1798-1854] Born n Valletta on the 29th of January 1798, son of Michele Busuttil. In 1817, Mons. Francesco Saverio Caruana asked Governor Thomas Maitland to award Salvatore with a scholarship and in 1818 he was accepted in the Accademia di San Luca and settled in Rome. There he married Cristina Centamori and bought a house in which to live. Occasionally, from Rome, he sent canvases to Malta and many of them are still to be admired in the Grandmaster�s Palace in Valletta. These treated mainly academic, mythological themes. He died on the19th of August 1854 and was buried in the Verano Cemetery, Italy. Works: [Gozo] Kercem |
| Madonna with Saint Gregory [1854] Kercem Parish Church. Kercem Gozo |
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Busuttil Toussaint [1912-1994] Better known as Tus�, he was born in Zejtun on the 8 of January 1912, son of Giovanni and Maria Caruana. He studied art with sculptor Emmanuel Xuereb and the well-known painters, Lazzaro Pisani and Caruana Dingli. He took a four-year academic course at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome and won a prize in the Calderon Contest, organized by the British Academy. He married Giaele Gatt. Amongst his works outside churches we find the decorations of the Great Hall in the Auberge d�Aragon, the Manoel Theatre and in many private collections. He died on the 6th of January 1994 and was buried at the Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery. Works: [Malta] Ghaxaq. Luqa. Marsaxlokk. Mosta. Sliema. Haz- Zabbar. Zejtun. [Gozo] Sannat |
| The Holy Family [bozzetto] Zabbar Sanctuary Museum. Haz-Zabbar |
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