Two early cinquecento Renaissance polyptychs by Antonio de Saliba on Sicily and Malta: an art-historical and scientific investigationtion

Abstract

This study focuses on two Renaissance polyptychs that were produced by Antonio (1466/7–c. 1535) and Giovanni de Saliba (doc. 1461–1517?), referred to in this study as the Taormina Polyptych (1503–04) and the Rabat Polyptych (1510–15). Through art-historical research and scientific analyses, this study sheds light on their original visual completion and manufacturing techniques. The Taormina Polyptych, located at the Cathedral of St Nicholas of Bari in Taormina, Sicily, underwent thorough on-site examination, revealing details overlooked in prior studies. A two-dimensional digital reconstruction, the creation of which was aided by early 20^th century photographs, provided insights into its original appearance. The Rabat Polyptych, once situated in the Franciscan Observant Church in Rabat, Malta, faced dismemberment in 1785, leading to challenges in reconstruction. By analysing historical documents and employing digital reconstruction techniques, the original framework was hypothesised. Scientific studies, including histological and stratigraphic analyses of wood and pigment samples respectively, carried out on two newly discovered predella panels from the Rabat Polyptych, provided insight on Antonio de Saliba's techniques. The digital reconstructions and insights into manufacturing techniques contribute to scholarship on Antonio’s works in the context of Sicilian Renaissance art.