File:Giuseppe Calì, Portrait of Sir Richard More O'Ferrall.jpg

English: Giuseppe Calì, Portrait of Sir Richard More O'Ferrall

Civil Governor of Malta (1847-1851)
Oil on canvas - signed, 121x93cm
1st floor landing, Malta Chamber of Commerce

"The Maltese artist Giuseppe Cali (1846-1930) best achieved fame through his numerous works in churches, but he was also one of the most sought-after portraitists of his time. The fact that the Chamber of Commerce houses no less than eight Cali portraits, six of which depict past presidents, goes to prove the high quality of his production in receiving commissions for this prestigious institution. In this portrait of the English Civil Governor, definitely to be included among the highlights of Maltese 19th century portraiture, the general feeling is that of a dynamism, notwithstanding the static pose assumed by More O'Ferrall. The effect is brought about, as if by a magic wand, through the overcoat hanging from the subject's right shoulder, and through 'the glance of the sitter [that] flicks sideways with such an alacrity that the entire face wields its own fate from the rest of the body seemingly lost in the dark background.' Though the painting has darkened with age, thereby rendering certain details hard to make out, the relative brilliance of the subject's flushed face, framed by a dim haze in the background, conveniently remains a focus of attention.

It must be made clear however that there were no sittings for this particular portrait. Cali was still a toddler when More O'Ferrall began his four-year-long period as Governor of Malta. The artist did in fact avail himself of an existing print of the Englishman at a much later date, though the painterly qualities, as mentioned above, still hold without any reserve." - Emmanuel Fiorentino