TesZim

Testa Oscar   [1909-1979])

Born in Valletta on the 10th of July 1909. He was a painter, engraver, and a renowned restorer in Malta and abroad. Studied art at the Regia Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome under Coromaldi, Battaglia, Dri, Anile, D�Acciardi and Rotella and after four years he become known among the high class society of Rome. In 1973 he married Mercedes d�Ettore Scavalli Veccia, a colleague of his, from the academic terms. She was the niece of Pope Pius XII.
He taught design and history of art at San Leone Magno College and he took instructions at the Vatican as an assistant in Propaganda Fide. In Geramo, Italy, there is also a street named after him.
He died on the 25th of April 1979

Works: Malta: Cospicua. Floriana. Imsida. Naxxar. Qormi. Paola. Sliema.
               Valletta. Vittoriosa.
               Gozo: Nadur

Saint Anne (1963)
Sacro Cuor Parish Church
Sliema

Testaferrata Fawstinu [1883-1976]

Born in Valletta on the 8th of January 1883 in the Parish of Porto Salvo, son of Guzeppi and Lorenza Busini. On the 6th of March 1900 he joined the Capuchin Franciscan Order and was ordained a priest on the 11th of November 1906. He studied art under Guzeppi Briffa. Between the 6th and 14th October 1956 he had a personal exhibition entitled: Seraphic Artist-Fr. Faustinus Ofm.Cap and another exhibition at the King�s Own Band Club-Valletta in 1963.
He died on the 21st of January 1976 and was buried at Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery in Paola

Works: Floriana. Marsa

Brother Fidiel from Valletta (1950)
Holy Cross Church (Monastery)
Floriana

Theuma Nathaniel [b.1962]

Born in Hamrun on the 25th of December 1962, son of Frans and Manuela Caruana. He attended college at Pieta and continued at Tal-Virtu Seminary. From the Seminary he joined the Capuchin Franciscan Order and was ordained a priest on the 23rd of June 2000. He spent some time at The Malta University. He paints Greek styled icons but putting total emphasis on his native Malta. He uses fresh vivid colours and simple, clean compositions. Since his studies keep him abroad for most of the time his works are found in Greece and also in Cortona, Italy, where he is furthering his studies.

Works: Cospicua. Kalkara. Marsaxlokk. St.Julians

Madonna with St.Francis
Church of Santa Liberata
Kalkara

They Giuseppe [1780-1840]

Little is known about this artist. He was most probably a student of Antoine de Favray.

Works: Cospicua, Naxxar. Valletta. Vittoriosa.

Bishop Ferdinand Mattei
Cospicua Parish Church (Sacristy)
Cospicua

Vella Gianni   [1885-1977]

Gianni Vella was born in Cospicua on the 9th of May 1885, son of Francesco and Marianna Attard. Since his father died when he was very young, Gianni�s family went to stay with his uncle, Emanuel. Fr. Guzeppi, a priest friend of the family, who admired his work recommended him to Attilio Palombi who was, at the time painting the ceiling of Saint Paul�s Church in Valletta. During the apprenticeship with Palombi he did some frescos for churches and also finished some Palombi�s works when the latter was loosing his sight.
In 1907 he went to Rome and attended the Accademia di Belle Arti where he later became a member. He studied under Mario Spinetti, A. Bruschi, and S. Borgogelli. In 1912 he returned to Malta and opened a studio in St. Dominic Street, Valletta were he produced many watercolours and oils.
On the 10th of April 1913 he married his model, Maria Chretien. Besides being a good painter, he was also a caricaturist and has published cartoons for the newspaper, Il-Hmara. In 1976 The Malta Society of Arts, Manufacture, and Commerce awarded him with a gold medal in recognition of his art.
Gianni Vella died at Bugibba on the 3rd of September 1977 and was buried in the Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery. [East T/B 9].

Works: Malta:   Birkirkara. Cospiciua. Floriana. Ghaxaq. Gzira. Lija. Marsa.
               Marsascala. Mellieha. Mosta. Naxxar. Paola. Rabat. Senglea.
               San Pawl il-Bahar. Siggiewi. Sliema. Tarxien. Valletta. Vittoriosa
             . Zurrieq.
               Gozo: Ghasri. Munxar. Nadur. Qala. San Lawrenz. Sannat. Victoria.
               Xaghra.

Our Lady of Sorrows
Marsascala Parish Church (Sacristy)
Marsascala

Xuereb Antonio [active 18th century]

All we know about this painter is what P.P.Castagna in his History of Malta has written about him. It is possible that he studied under Antoine de Favray. It is documented that he painted several portraits of Grand Master De Rohan, one particularly large (1784) for the Bavarian Langue, which today is lost. This canvas was probably destroyed during the French Occupation

Works: Cospicua. Floriana. Kalkara

St. Mary Magdalene
Santa Liberata Church
Kalkara

Zahra Francesco Vincenzo [1710-1773]

Francesco was born in Senglea on the 15th of December 1710 and was baptized at the Parish Church on the same Day. Son of the master craftsman, Pietro Paolo, nicknamed �Tal-Iskarpellin� and Augustina Casanova. In 1735 he was already established, having produced important works for the Church of St Paul�s in Valletta. From his style, he seems to have followed a Neapolitan School although we have, so far, no evidence of this.
Since there were familiar relationships with Gian Nicola Buhagiar he could have also studied with him.
After marrying Theresa Fenech in February of 1743 they had, at least, five children. Gian Nicola was the godfather of Blandina, one of Francesco�s daughters. When Antoine de Favray came to Malta in 1744. Francesco Zahra became a close friend and also did some work together. After he married he settled in Valletta where he built a good career and did many works for churches all around Malta. He must be one of the few Maltese artists who had no difficulty in acquiring commissions and had no financial problems. He remains one, if not the, best of Maltese artists.
He died on the 19th of August 1773 and was buried in the church Of St. Paul�s Shipwreck, in Valletta.

Works: Malta: Attard. Balzan. Birkirkara. Cospicua. Burmarrad. Floriana.
              Gharghur. Ghaxaq. Gudja. Kalkara. Lija. Marsaxlokk. Imdina. Mosta.
              Naxxar. Qormi. Qrendi. Rabat. Senglea. Siggiewi. Sliema. Tarxien.
              Valletta. Vittoriosa. Haz-Zabbar. Haz-Zebbug. Zejtun. Zurrieq.
               Gozo: Gharb. Ghasri. Qala. Victoria. Xaghra. Xewkija.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Zabbar Sanctuary Museum
Haz-Zabbar

Zammit Antonio    [1830-1864]

Born at Cospicua and studied under Tommaso Madiona
He died on the 7th of April 1864.

Works: Malta: Cospicua. Floriana. Gharghur. Senglea. Imdina. Valletta.
               Vittoriosa. Haz-Zabbar.
               Gozo: Zebbug

Saint Anne
Floriana Parish Church
Floriana

Zammit Cordina Joseph [1929-2004]

Joseph Zammit Cordina was born in Hamrun, son of Carmel and Vincenza. He attended the Malta Lyceum and the St. Michael�s Training College. In 1939 he started studying art at The Malta School of Arts, Valletta, design under Vincent Apap, sculpture under Antonio Micallef, painting under Guzeppi Briffa, Esprit Barthet and Emvin Cremona. He spent time as a teacher and later he joined the Department of Information and the School Broadcasting Unit. Many of his works are found in private collections. There is a particular good example of his work at the Society of St. Andrew�s Band Club, Lija, showing Can. Beneditto Fsadni (1960) who was Parish Priest of Lija.
He was married to Mary Yvonne Borda Grimaud,
Died on the 11th of November 2004.

Works: Hamrun. Zurrieq

Mons. Salvatore Gauci
Zurrieq Parish Church (Sacristy)
Zurrieq

Zimech Dun Carlo [c.1696-1766]

He was possibly born in Haz-Zebbug in a very well to do family. When he grew up he retired to Gozo and settled in Nadur. He seems to have done this move because he had health problems. Many works that were attributed to Carlo Gimach have now been identified as Zimech�s.
He died at his residence in Nadur on the 22nd of June 1766 and was buried in the Parish Church of the same Village

Works: Malta: Balzan. Qormi.
Gozo: Nadur. Xaghra.

Saint Mark the Evangelist
Nadur Parish Chapter Hall
Nadur