Covered painting of Neptune found at Gran Salon within National Museum of Archaeology

Neptune, the Roman God of the Sea, is seen wielding a trident in a painting that was uncovered beneath a blocked arch at the Gran Salon within the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. The painting was initially uncovered in 2021 while the Gran Salon was undergoing significant conservation efforts.

In this depiction, Neptune is perched in the middle of a seashell and is clutching a trident in his right hand while resting his left hand on a container filled with running water. Green is used to represent Neptune, which is thought to mimic the bronze statues which typically depict the sea god.

Neptune's portrait is situated over what was formerly a fireplace in a recessed arch that had been closed and redecorated. The conservators noticed ornamental components radically different from the Gran Salon's existing decorative scheme when removing the pointing of the blocked-off entry, and a small opening was created that showed the intricacies of a trident.

The conservation team and Heritage Malta experts continued to carefully remove stones blocking the archway with the approval of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage after discussing the findings with a number of experts. This was done in order to reveal what might have been a late 17th or early 18th-century painting of Neptune.

This discovery is the only remaining component of the Gran Salon's original decorative scheme, which existed before the room was redecorated in the early 19th century. The National Museum of Archaeology is located at the Auberge de Provence, which also boasts a grand auditorium called the Gran Salon. The structure was likely fully decorated during the Knight's era, but the original decorations were covered or removed during the British Period.

Heritage Malta COO Kenneth Gambin acknowledged his happiness at finding this ornamental scheme, which raises the Gran Salon's worth and attractiveness. He praised Heritage Malta's committed conservators for their efforts, which were essential to this project, and thanked BOV for its constant support. As part of its mission to make Malta's cultural legacy accessible to as many people as possible, legacy Malta is eager to make this finding available to the general public.

The restoration project was funded by BOV. Meanwhile, BOV CEO Kenneth Farrugia stated that, “We are indeed very excited to form part of this exciting discovery together with Heritage Malta and we are keen to follow any new information that this discovery will shed on the history of this magnificent hall.”