Decorated art historian and curator, Prof. Keith Sciberras, has been named the awardee of the 2024 Gold Medal, bestowed by the Malta Society of Arts in a tradition that first began in 1896.
“The Malta Society of Arts is awarding its prestigious Gold Medal for 2024 to Profs. Keith Sciberras in recognition of his achievements in the field of History of Art and his contribution towards the conservation of Palazzo de La Salle,” it announced.
A professor of art history at the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Malta, which he led between 2012 and 2022, Prof. Sciberras is also the Rector’s Delegate for the University’s Historic Buildings and works of art, responsible for the UM Gallery of Art.
He has published extensively on Roman Baroque sculpture and Italian Baroque painting, including essays in leading academic journals and several books. His work has led to the identification of significant works in Malta by prominent figures in Italian art, including Alessandro Algardi, Ciro Ferri, Domenico Guidi, Gio Batta Contini, Antonio Arrighi, and Vincenzo Pacetti.
His work on Baroque painting, which focused on Caravaggio, Mattia Preti, and other key figures of art in Malta, has significantly shaped our understanding of Caravaggio’s final years, especially his time in Naples, Malta, and Sicily.
The award ceremony will take place on Thursday 5th December, where the President of Malta, H.E Myriam Spiteri Debono, will hand over the medal, whose past recipients include artist Austin Camilleri (2023), maestro Michael Laus (2022), artist Gabriel Caruana (2014), tenor Joseph Calleja (2007), architect Richard England (1984) and artist Emvin Cremona (1963).
Photo: Prof Keith Sciberras via Treasures from Malta podcast / Facebook
