The Visit

Semester 1, Task 1

Date: 12th November, 2016

Venue: Palazzo Falson, Imdina

The Works of Art

'Untitled' by Olof Gollcher

Gollcher. O (n.d), Untitled (oil on canvas), Mdina, Palazzo Falson

This is one of Olof Gollcher’s (1889 – 1962) oil paintings on canvas exhibited in his studio, along with his tools, paint and brushes. In this painting, Gollcher places a fountain right in the centre of the image. He wants the viewer’s attention on it, guided by the single point perspective of the shot. The colours of his choice he used to illustrate are blue, red and yellow, essentially the primary colours. On this image, they coexist in unity and harmony to visually portray the quiet atmosphere of the location. After all, the primary colours are equidistant to each other on the colourwheel.

'Untitled' by Olof Gollcher

Gollcher. O (n.d), Untitled (oil on canvas), Mdina, Palazzo Falson

Once again, Gollcher utilizes primary colours to showcase his style on a scene involving a street next to a beach, rocks and buildings from the 19th century. The oars in the foreground immediately steal our attention, due to the bright red colour of its nature. Our attention also wavers towards the red boats, on the right of the oars, which contrast against the white colour of beach. The painting also includes an old tower, reminiscent of a style that the Order of St. John built upon. We can see a comparion between the tower and the buildings closer to us; the Tower is old, has more complicated geometry and colour has a darker shade, while the 19th century ‘new’ buildings have a simpler shape and brighter whites .

'Untitled' by Olof Gollcher

Gollcher. O (n.d), Untitled (oil on canvas), Mdina, Palazzo Falson

Gollcher’s third painting in the studio borrows the style of the other two paintings. Gollcher displays his style in Red, yellow and blue with an impressionist vibe, demonstrated by the economic strokes and lack of fine detail given to the scene. Gollcher illustrates with simple shapes, arches and curves with minimal use of straight lines. Also, he cleverly utilizes the archway to frame the furnaces, essentailly drawing a frame within the frame of the painting.

'The Swalan' by Girolamo Gianni, 1848

Gianni. G, The Swalan J.C Master Entering Malta, 3 November 1848   
(oil on canvas), Mdina, Palazzo Falson

Girolamo Gianni’s art style is completely different from Gollcher’s, evident from the fine details that the artist illustrates onto the canvas. He paints two fisherman in the foreground, occupied by their everyday tasks. In the background lies the Grand Harbor, with the bastions of the cities standing strong on the rock. But in the middle ground, the Swalan is portrayed with a grandiose fashion, demanding the viewer’s attention. The ship dominates the painting, without occupying most of the landscape space offered by the canvas, marking the arrival of Olof Gollcher’s family in Malta, in one of the ships that his grandfather owned. The painting is bustling with subtle details which aren’t noticed at first glance. This painting The Swalan was one of three ships of the same name constructed in different years.

'Fomm er-Riħ' by Edward Lear, 1866

 Lear. E, (1866). Fomm er-Riħ (water colours on paper),  Mdina, Palazzo Falson

This painting was gift to Olof Gollcher from Sir Harry Luke, a Luietenant governor of Malta (1930-1938). It was was illustrated by Edward Lear (1812 – 1888) with water colours and pen on paper in 1866. Lear never missed an opportunity to sketch and record impressions of various places in journals or his letters home. The artist uses blue and yellow colours, which are complementary to each other, sitting on opposites sides of the colourwheel. Yellow and orange dominate the composition of the image, shaadding on the viewer the warmth of the Maltese Summer. The smooth texture of the watercolours also give the impression of an atmosphere of peaceful harmony.

The Works of Design

During a visit to Palazzo Falson, in Imdina, I came across a vast collection of masterfully crafted antiques. The house was the former residence of Captain Olof Gollcher and his family, during the 19th Century. I will mention five different examples of these artifacts, elaborating on the element of design found in them.

The Silverware in the Strongroom

Silverware, Palazzo Falson Collection. 2016

A small portion of the eight hundred pieces of silverware which belonged to the Gollcher family can be found in the strongroom. These pieces include Maltese, English and continental designs. The silver flatware bears the baroque style coats of arms of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta, among other magnificent 19th century pieces. Also, the three hooved silver coffe pot was crafted by the Maltese silversmith Michele Callejja. Most notable is the silver ship known as the Nef, meaning ship in French, which is a table ornament used to house the salt and napkins. It was crafted by the Savory Brothers, 1885. The ornament is engraved with fine details, composed of thin lines to mimick the texture of wooden hull, while a pattern of intricate fleur de lys decorate the silver sails. The circular spokes.wheels of the Nef are also crafted with great attention to detail

The ‘Swalan’ Ship model in the Landing

Scale Model of the 'Swalan'. Palazzo Falson Collection. 2016

This wooden ship model is one of several in ship models found in the Landing, beneath a painting by Girolamo Gianni of the same ship. Olof Gollcher was even interested in building ship models, however the ‘Swalan’ ship model may have been gifted to his family. This model represents a ship type which was in use by the middle of the 19th century, and the model itself might have been constructed decades later in the early 20th century

Gold Filigree Hair Comb (Filugran/Ganutell)

Gold Filigree Comb (centre), Palazzo Falson Collection. 2016

Filigree work has a long history of production in the Maltese Islands and this gold filigree hair comb is a perfect example of precision and skill applied to an object of function. Thin fine wire is used to craft such artifacts. The wire is usually silver or gold, that can be manipulated into intricate motifs and designs.  The filigree a work used to decorate this hair comb is crafted in such a manner as to resemble a festoon of flowers, buds and leaves. The countless twists of wire gives the item a continous texture of elegance and an organic shape to the inorganic material. Examples of filigree works were displayed at the Malta Stand in the Great Exhibition of London in 1851, and recieved positive reviews in the official Exhibition catalogue.  

Folding Fan in the Sitting Room

Folding Fans, Palazzo Falson Collection. 2016

Fans have previously been a stereotypical fashion accessory reserved for the aristocratic society. However, by the 18th century they had became accessible to virtually all classes, and with the invention of lithography they became cheaper to produce and more abundant. These fans featured thematic reflections upon developments in the fine and decorative arts of the period as well as inspired by the historical and cultural events that occured in that generation. These fans were crafted during the Victorian era and hence heavily borrow elements from that time. The folding design of the fan was applied to occupy the least space when not in use. 

Mess Plates

Mess Plate. Palazzo Falson Collection. 2016

This plate (1880-1906) illustrates the standard British Navy Mess Plate with what is known in the trade as the "Young Head" and Crown Pattern. The use of intertwined roses, thistles and clover on much of the early mess plates and bowls were to represent the relationship of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The head belongs to King Edward VII (1901-1910). The Bovey Tracy Company produced the blue transfer decal pattern for the Royal Navy. This kind of transfer is called the “flow blue” in the china antique market. Most of the 19th Century british china manufacturers offered these kind of transfers on the porcelian.