Parish titular statutes : the Annunciation - Balzan

Abstract

The Balzan Annunciation was carved in wood by the Maltese artist Salvatore Dimech (1805- 1887), commonly known as 'is-Sanċ', from Mosta. The artistic bent of the young Dimech caught the attention of established artists of the time, like Sigismondo Dimech, who may have been a relative of Salvatore, and Giuseppe Hyzler, who eventually became Salvatore's patron and furnished him with sketches for his works, being the main exponent in Malta of the 'Nazarene' movement-the Nazarenes sought to revive a deeply religious spirit in art- Hyzler could not fail to exercise his influence on Dimech; so that the latter's work is mainly noted for its outstanding devotion and seriousness, rather than for its lyricism.