Mattia Preti, il Cavaliere Calabrese (Taverna, Calabria 1613-1699 Valletta, Malta)

This ‘fine expression of Preti’s rugged piety’ has been dated by John Spike to the decade between 1675 and 1685, a period of intense activity for the painter, following his arrival in Malta (op. cit.). It shows the Risen Christ bearing the Cross and presenting His wounds to the viewer. This picture perfectly demonstrates the combination of Caravaggesque chiaroscuro, expressive realism and grand theatricality that came to characterise the artist’s dramatic mature style.