The Legacy of a Sicilian Master: Antonio de Saliba In the golden twilight of the Quattrocento, amidst the salt-misted air of Messina, a painter emerged whose brush would bridge the gap between the rugged traditions of Sicily and the luminous innovations of Venice. Antonio de Saliba, known variously as Antonello de Salibá or Resaliba, was not merely a peripheral figure in the Italian Renaissance; he was a vital conduit of style and technique. Born around 1466 into a family of skilled artisans—his father, Giovanni Resaliba, was a woodcarver of Maltese descent—Antonio’s very lineage was woven i…