Two Joe Cauchi's and an African-subject art mystery, resolved
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This web page is intended to share the facts, including genealogy and history of the artist Joe Cauchi (#2), who painted four works depicting Black or African- American figures.  

There were two Joe Cauchi's who painted in the 20th century.
Here is what we now know:

NEW: The second Joseph M.Cauchi also was born in Malta, but in 1918. His father was Paul Cauchi, his mother Rebecca Cauchi.  He came to the United States at age 12, also in 1930.  He married Julia and lived in Sherman, Connecticut until his death in 1986; his wife Julia now resides in Florida, as does their son Raymond Cauchi. 

See Falcon Graphics website for full details, provided by his family at www.blacklastsupper.com

Why this web page:
The material described below was gathered and posted by the son of the Joe Cauchi (#1) who was an artist born in Malta (in 1905), who lived in New York (1930-1949) and Bethel, Connecticut (1949-1987).  See this Joe Cauchi's (#1) paintings online here.   

Although the Malta-Connecticut based Joe (#1) traveled in the rural U.S. south, painting migrant workers, and produced a "Eulogy to Martin Luther King" (1968), we have finally confirmed that the artist who created the paintings shown below is another Joe Cauchi (#2).

We think the two artist Joe Cauchi's never actually met, although the families spoke by phone once in the 1970's, about misdirected "Cauchi" mail.

 

 

 

Black Jesus by Joe Cauchi -no reproduction allowed(151436 bytes)
"The Black Jesus Blesses the Children" (#1)
This print has hung in a mission church in rural Ghana for 30+ years.  This photo was taken and sent by an individual who remembers it from childhood and noted that it influenced children to think of Jesus as Black. For the original in true colors, see: http://tpm06.midphase.com/~cauchir/images/JBC.jpg

This picture was featured in the December 2002 Popular Mechanics cover story, "The Real Face of Jesus: Forensic Science Reveals the True Image of Jesus.", p. 70.

 

af-jesus.jpg (23201 bytes)
(#2) "The Black Last Supper"
Signed: joe cauchi.   (c) Falcon Graphics

mlkjr.gif (75735 bytes)

(#3)  "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." by: Joe Cauchi
Please Do not Reproduce -"This photo is published by the Warren County Arts Council (North Carolina) by exclusive permission of the owner, who retains all rights and priviliges and may not be copied in any form or fashion without written permission of the owner.  Violators of these rights will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
painting as posted on the web at:  www.possibilities4.bizland.com/mlkjr.html

madonna_lg.jpg (13025 bytes)
(#4)  Black Madonna and child by Joe Cauchi

web link to illustration posted by African American Bibles

This page is part of an art, history and geneology project, not a commercial venture.

This web page originally posted 3/8/01; revised 9/1/04  - text only copyright 2003 Colorado Access 2000.  All images are  the property of the individual owner, or artist's estate c/o Julia Cauchi or copyright holder(s), and are not displayed here for publication or reproduction.