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Europe 1300 - 1800
Course: Europe 1300 - 1800 > Unit 2
Lesson 3: Siena, the Late Gothic- Siena in the Late Gothic, an introduction
- Duccio, Maestà
- Duccio, Maestà (quiz)
- Duccio, The Rucellai Madonna
- Duccio, Rucellai Madonna (quiz)
- Duccio, The Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Aurea
- Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Palazzo Pubblico frescos: Allegory and effect of good and bad government
- Lorenzetti, Allegory and Effect of Good and Bad Government (quiz)
- Lorenzetti, Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
- Pietro Lorenzetti, Birth of the Virgin
- Simone Martini, Saint Louis of Toulouse
- Simone Martini, Maesta
- Simone Martini, Annunciation
- Simone Martini's Annunciation (quiz)
- Siena in the 1300s
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Duccio, Maestà
Duccio, Maestà, 1308–11, tempera and gold leaf on wood, 7 x 13 feet (Museo dell’Opera Metropolitana del Duomo, Siena)
A conversation with Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Contemporaneous description of the procession that brought this painting to Siena Cathedral:
At this time the altarpiece for the high altar was finished and the picture which was called the "Madonna with the large eyes" or Our Lady of Grace, that now hangs over the altar of St. Boniface, was taken down. Now this Our Lady was she who had hearkened to the people of Siena when the Florentines were routed at Monte Aperto, and her place was changed because the new one was made, which is far more beautiful and devout and larger, and is painted on the back with the stories of the Old and New Testaments. And on the day that it was carried to the Duomo the shops were shut, and the bishop conducted a great and devout company of priests and friars in solemn procession, accompanied by the nine signiors, and all the officers of the commune, and all the people, and one after another the worthiest with lighted candles in their hands took places near the picture, and behind came the women and children with great devotion. And they accompanied the said picture up to the Duomo, making the procession around the Campo, as is the custom, all the bells ringing joyously, out of reverence for so noble a picture as this. And this picture Duccio di Niccolò the painter made, and it was made in the house of the Muciatti outside the gate aStalloreggi. And all that day persons, praying God and His Mother, who is our advocate, to defend us by their infinite mercy from every adversity and all evil, and keep us from the hands of traitors and of the enemies of Siena.
(English translation: Charles Eliot Norton, Historical Studies of Church-Buildings in the Middle Ages: Venice, Siena, Florence (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1880), 144-45; Italian text: G. Milanesi, Documenti per la storia dell'arte senese (Siena: 1854, I), 169). Created by Smarthistory.
A conversation with Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Contemporaneous description of the procession that brought this painting to Siena Cathedral:
At this time the altarpiece for the high altar was finished and the picture which was called the "Madonna with the large eyes" or Our Lady of Grace, that now hangs over the altar of St. Boniface, was taken down. Now this Our Lady was she who had hearkened to the people of Siena when the Florentines were routed at Monte Aperto, and her place was changed because the new one was made, which is far more beautiful and devout and larger, and is painted on the back with the stories of the Old and New Testaments. And on the day that it was carried to the Duomo the shops were shut, and the bishop conducted a great and devout company of priests and friars in solemn procession, accompanied by the nine signiors, and all the officers of the commune, and all the people, and one after another the worthiest with lighted candles in their hands took places near the picture, and behind came the women and children with great devotion. And they accompanied the said picture up to the Duomo, making the procession around the Campo, as is the custom, all the bells ringing joyously, out of reverence for so noble a picture as this. And this picture Duccio di Niccolò the painter made, and it was made in the house of the Muciatti outside the gate aStalloreggi. And all that day persons, praying God and His Mother, who is our advocate, to defend us by their infinite mercy from every adversity and all evil, and keep us from the hands of traitors and of the enemies of Siena.
(English translation: Charles Eliot Norton, Historical Studies of Church-Buildings in the Middle Ages: Venice, Siena, Florence (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1880), 144-45; Italian text: G. Milanesi, Documenti per la storia dell'arte senese (Siena: 1854, I), 169). Created by Smarthistory.
Want to join the conversation?
- The black and white marble columns inside the cathedral really seem out of place.
Was there a specific reason for making them this way?(20 votes)- "Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius." from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena_Cathedral(29 votes)
- Why do all the people in the painting seem like they have "lightly colored skin". Taking in the place that all of the Bible happened (Israel, the Middle East), shouldn't the characters depicted have darker skin?(3 votes)
- That is a good question; Some feel that the fair skin means that they are "pure". At one time sporting a tan was considered "lower class" because they where out in the sun. So the artist might have thought " how could these highly important subjects be swarthy (or dark skin)?"
The other reason is that they painted what they saw, and there was no one from the middle east to modal after.(13 votes)
- in which historic context is this painting and what does it represent?(1 vote)
- From the author:Hi Fred,
Duccio worked in Siena during the early 14th Century, a period at the very end of the Medieval era (or Middle Ages) that begins to exhibit elements that will eventually become important for the Renaissance roughly a century later. For this reason, painting from this period and this region are sometime called Proto-Renaissance or even Italo-Byzantine to reflect the influence of the Eastern empire.(14 votes)
- why does the baby look so big(2 votes)
- The baby (Jesus) is so big because the mother (Mary) is so big. The size points to their importance.(7 votes)
- How tall is this?(3 votes)
- So Duccio was the one to paint this. At themark it shows the translation of the quote painted on the Bliptic. "Holy mother of God, be the cause of peace to Sienna and to the life of Duccio, because he as painted thee thus." That would mean supposedly that he would have written the quote himself. That seems a little odd to me. Maybe even a bit selfish. 2:12(2 votes)
- This was actually quite common throughout the Middle Ages. For example, in 1240's Croatia, an artisan named Radovan decorated the gate of a cathedral, and inscribed a text above the gate that gives the date of completion and says that Radovan was the best artist in his time.
I guess artists back then liked self-promotion. :)(4 votes)
- this dose not feel like a history clip it feels like 2 people taking to each other(1 vote)
- The art is historical, and the two peple talking are showing HOW to talk about a historical artwork, adding in little bits of information that you wouldn't know from just looking at it. A lot of art history has to do with guessing about the artist and his/her goals by looking at the art.(3 votes)
- Subjectively yes, but technically, no. Black is a color when selecting a paint, item of clothing, or other object. But the color black is created by the absorption of all wavelengths of light. It is the reflection of light from a surface or transmission through a material that creates color.(3 votes)
- Would the Maesta be considered a sacred conversation?(1 vote)
- I thought Jesus was the mediator between God and man and not Mary. Am I wrong? I don't know much about the Catholic faith.(1 vote)
- In Protestant Christianity, Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man. In traditional Catholicism, an ordained priest is the mediator. Also, Mary is considered, within the Roman Catholic Church, to the means by which Jesus bestows grace on humanity. There are a number of theological considerations tied up with these statements, and denominations and sects will vary in their specific beliefs on this issue.(1 vote)
Video transcript
(slow piano music) - [Steven] We're in the museum
of the Cathedral of Siena and we're looking at probably the single most famous
work of art from Siena, certainly one of the most important works of art from the 14th century. This is Duccio's "Maesta". - [Beth] The title means
the Virgin Mary in majesty. - [Steven] And we see her
very large in the center. She is by far the largest figure
anywhere in this painting. - [Beth] This is a polyptych. It's made out of many panels, not all of which are here in
the museum, unfortunately. The "Maesta's" painted on
both the front and the back. So Mary's on the front and stories of Mary's
life are on the front, but the story of Christ is on the back. - [Steven] So in a sense, this is a free-standing painting. It is this large sculptural object that has imagery all over it. - [Beth] The saints and prophets and angels are almost life size. - [Steven] There are local saints in front and then angels and
saints in the second row. And I think an unbroken
row of angels in the back. Now we would've originally
seen a predella below. That is a step of small paintings. And then above the large panel, there would've been a
series of scenes as well. We think that the predella
held scenes of the early life of the Virgin Mary, and then above, her death and ascent into Heaven. - [Beth] And then there would've been a really elaborate frame. - [Steven] In the previous century, Siena had won a significant battle against its arch rival, Florence. Now both Siena and Florence
were wealthy city states that is they were independent nations, and they were often at
war with each other. Siena believed that they won
because of the grace of Mary. Many years later, the
town of Siena commissioned their most famous painter, Duccio, to create a very large painting dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It would've stood exactly on
the altar of the cathedral in the crossing, just under the dome. As you approached the high altar, you would be able to make
out just at the bottom an inscription that read, "Holy Mother of God, be
the cause of peace to Siena and to the life of Duccio because
he has painted thee thus." Now Siena was very much a
competitor with Florence and the great Florentine
painter of the day was Giotto. He had painted a major
cycle telling the story of the Virgin Mary, of Christ's
parents, of Christ himself. And in some ways the "Maesta"
was a kind of answer to that. We can do this too. We can be as comprehensive
and have a masterpiece. - [Beth] And I think they
proved that they did something that rivals what Giotto
did in the Arena Chapel. - [Steven] But while
Giotto's painting was fresco, fresco didn't make sense
for the Cathedral of Siena because the Cathedral of Siena is made of alternating blocks of
black and white marble. - [Beth] It has a very decorative interior that wouldn't have worked with fresco. And so it made sense
to do a panel painting for the alter piece. - [Steven] And you have to remember that at the end of the medieval, Mary had taken on an
enormously important role. She was the bridge that normal people could access Christ through. You would pray to the Virgin Mary and she would perhaps speak
to her son on your behalf. - [Beth] She had the
role of an intercessor or someone who intercedes
between God and mankind. - [Steven] As is traditional, she is garbed in this intense blue, which must have been fabulously expensive, given all the lapis that
would've been required to produce that ultramarine paint. There is this beautiful embroidered gold in the straight behind her. - [Beth] There are a lot
of decorative surfaces. That was something that was
particular to the Sienese style. - [Steven] There is a sense
of delicacy and subtlety. Look for instance, at the clothing that Christ is swaddled in, there's a kind of
transparency around his leg, there's a beautiful modulation
of light and shadow, there's real chiaroscuro
that's being used here. Not only striations of gold, this is not the earlier work of Cimabue. This is an artist, Duccio,
who's moving steadily and carefully, and
obviously very consciously towards creating a sense of
real mass and real volume. - [Beth] The drapery around Christ is so softly and beautifully modeled. Look at how Christ with his left hand pulls at the drapery and
the modeling that we see under Christ's chin and neck. He really is three dimensional in the way that we begin to see
artists like Giotto also, in the early 1300s, creating forms that are three dimensional. - [Steven] And look at the face of Christ. There is a look of awareness, of the kind of wisdom that is piercing. He seems to look directly at us and it is the stare of
a fully conscious adult. - [Beth] The angels are
remarkably animated. Some look at Mary, some look away, some look at us. There's a kind of informality. - [Steven] It's true. That informality is so unexpected. - [Beth] You would expect
something a lot more rigid. This is the court of Heaven after all. I'm also noticing the
lovely curls that make up the wings of the angels
that somehow actually start to almost feel like feathers. - [Steven] They create a sense of volume. Those wings are not flat. - [Beth] And if we look down we see the throne opening out,
moving into our space. - [Steven] In the medieval era, cathedrals and churches in general were not open for people to walk
through as they are now. And the lay people,
that is everyday people, would have gone to the
front of the church, only. The area of the altar,
the back of the church would've been reserved for those that were associated
directly with the church. And it's interesting to think about the "Maesta" in relationship to this. It meant that the public
would've had access to the side of the painting that
focused on the Virgin Mary. - The intercessor.
- That's right. - [Beth] Between man and the divine. - [Steven] A more privileged view perhaps, was available to the
monks, to the priests, to those that were associated
directly with the church. Let's walk around to the back and take a look at those panels. The back of the "Maesta" is astonishing. It's every bit as large as the front, but has many, many more panels. - [Beth] But Duccio isn't conceiving of each one entirely separately. He's thinking about how to unify all of these scenes together and make them really legible for a viewer. - [Steven] A great example of that is if you look at the
three central scenes. At the bottom, you have
Christ in the garden. He's asking his apostles to remain awake while he has a private
meditation with God. But after the apostles
left, where you see them a second time, this time fast asleep, not having heeded his request at all. I do want to make note of
the three central trees in that image. Those trees are echoed
in the image just above, which is the arrest of Christ. This is the betrayal,
and you can see Judas who has already been paid pieces of silver by the Roman authorities to
identify Christ with a kiss. You see Christ being
abandoned by his followers, or most of them, who flee. But Peter comes to his rescue. And on the left side, you can see Peter taking out his knife and slicing
off the ear of one of them. - [Beth] So we have a continuous narrative in both of those panels. - [Steven] We do, especially since we see
those trees the second time and this is a vertical orientation. The trees themselves are vertical. They are echoed in both scenes,
but what's most interesting, I think, is if you go one more step up, you see a double height scene,
and this is the crucifixion. Now of course the crucifixion
is incredibly important and so is given much more room, but those three trees now
have become three crosses. - [Beth] So Duccio is thinking about ways that he can visually
bring the scenes together, uniting formal elements
between the panels. - [Steven] Let's take a look
at the first double panel. You might think about it the way that an illuminated
manuscript will sometimes have a large opening capital letter. - [Beth] It gives us an
idea of where to begin. - [Steven] That's right. - [Beth] This is the entry
of Christ into Jerusalem. And we see Christ entering rather humbly into the gates of Jerusalem. And we can identify
Christ 'cause he's larger than the other figures and wears a halo. - [Steven] He's riding in on a donkey. All the elements that are delineated in the gospels are here. You have people in the trees
who are there to take a look. You have people laying
down cloth before him in honor of his arrival. - [Beth] It's a triumphant entry. - [Steven] It really is. You can see his apostles
following behind him and the people of the city literally pouring out of the gates. - [Beth] In order to give us a sense of a real crowd coming to see Christ, you'll notice that there's
actually a reverse perspective because the figures in the back are larger than the figures in the
foreground and also higher, which would not be the case
in correct perspective. But Duccio's given this
wonderful impression of a real crowd of people
pressing to see Christ and his followers entering Jerusalem. - [Steven] There does seem
to be a love of architecture and the rendering of architecture
almost for its own sake. I mean, look at those
beautiful lancet windows. - [Beth] And it's this
interesting combination of architecture and a space
for the figures to occupy, but then also this gold background that indicates the
heavenly and the spiritual. So this mixture of both. - [Steven] You mentioned
the gold background, and as you look across,
not just this panel, but all of the panels on
the back of the "Maesta", not to mention the panels on
the front of the "Maesta", there is just an enormous amount of gold. It is literally a treasure. And one can only imagine
what it would've looked like in the stark white and black
marble space of the cathedral. Unfortunately, this painting
was taken off of the altar and was ultimately in the 18th century, cut up for private purchase. This was a moment when the
so-called Italian primitives became sought after by some collectors. The result is we don't have
all the paintings in Siena but many of them are scattered
in museums around the world. There is one panel, for example,
at the Frick Collection. And it would be lovely to understand these paintings in one place. (gentle music)