Siena

An illustrated description of Siena, capital of Siena province in Central Italy.

History

Brief history of Siena, an Etruscan settlement, the Roman city of Sena Julia, self-governing commune since the 12th century, banking centre in the 13th century, papal dependency in the 15th century, then after troubled centuries absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy in the 19th century.

School of Painting

Concise history of the Sienese school of painting which fluorished between the 13th and 15th centuries and for a time rivalled Florence, though it was more conservative, being inclined towards the decorative beauty and elegant grace of the late Gothic art.

School of Sculpture

Summary of the important school of sculpture formed in Siena at the end of the 13th century under Nicola and Giovanni Pisano. The school fluorished until the first half of the 15th century.

After the Introductory Tour an in-depth study of Sienese art can be achieved by taking the following detailed sub-tours:

Tour #8a Sienese Artists

Chronological list of Sienese painters and sculptors, leading to biographies and/or reproductions of artworks of each artist.

Tour #8b Art of Duccio di Buoninsegna

Detailed description of the art of Duccio di Buoninsegna, the first great Sienese painter who sums up the grave and austere beauty of centuries of Byzantine tradition and infuses it with a breath of new humanity. The tour includes a panel-by-panel analysis of his complex altarpiece, executed in 1308-11 for the Siena Cathedral, the Maestą.

Tour #8c Art of Simone Martini

Detailed description of the life and art of Simone Martini, pupil of Duccio and deeply influenced by French Gothic art. The tour provides detailed analysis of his most important works and covers both altarpieces and frescoes in Siena and Avignon.

Tour #8d Art of the Lorenzetti Brothers

Review of the art of the brothers Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti, outstanding artists of their time who were influenced by contemporary work in Florence by Giotto and his immediate followers, and formed a stylistic link between the Schools of Siena and Florence.

Tour #8e Maestą Representations

Introduction to the "Maestą", a representation of the Madonna and Child in which the Madonna is enthroned in majesty surrounded by saints and angels, a common subject in the 13th-14th centuries. The evolution of the subject and representations from 14th century Siena and Florence are presented.