The Maltese Islands, with its deep blue water and its wild landscape have always been encouraged local and foreign artists, photographers and sculptors.

The Maltese archipelago is a micro-continent, because it is the interface between the West and Orient, between Europe and Africa. Its history can be traced to the fifth millennium BC, when the production of ceramic Skorba drove a first cultural flowering. Ggantija on Gozo, the oldest free-standing stone temple in the world, and Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, two architectural highlights of the megalithic art documenting the high level of culture of the Neolithic Age, dating from the period 3600 to 3000 BC. Later, Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs and Normans left their mark on Malta. These vicissitudes of the eventful history of the country have not failed to have an impact on the development of art. 

The earliest artistic works can be found in the extraordinary cultural temples from the period 3800-2500 BC - a unique cultural phenomenon. From this pre-historic temples, murals, reliefs and sculptures were found, indicating a master-hand of the artist. 
Is a confluence of classical ideas and artistic taste attested by a number of luxurious temples, villas and residences. They are decorated with beautiful mosaics, marble colonnades and classical statuary. In some catacombs, paintings and carvings are preserved, which were inspired by early Christian art. It is felt that the Islanders are culturally emotionally closer to locate Eastern or Byzantine Christianity. 

Until the beginning of the 16th Century Malta was, both politically and culturally, a part of the Sicilian kingdom. With the Norman conquest of Malta, a new phase began in the art history of Malta. From this point on you can follow the artistic tradition and its continuing development.

The influence of the Southern Gothic can be traced in a cycle of 15 Century. Early 16th Century were a number of Renaissance ideas in Malta visible and the local artists practiced an art of Gothic and Renaissance.
With the arrival of the Old Order, whose members came from all European countries of the Latin West, other influences, especially the "Italian and Flemish art, with a predominance of Mannerism. Mannerist pioneer Matteo Perez d'Aleccio (d.1616) follower of Michelangelo. He was charged with the work in the Palace of the Grand Masters and in the monastery church of St. John. Another artist, working from 1590 to 1595, was Filippo Paladini. His works gave an exalted sense of monumentality. In fact, the assumed Mannerism, the basis for the art of local artists and his influence declined only slowly.

Caravaggio painted during his stay in Malta from July 1607 to October 1608 seven works. Of those, two of his best pictures are still viewable on Malta. Among his most important domestic Giulio Cassarino and admirers among the young Stefano Erardi, preoccupied by his influence to ensure that the Mannerism Baroque aesthetic presentation coincided. This influence was finally consolidated by Mattia Preti. Preti carried his virtuorosen Baroque in the Maltese art scene.

The 17th Century produced one of the greatest sculptors. Melchior Gafa, who after his apprenticeship with Ercole Ferrata in Rome, his first studio and was the top-Baroque sculptor of the Roman school. 

During the 18th Century Neapolitan influence permeated the artistic activities of the Maltese artist. Special influence on the development adopted by artists such as Luca Giordano (1632-1705), and Solimena (1657-1747) Gio.Nicola Bubagiar (1698-1752) and the talented Francesco Zahra (1710-1773). These times were relatively peaceful and prosperous, so that the Maltese Rococo art its reason in the social environment of the 18 Century took place. Thus, the Roman neo-classicism won the loyalty of the Maltese artists, most of whom he trained and received the prestigious Accademia di San Luca in Rome. 

The 19th Century was under the influence of the church. The Art of the Nazarene Brotherhood, a band of German converts to Catholicism in Rome. Thus, real-religious foundations of Giuseppe Hyzler (collected 1787-1858) of a mission statement, which meant that Hazare supporters dominated the art.

The years until the end of the ruinous war of 1940-1945, can be viewed as a short phase of stagnation in the Maltese art. Nevertheless, a clear, contemporary sensibility speaks in the work of artists such as Josef Kalleya (1898-1998), George Preca (1909-1984), Anton Inglott (1915-1945), Emvin Cremona (1919-1986), Frank Portelli (b.1922 ), Antoine Camilleri (b.1922) and Esprit Barthet (b.1919).

In the postwar period, a group of artists came forward and took the leading role in the renewal of the Maltese art. Under their influence, ultimately, the art school was built in Malta. Now artists no longer had to study in England or Rome to emigrate.