Ġużeppi Briffa

Ġużeppi Briffa (12 May 1901 – 13 January 1987) was a Maltese painter and one of the most prominent ecclesiastical artists produced by Malta in the twentieth century. He is best known for his large-scale decorative schemes in parish churches across Malta and Gozo, particularly dome and ceiling paintings, many of which remain among the most important examples of Maltese sacred art of the period.

Early life and family

Ġużeppi Briffa was born in Birkirkara on 12 May 1901, the second child of Giuseppe and Carmela (née Sammut). He grew up in an artistic environment, as both his grandfather Francesco and his father earned their living as church decorators. From a very young age Briffa showed an aptitude for drawing and painting, and by the age of three he was already assisting his father by mixing colours.

Education and artistic training

Briffa received his early education in Birkirkara and later studied at St Elmo School of Art. During the First World War, in 1916, he enlisted in the Royal Malta Artillery, serving as a clerk. Despite his military service, he continued to practise drawing, attracting the attention of his superiors, including Major A. E. James, who encouraged him to pursue art seriously.

After leaving St Elmo, Briffa trained under the renowned Maltese painter Edward Caruana Dingli, then teaching at the School of Art in Valletta. He also studied drawing and colour under Giuseppe Duca. His early promise was confirmed by portrait work, notably a portrait of Canon Alfons Borg, which led to further ecclesiastical commissions.

In 1926 Briffa was awarded a scholarship by the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, enabling him to study at the Accademia Regia di Belle Arti in Rome. He remained in Rome until 1930, also attending the British Academy of Art, concentrating on portraiture, colour, and the study of the nude.

Career

Upon returning to Malta, Briffa rapidly established himself as one of the leading young painters of his generation. In the early 1930s, following the deaths of Giuseppe Calì and Lazzaro Pisani, he emerged as a principal figure in church decoration.

One of his earliest major commissions was for the Augustinian convent in Gozo, completed between 1930 and 1932, which earned him widespread recognition. In 1934 he completed the ambitious decoration of the ceiling and dome of the Basilica of Senglea (L-Isla), depicting the Maltese victory during the Great Siege of 1565. This work was entirely destroyed during the Second World War bombing of the church.

Between 1938 and 1939 Briffa completed what is widely regarded as his finest surviving decorative work: the dome and pendentives of the Parish Church of St George, Qormi. Art historian Mario Buhagiar has described this cycle as technically and chromatically superior to Briffa’s work in several other churches, praising its monumental composition and dynamic movement.

Works

Briffa was an exceptionally prolific artist. His sacred works include extensive decorative schemes and altarpieces in numerous churches, among them the Parish Church of St George, Qormi, the Sanctuary of Madonna tal-Ħerba, Birkirkara, the Parish Church of St Helen, Birkirkara, Parish Churches of Kerċem and Santa Luċija, Gozo, the Basilica of Ta’ Pinu, Gozo, the Parish Church of Nadur, Gozo, the Parish Churches of San Ġwann, Ħal Kirkop, Gżira, and others.

In addition to sacred art, Briffa also produced secular works, including portraits and anatomical studies, though these were often executed privately for friends. He was known as a skilled portraitist and a master of the nude.

Other activities

Briffa worked as an art restorer at the National Museum of Fine Arts and also taught art. In 1977 a set of three Maltese postage stamps depicting the armour of the Knights of St John was issued, based on his designs.

Personal life

In 1931 Briffa married Rożina Muscat of Birkirkara. The couple had seven children, none of whom pursued a professional artistic career.

Death

Ġużeppi Briffa continued working well into old age and remained active as an artist until his eighties. He died on 13 January 1987, aged 85.

Legacy

Ġużeppi Briffa is regarded as one of the finest Maltese painters of the twentieth century, particularly in the field of ecclesiastical art. His surviving works continue to form a central part of Malta’s artistic and religious heritage.

Major works

Year(s)	Work	Location	Notes
1923	The Nativity and The Presentation of the Virgin	Sanctuary of Madonna tal-Ħerba, Birkirkara	Early major ecclesiastical commission following portrait of Canon Alfons Borg
Late 1920s	Altarpieces and sacred paintings	Parish Church of St Helen, Birkirkara	Early parish commissions contributing to scholarship award
1926–1930	Various student works and exhibitions	Rome, Italy	Produced during studies at the Accademia Regia di Belle Arti and British Academy of Art
1930–1932	Decorative paintings	Augustinian Convent, Victoria (Rabat), Gozo	Established Briffa as a leading young church painter
1934	Ceiling and dome paintings depicting the Great Siege of 1565	Basilica of Senglea (L-Isla)	Destroyed during World War II bombing
1938	Dome and pendentives (The Moorish Attack of 1429)	Parish Church of St George, Qormi	Widely regarded as Briffa’s finest surviving decorative work
Late 1930s–1940s	Complete decorative scheme	Parish Church of San Pawl tal-Wied, Birkirkara	Ceiling and wall paintings
1940s	Complete decorative scheme	Parish Church of San Ġwann	Includes titular and lateral paintings
1940s	Complete decorative scheme	Parish Church of Ħal Kirkop	Major parish decoration
1940s	Complete decorative scheme	Parish Church of Gżira	Large-scale ecclesiastical commission
1940s	Complete decorative scheme	Parish Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus	Nadur, Gozo. Includes titular painting and full interior decoration
1940s	Complete decorative scheme	Parish Church of Santa Luċija	Kerċem, Gozo. Full interior decoration
1940s	Complete decorative scheme	Parish Church of the Assumption	Kerċem, Gozo. Often grouped with Santa Luċija works
1950s	Mosaic designs (executed by others)	Basilica of Ta’ Pinu, Gozo	Cartoons and designs prepared by Briffa for mosaic execution
1960s	Arzelli and lateral paintings	Church of Sant’Antnin	Għajnsielem, Gozo. Late-career ecclesiastical work
1977	Designs for postage stamps depicting Knights of St John armour	Malta (national issue)	Issued as a set of three stamps

Sources

Article by Dr Joseph F. Grima

Article by Chev. Frank Borda Vassallo