Christmas Art

Nativity of our Lord by Raffaele Bonnici Cali.

At the moment I am preparing a two-page spread for a local newspaper about the Nativity in Maltese art and paintings, mainly in our beautiful churches. So over the next few weeks I will be sharing a reflection on some of these paintings. Among the most prolific Maltese painters are Giuseppe Cali, Francesco Zahra, Emvin Cremona, Paul Camilleri Cauchi, Giuseppe Briffa and others. Today I share a painting by Raffaelle Bonnici Cali, who is the nephew of Giuseppe Cali, which is in the church of the Annunciation, run by the Dominican Fathers in Vittoriosa. One can see the signature of the artist and the year 1962 towards the bottom part of the painting. It shows a simple pleasant and peaceful scene with the main characters of the Nativity, all focused on baby Jesus in the manger. While angels hover over the scene,  shepherds reach out, presenting a sheep, as Jesus opens his arms to acknowledge everyone around him. Of course Mary and Joseph dominate the painting as they protectively show their treasured new gift.