Edward Caruana Dingli claims the lion’s share among artists inspired by women wearing the traditional Maltese għonnella. A previous pictorial explored his colourful take on this peculiar headgear.
But several other painters had fallen under its spell, before and after him. To mention some – Liotard, Favray, Houel, Whitmore, Fenech, Brockdorf and Bellanti.
One of the few paintings by Robert Caruana Dingli which features marginally an ‘għonnella’.More or less contemporary with Caruana Dingli we find equally valid painters, but not all seem to have exploited the pictorial qualities of the għonnella.
A Valletta street corner with woman in ‘għonnella’, by Gianni Vella
Lady in ‘għonnella’, by Gianni Vella
Giuseppe Calì and Giuseppe Calleja bypassed it almost completely.
Caruana Dingli’s equally gifted brother, Robert, who also created some challenging ‘folklore’ compositions, either ignored the faldetta or used it as a marginal prop.
Gozo scene with ‘faldetta’, by Vittorio Boron
Women in ‘għonnella’ in Valletta, by Vittorio Boron
Besides Caruana Dingli, only Gianni Vella, Geo Fürst and Vittorio Boron, to my knowledge, exploited the sombre lure of the faldetta with anything like dedication.
The large Maltese hood silhouetted effortlessly the female profile against its dark fabric backdrop
This is my opportunity to pay homage to Vella (1885-1977), a painter not less talented than the Caruana Dinglis, equally sensitive and sometimes more internalised and forward looking then either of them. His plentiful ‘lore’ production, though still firmly figurative, has meaningfully taken on board some of the French impressionist idioms and of the current democratic ethos.
Market scene, interwar painting by Gianni Vella
Birkirkara open-air market, by Gianni Vella
Of the foreign artists, Boron (1859-1940), an Italian lawyer turned painter, fell under the spell of the large Maltese hood that silhouetted effortlessly the female profile against its dark fabric backdrop.
Line drawing of a street in St Julian’s, 1920s, by Gladys PetoGladys Peto (1890-1977), one of the very few art deco graphic designers to take an interest in Malta, inserted the għonnella in her exquisite line drawings.
Market scene, by Geo Fürst, 1930sSlightly later, the German Fürst (1888-1964) found a place for it in his unique photographs and paintings.
Maltese lady with ‘faldetta’, painting by unknown artist in Raphael Tuck’s series of Malta postcards.It also features in Raphael Tuck’s series of Malta postcards.
All photos from the author’s collection.