This is my first posting regarding my father Dr. Vincenzo Maria Pellegrini...to say the truth I was confused as there are so many biographical articles on him that I was at a loss which one I should choose. Finally I came to the conclusion that as this is my tribute to such a great Personality and he happens to be my father then it is only fair that I include a short Biography. This was written to complement the Middle Sea Insurance 1998 calendar in their series 'Focus On Maltese Art'

Vincenzo Maria Pellegrini (1911-1997)

Dr Vincenzo Maria Pellegrini was born in Valletta (Malta), on the 12th April 1911. He was educated at the Gozo Seminary, then at the Lyceum, Malta, where he had his first studies in Art under Giuseppe Duca (1871-1946) and from where he passed to the University of Malta and graduated as Notary Public and as Doctor of Laws in 1937.

Upon entering university in 1931, he started writing poems, novels, essays, literary studies, articles on art in English, Italian and Maltese many of these appeared in several magazines and publications both locally and abroad. Indeed during his life he published over forty books and has left a large number of unpublished works. This is being said for the attention of scholars who may in future be interested to carry out research on Dr. Pellegrini's work.

Rather than writing on V.M. Pellegrini as an Artist or his Art, I shall expand on his love and contribution towards Maltese Art. He was a Pioneer in promoting Maltese Art.....this in a period when many preferred works by foreign artists to that of Maltese artists.

However it is important to point out the three different periods in his artistic life. Pellegrini had a love great for God the Creator and the creation....both in his poems and paintings he felt the urge to record his inspiration. He also had a great love for the Mother of God and this is shown in what many consider as his Masterpiece, the play 'LA PREDESTINATA' which was presented to the public in 1955 at the Monoel Theatre by the 'Compagnia Filodrammatica Carlo Goldoni' on the occasion of the First Centenary of the 'Dogma of the Immaculate Conception'. The stage designs were carried out by his life time-friend Chev. Emvin Cremona (1919-1987) while the music was composed by his other friend Maestro Carmelo Pace. This period is reflected in the first two painting we are presenting, 'Genesis' and 'Mother of Mankind'.

The second period is the modern one when most Europeans were moving away from the Academic and were venturing into a more intriguing art. This stage is presented with the two paintings 'Cosmic Still Life' and 'Living Still Life'. Finally came the Abstract period when Dr. Pellegrini felt he could express his poetical inspirations and love for Music in Colour...as is shown in the paintings 'Night and Day' and 'Four Seasons'.

Dr. Pellegrini continued painting even in his old age and participated in the Maltafest 1996 Summer Exhibition (which was to be his last), when he exhibited his painting 'Alpha II; he was 85 years old at that time and he passed away on the 1st October 1997.

His first article on Art was in March 1936 in the 'Carmelu' a monthly publication; his article was 'Id-Devozzjoni Fl-Arti'. From then on he was constantly promoting Maltese Art and Artists. In his publications 'La Nuova Crociata di Malta' (from 20th December 1951 to 8th February 1954) and 'La Crociata' (from April 1941 to 1954) he featured paintings and sculptures of Maltese Artists under the sections 'Artisti Nostri' and 'Patrimonio Nazionale'.

He was a founder member with Josef Kalleya (1898-1997) of 'La Scuola del Nudo' and the 'Societa di Belle Arti'. He became more aggressive in his promotion of Maltese Art when he founded the 'Institute for Cultural Exchanges'. He organised exhibitions not only of established artists but also of students who were still studying abroad. The inaugural exhibition in 1957 was of John Bonnici and George Fenech, then followed other exhibitions of Esprit Barthet, Emvin Cremona, Antoine Camilleri, Oliver Agius, Anton Agius, Edward Pirotta (1939-1968), Luis Alberto Miranda Neira, Alfred Chircop, Elizabeth Milne-Home and his own.

Three exhibitions were of such a great standard and interest that one has to point them out individually. In 1960 a commemorative exhibition of the well known artist Lazzaro Pisani (1854-1932). In 1961 an impressive exhibition of works by Chev. Emvin Cremona (1919-1987). Dr Pellegrini delivered a very important address on the opening of this exhibition, which address was published in full by the Crown Agents Stamp Bulletin on the 1st September 1964, and a condensed version under the title 'Malta's Knight of Stamp design' was also published in the Stamp Collecting weekly, Vol. 103 No. 4. (No. 2656) of the 25th September, 1964.

The third exhibtion was the first modern and abstract art exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Anton Agius, John Bonnici, Antoine Camilleri, Gabriel Caruana, Eric Gerada Azzopardi, Gabriel A Pellegrini and Vincenzo Maria Pellegrini. This exhibition was inaugurated by His Excellency the Governor of Malta Sir Maurice Dorman. The art critic of the Times of Malta in the issue of Saturday March 9, 1963 described this exhibition as 'Modern Art Break Through'.

Apart from all this Dr. Pellegrini wrote profusely on Maltese art in leading local and foreign newspapers and magazines. His last work is a book on Lazzaro Pisani which I hope to see published in the near future.

Gabriel A Pellegrini

29.06.1998 (Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul)

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