New Stamp Issue - 150 Anniversary of the Birth of Giuseppe Cali

A four-stamp set of stamps commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Calì is being issued by Posta Limited on Thursday 22nd August.

The 5c stamp features "Harvest Time" and shows a farmer harvesting wheat (1907). The 14c stamp shows a painting of a dog and the 20c stamp depicts the Calì painting "Countrywoman in a Field" (1914). All the paintings were inspired by the naturalistic influence of the Neopolitan artists Palizzi and Rossano.

The 25c stamp features a portrait of Calì by one of his students, Edward Caruana Dingli.

Giuseppe Calì was born to Giovanna Padiglione and Raffaele Calì on the 14th August 1846. Both his parents showed remarkable artistic talents and while still in his early teens he displayed ease and familiarity in the use of chalks, coloured pencils, watercolours and oils.

At the age of 17, Giuseppe Calì made his way to Naples and was accepted into the Accademia di Belle Arti to study under the direction of Professor Giuseppe Mancinelli. Calì returned to Malta in 1867, during which year he achieved his first sensational success with the dramatic painting of "The Death of Dragut".

Calì's artistic evolution is considered to have progressed through three distinct phases. The first spans the period between 1870 and 1890 and is marked by bold draughtsmanship. The second phase takes up the last ten years of the 19th Century, during which his compositions take on more human forms, display more grace and have increasing amounts of grey. In the final phase an even smoother technique is adopted together with attractive colour tones of violet, orange and green.

The stamps are designed by Debbie Caruana Dingli and printed by Printex Limited using the lithography process.

Official First Day Covers, Souvenir Folders and Presentation Packs are obtainable from Posta Limited in Merchants Street, Valletta, branch post offices and sub-post offices.