Hello, Dear Reader
I hope this story reaches you bathed in summer’s gentle breeze and the quiet joy of beauty well observed.
You may know by now that part of my mission is to seek out artists who remind us that art is not just preserved—it continues, flourishes, and renews faith in its timeless force. I’ve done it often, and I take a quiet pride in introducing such artists to our circles on X.
Today is no different.
In this edition, I want to spotlight an extraordinarily gifted artist. A contemporary, yes—but don’t let that word suggest trendiness. We are lucky to have so many today who channel depth and discipline, and this painter does so with rare conviction.
Born in Trapani, Sicily, and now based in Malta, Eduardo is a contemporary painter whose work feels timeless. His canvases echo the grandeur of Renaissance and Baroque masters, yet they carry a personal pulse—something intimate, devotional, and deeply felt.
He studied as a restorer-conservator in Italy, but it wasn’t long before he realized his true calling wasn’t in preserving old beauty. It was in creating new beauty.
His move to Malta wasn’t just geographical, was spiritual as well. The island’s rocky coastline, quiet churches, and layered history became his muse.
“Qawra became my Jordan River,”
he once said, describing how a moment by the sea inspired his large-scale painting The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River.
That piece, now housed in the Church of San Joseph in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily. It’s a vision. Jesus emerging from water, the Holy Spirit descending, the sacred moment rendered in oil on linen—260 by 160 centimeters of reverence and light.
La Francesca’s portfolio is rich with religious and mythological themes:
But even his portraits—like the one of Cardinal Mario Grech for Gozo’s cathedral—carry that same quiet intensity. His brushwork is precise, but never cold. His colors are bold, but never brash. There’s always a sense of stillness, of something sacred unfolding.
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He’s inspired by Caravaggio, Bouguereau, and the academic greats, but he’s not imitating them. His art is a dialogue between past and present. And while his works hang in churches and private collections, they’re not just for the devout—they’re for anyone who’s ever paused in front of a painting and felt something shift.
Eduardo La Francesca also shares glimpses of his process online, offering behind-the-scenes views of his studio. His official website and social media are filled with works that feel both grand and grounded.
In a world that often rushes past beauty, Edoardo La Francesca invites us to linger. To look. To feel. And maybe, to believe—if not in something divine, then at least in the power of art to move us.
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This guy is great!