View of Cottonera from the Valletta Marina

Alternate title

The Grand Harbour from the Marina

Artist Giorgio Pullicino 1779 - 1851

Date1790-1810

Classification(s)

Art / Drawings

Object TypeDrawing

Registration NumberMMM 004755

DescriptionA drawing by Giorgio Pullicino (1779-1851). This drawing serves as a good historic document in itself due to the detail it goes into. At the foreground, the hustle and bustle of port activities along the Valletta Waterfront occupy the majority of the space. A myriad of ships and boats, including two speronara, punctuate the harbour. In the background, on the right-hand side of the drawing there is the fountain of Wignacourt with the statue of Neptune. Pullicino executed this seascape drawing more than once.

The composition follows a structure typical of Pullicino's works: the horizon is placed at the centreline, dividing the composition in two. Most of the activity is concentrated on the lower half of the drawing, contrasting with the void of the sky, apart from some outline drawings of clouds. In this drawing one is able to appreciate the draughtsman interpretation of the view with its linear simplicity.Technique

Pen and ink on graphite on paper

Dimensions76.7 x 107cm (framed); 41.2 x 71.8cm (unframed)

Alternate ID Numbers