Conference : Four Evangelists in the Opus of Mattia Preti

The conference “Four Evangelists in the opus of Matia Pretti” was held on October 16 and 17 2008 in the Restoration Department of the Croatian Conservation Institute in Dubrovnik, with the support of the City of Dubrovnik.

The conference was the initial phase of the international interdisciplinary project with the object of placing two series of oil paintings representing the four Evangelists from the churches Our Lady of Carmel and St. Blaise in the context of opus of the baroque artist Mattia Preti.

A team of experts met in Dubrovnik in order to study the original and to exchange their experiences relevant for the subject of project.

In her introductory speech Mara Kolic Pustic, Restoration Department of Croatian Conservation Institute in Dubrovnik, presented the known paintings representing the Evangelists (two series from Our Lady of Carmel and St. Blaise, Dubrovnik; St. Mark, Cosenza; two copies of Preti’s Evangelists, Malta), the former interventions and perceptions from the conservation-restoration point of view.

A colleague, Carlo Lalli from the chemistry laboratory of Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence presented the results of preliminary analyses of samples which, contrary to the expectations, do not place the paintings in Malta and therefore open new questions and a need to re-examine former perceptions.

Mario Braun, Croatian Conservation Institute, Zagreb, presented the results of non-destructive research methods comparing two series of Evangelists from Dubrovnik.

Prof. Zeljko Pekovic, architect, explained particular phases of the church Our Lady of Carmel revealing contours of very complex oval baroque concept of space and the art historian Nancy von Breska Ficovic, Ph.D., referred to the concept of baroque interior and the known series of paintings representing the Evangelists by adding the painting representing the Evangelist St. Luke and some information about the sale on the market of antiques in Munich.

The art historian Theresa Vella, M.A., Heritage Malta, presented the copies of Preti’s Evangelists located in Malta from the time when the artist was still alive, also referring to the Pretti’s Maltese opus. Two already known copies of St. John and St. Mark were completed with the rediscovery of two other Evangelists, St. Matthew and St. John, also in the private collection in Sliema.

At the end, prof. John T. Spike revealed the existence of painting representing St. John, another Evangelist from the series of which St. Mark from Cosenza would also be part. He also presented the chronology of Preti’s phases and the series of paintings from Dubrovnik should be placed within that chronology on the basis of multidisciplinary approach.

The following day was reserved for the visit of the church Our Lady of Carmel (altar paintings), the church St. Blaise, the Archive, the Dominican and Franciscan collections and the collection of the Rector’s Palace.

Prof. John T. Spike already before attributed one of the paintings from the Dominican Monastery to Gregorio Preti, brother of Mattia Preti. Carlo Lalli agreed with that attribution basing his opinion on his reach experience in the work with Preti’s paintings. This discovery is very interesting for the project because of a multidisciplinary study of Evangelists from Dubrovnik and the way and the reason of their purchase and delivery to Dubrovnik.

After the analysis of original paintings from Dubrovnik by all members of the team in the planned project this conference resulted in the exchange of information and experiences and it also opened new subjects and questions, therefore it has shown all the potential of the project “Four Evangelists in the Opus of Mattia Preti” of which this conference was imagined as the initial phase.