Gezicht op baai van San Giuliano op eiland Malta 1778

Louis Ducros made this watercolor view of San Giuliano Bay on the island of Malta. The image reminds us that landscape art, especially in the 18th century, was rarely just about pretty scenery. Malta, due to its strategic position in the Mediterranean, had a long history of occupation. By Ducros' time, it was a British protectorate, ruled by the Order of St. John. This Catholic military order had a checkered history and was increasingly seen as an anachronism. Ducros, a Swiss artist, made his name catering to Grand Tourists, wealthy Europeans who visited the continent to expand their cultural horizons. His views of Malta, like those of Italy, offered them picturesque souvenirs of their travels. But they also subtly commented on the changing political landscape, the decline of old orders, and the rise of new empires. To understand Ducros fully, we need to look at the histories of tourism, colonialism, and the changing role of the Catholic Church. Art history is about understanding the intersection of art and its social and institutional contexts.