Anton Maria Maragliano

Vision of St. Pascal Baylon in the church of Santissima Annunziata del Vastato in Genoa

Anton Maria Maragliano (18 September 1664 – 7 March 1739)[1] was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period, known primarily for his wooden statues. He was born in Genoa, where he led an important workshop.

He is called also Maraggiano by some ancient authors.

He pioneered important developments in the style of sculpting in wood, parallel to those driven by Filippo Parodi in marble sculpture and Domenico Piola in painting.

His workshop produced many typical religious sculptures, representing Madonnas, figures of saints and narrative scenes from the Bible. These are now preserved in many churches and sanctuaries throughout Liguria (mainly in Genoa, Rapallo, Chiavari, Celle Ligure, Savona) and also in Spain.

For the Casacce (the Genoese confraternities) he also produced statues and crucifixes to be carried in processions on feast days.

He was called by Casalis, the Phidias of Genoa. His son Giovanni Battista Maragliano was also a wood sculptor in Cadiz and Lisbon, till his death during a robbery in the latter city. Among other pupils were Francesco and Pietro Galeano.[2]

  1. ^ Casalis mentions the dates as 1665-1741.
  2. ^ Dizionario geografico-storico-statistico-commerciale degli stati del Re di Sardegna, Volume 7, by Goffredo Casalis, Turin (1840), page 726.