CARLO DARMANIN

Maltese talented and prolific sculptor born in Isla 30 August 1825 and died in Hamrun 25 November 1909. He was the son of the sculptor Giuseppe Darmanin and Maria née Cumbo. In 1848 he married Annetta Ready of Scottish descent who bore him sixteen children. He probably received his artistic training under his father. He then assisted his brother Giovanni Darmanin. Eventually he specialized in papier mâché religious imagery. His mastery and artistry in this medium set in Malta the benchmark for excellence in this expressive and popular art form. His processional and devotional statues are still admired and appreciated to this day.

However, he was also adept at working with other media. In 1863 he carved from a tree trunk a processional statue of St Margaret for the parish of Sannat in Gozo which was unfortunately eventually disposed of. In 1885 he modelled in plaster a bust of Dr Saverio Schembri, then late Rector of the University of Malta. In 1864 he was awarded a silver medal at the Esposizione D’Industria Maltese Agricola, Manifatturiera e di Belle Arti.

Also, in 1895 he was awarded a cash prize of £5 by the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce for pioneering papier mâché in Malta and artistic execution. He set up shop at Via San Giuseppe, Hamrun, where besides producing papier mâché figures he carried out all sort of marble and stone decorative works. After his demise his son Cesare Darmanin (fl.1905) continued the family marble works at Hamrun.

From An Encyclopaedia of Artists with a Malta Connection