Giuseppe Cali

(Maltese, 1846-1930)

Portrait of an officer's grey charger, almost certainly of the 10th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) (Bengal) Lancers, Malta, 1878

Footnotes

One of Malta's greatest artists, Giuseppi Calì was born in Valetta to Neapolitan parents. He studied in Naples under Giuseppe Mancinelli (1812-1875) and returned to Malta to ply his trade. So prolific was he that almost every church in Malta has a work by him and he was known and as "The Devil with the brush". In addition to his religious works he also painted genre subjects and portraits. Calì was so revered in Malta that he was commemorated with a series of postage stamps in 1996 and a coin in 2004. There is a statue of the artist at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valetta.

The Bengal Lancers were sent to Malta in 1878. It was the first time that Indian troops had been deployed in Europe and a number of paintings of the subject are in existence. The regiment arrived in Malta on 6th June and pitched camp at San Antonio. As with the present horse portrait, Cali was presumably commissioned to paint the officer in the painting sold at Christie's South Kensington, 3 May 2003, Lot 175 as "Portrait of a Native Officer of the 13th Bengal Lancers whilst stationed in Malta". Two works by G. Gianni are also in public collections; "10th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) (Bengal) Lancers, Malta, 1878" in the National Army Museum Collection and "The Artillery and Cavalry Camp at San Antonio, Malta" in the Crown Estate Collection.