Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 presents works
by some of the greatest Italian painters of the 14th century
October 13, 2024–January 26, 2025
The exhibition examines an exceptional moment at the dawn of the Italian Renaissance and the pivotal role of Sienese artists in defining Western painting. In the decades preceding the catastrophic onset of the plague around 1350, Siena was the scene of phenomenal artistic innovation and activity. Although Florence is often considered the center of the Renaissance, this presentation offers a new perspective on Siena’s importance, from Duccio’s profound influence on a new generation of painters to the development of narrative altarpieces and the spread of artistic styles beyond Italy.
Duccio di Buoninsegna
(Italian, active by 1278 – died 1318 Siena)
Madonna and Child, ca. 1290–1300
Tempera and gold on wood. Overall, with engaged frame, 11 x 8 1/4 in. (27.9 x 21 cm); painted surface 9 3/8 x 6 1/2 in. (23.8 x 16.5 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Rogers Fund, Walter and Leonore Annenberg and The Annenberg Foundation Gift, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, Annette de la Renta Gift, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, Louis V. Bell, and Dodge Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, several members of The Chairman’s Council Gifts, Elaine L. Rosenberg and Stephenson Family Foundation Gifts, 2003 Benefit Fund, and other gifts and funds from various donors, 2004 (2004.442)
DETAIL of “Madonna and Child”
Duccio di Buoninsegna
“The Annunciation”, ca. 1307/8–11
Tempera and gold on wood, 17 1/2 × 18 1/16 in. (44.5 × 45.8 cm)
FCS.009 National Gallery, London. © The National Gallery, London
DETAIL of “The Annunciation”
DETAIL of “The Annunciation”
Duccio di Buoninsegna
“The Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Aurea” ca. 1312–15
Tempera and gold on panel. Framed: central panel 24 3/16 x 15 3/8 in. (61.5 x 39 cm);
left wing 17 11/16 x 7 1/16 in. (45 x 18 cm); right wing 17 11/16 x 8 1/16 in. (45 x 20.5 cm)
FCS.007 National Gallery, London © The National Gallery, London
DETAIL of “The Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Aurea”
Duccio di Buoninsegna
“The Healing of the Man Born Blind” ca. 1307/8–11
Tempera and gold leaf on panel 17 3/4 × 18 3/8 in. (45.1 × 46.7 cm)
The National Gallery, London © The National Gallery, London
DETAIL of “The Healing of the Man Born Blind” 
Duccio di Buoninsegna
“The Temptation of Christ on the Mountain” ca. 1308–11
Tempera and gold leaf on poplar panel 17 × 18 1/8 in. (43.2 × 46 cm) Frame: 21 1/16 × 22 × 1 5/8 in. (53.5 × 55.9 × 4.1 cm) FCS.012 Frick Collection, New York © Copyright The Frick Collection
photo Michael Bodycomb
DETAIL of “The Temptation of Christ on the Mountain”
Simone Martini
(Italian, Siena, active by 1315 – died 1344 Avignon)
“Virgin and Child with Four Saints and a Dominican Nun” ca. 1325
Tempera and gold leaf on panel 11 3/16 × 7 15/16 in. (28.4 × 20.1 cm)
FCS.033 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
© Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Simone Martini
“Christ Discovered in the Temple” 1342
Tempera and gold leaf on panel 19 1/2 × 13 13/16 in. (49.5 × 35.1 cm)
FCS.036 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool © National Museums Liverpool
DETAIL of “Christ Discovered in the Temple”
DETAIL of “Christ Discovered in the Temple”
Simone Martini
“Christ Carrying the Cross” ca. 1335
Tempera and gold on panel 11 13/16 × 7 7/8 in. (30 × 20 cm)
FCS.025 Musée du Louvre, Paris © RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre) / Gérard Blot
DETAIL of “Christ Carrying the Cross”
DETAIL of “Christ Carrying the Cross”
Pietro Lorenzetti
(Italian, active Siena 1320–44)
“Tarlati Altarpiece” ca. 1320
Tempera and gold on panel. Overall: 9 ft. 9 11/16 in. × 10 ft. 4 3/16 in. × 3 9/16 in. (299 × 315.5 ×9 cm) Center panel height: 10 ft. 4 3/16 in. (315.5 cm) Flanking panels height: 94 1/2 in. (240 cm)
FCS.040 Santa Maria della Pieve, Arezzo © Foto Studio Lensini Siena 
DETAIL of “Tarlati Altarpiece”
Pietro Lorenzetti
“The Crucifixion” 1340s
Tempera and gold leaf on wood. Overall 16 1/2 x 12 1/2 in. (41.9 x 31.8 cm); painted surface 14 1/8 x 10 1/8 in. (35.9 x 25.7 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift and Gwynne Andrews Fund, 2002 (2002.436)
DETAIL of “The Crucifixion” 
DETAIL of “The Crucifixion” 
Ambrogio Lorenzetti
(Italian, Siena, active 1319–47)
“The Crucifixion” ca. 1345
Tempera and gold leaf on panel with engaged frame. Overall, with engaged frame, 28 1/8 × 14 × 1 9/16 in. (71.5 × 35.5 × 4 cm); painted surface 24 x 11 7/16 in. (61 x 29 cm) FCS.022 Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA © President and Fellows of Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Ambrogio Lorenzetti
“Stories from the Life of Saint Nicholas” ca. 1332–34 Left panel
Tempera and gold leaf on panel 37 13/16 × 20 7/8 × 2 3/16 in. (96 × 53 × 5.5 cm)
FCS.052, 053 Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence © Gabinetto Fotografico delle Gallerie degli Uffizi
“Stories from the Life of Saint Nicholas” Right panel
Ambrogio Lorenzetti
“The Annunciation” 1344
Tempera and gold leaf on panel. Main panel 47 13/16 × 45 11/16 in. (121.5 × 116 cm); predella 3 9/16 × 48 7/16 in. (9 × 123 cm) FCS.055 Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena © Foto Studio Lensini Siena
Chalice of Peter of Sassoferrato ca. 1341–42
Silver-gilt, translucent enamels Overall: 8 7/16 x 5 7/8 in. (21.7 x 14.9 cm),
Base: 5 7/8in. (14.9cm). The Cloisters Collection, 1988 (1988.67)
Morse with Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata mid-14th century
Gilded copper, silver, translucent enamel, parchment, glass gems. Overall: 5 1/16 x 5 1/16 x 1 9/16 in. (12.9 x 12.9 x 4 cm) Rock Crystal center: 2 11/16 x 3/8 in. (6.9 x 1 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.190.767)
French Artist “Virgin and Child” 1290–1300
Ivory with extensive traces of polychromy and gilding 9 15/16 × 6 1/8 × 2 3/8 in. (25.3 × 15.5 × 6 cm) FCS.086 Museo del Tesoro, Assisi © Museo Tesoro Basilica di San Francesco
The exhibition is organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The National Gallery, London.
CURATORS
Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 is curated by Stephan Wolohojian, John Pope-Hennessy Curator in Charge of European Paintings at The Met; Laura Llewellyn, Curator of Italian Paintings before 1500 at the National Gallery, London; and Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland; in collaboration with Joanna Cannon, Professor at the Courtauld Institute of Art.
SPONSORS
The exhibition is made possible by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, Alice Cary Brown and W.L. Lyons Brown, the Gail and Parker Gilbert Fund, and the Diane W. and James E. Burke Fund.
Additional support is provided by Laura and John Arnold, a gift in memory of Regina Jaglom Wachter, The Huo Family Foundation, The Richard and Natalie Jacoff Foundation, Inc., the Robert Lehman Foundation, Trevor and Alexis Traina, the Malcolm Hewitt Wiener Foundation, and the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation.
This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
CATALOGUE
Edited by Yale University Press
(27 agosto 2024)
Authors: JOANNA CANNON with
Caroline Campbell and Stephan Wolohojian
Hardcover: 312 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1857097165
ISBN-13: 978-1857097160
Dimensions: 24.64 x 3.05 x 28.19 cm
Joanna Cannon is reader in the history of art at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London.
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