Unique Exhibition of Important Crucifixes Spanning the 15th to the 21st Centuries at the Mdina Cathedral Museum

Art and popular culture have always captured the crucifixion of Christ as one of the most atrocious acts of punishment in the history of mankind. That crucial moment has been vastly represented by artists over the centuries, making the crucifix a principal symbol for all Christian denominations.

Since the Roman Empire era all the way to modern times, the crucifixion has been featured on all imaginable media: from the earliest wall graffiti to the most majestic architecture, from fine art to film and television.

As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, the Mdina Cathedral Museum is presenting ‘The Human turned Divine’, an exhibition of important crucifixes spanning the 15th to the 21st centuries.

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The items on display, many of which are being exhibited for the first time, come from private, public and ecclesiastical collections. The works of art are in media such as silver, ivory, bronze, wood and plaster, with the most recent being HD video and sound.

European masterpieces from the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo periods mix with sculptures by Antonio Sciortino, Josef Kalleya, George Borg and contemporary Maltese artists in this landmark event of the 2019 artistic calendar.

The exhibition, curated by art historian Maria Cassar B.A. (Hons), M.A., will be accompanied by an illustrated publication and catalogue of the exhibits, including research and a description of each work.

The event also marks the 25th anniversary of an exhibition held in 1994 titled ‘The Crucifix: Public Cult and Private Devotion in Malta’, then commemorating the Museum’s 25th anniversary and curated by Mgr Rev Dr Edgar Vella, today’s Museum Director.

The exhibition runs between Friday 25 October and Saturday 30 November 2019 at the Mdina Cathedral Museum, during Museum hours (9.30 – 16.15).