Siena: MRA-ITA-Sie002

Type Sample Item

Weight

Other info about sample identity: Vi/m [reference on the cork]; Siena, Duccio, Maestà [hand-written note]

Geographic Location

Site/monument: Italy (ITA)
Siena
Cattedrale Metropolitana di Santa Maria Assunta
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo di Siena, Maestà di Duccio di Buoninsegna

Historical note about the site/monument: The Maestà is a lavish altarpiece by Duccio di Buoninsegna (fl. late 13^th and early 14^th centuries), founder of the Sienese School. The altarpiece currently held by the Museo dell’Opera Metropolitana, Piazza del Duomo, Siena is the second version of the work designed by Duccio (the first now lost) and was executed between 1308 and 1311. At the time of its completion, it ranked among the largest painted altarpieces in Europe, with a height of nearly 5 meters. Over time, isolated panels have been removed and several are now housed by museums outside of Italy, including the National Gallery of London and the Frick Collection in New York City. The tempera paintings of the altarpiece feature a large image of the Virgin and Child flanked by saints and angels, and scenes from the life of Christ.

Source:
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Maestà". Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Jan. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Maesta-altarpiece-by-Duccio. Accessed 16 May 2021.

Further reading:
Cooper, F. A. (1965). A reconstruction of Duccio's Maestà. The Art Bulletin, 47(2), 155-171.
White, J. (1973). Measurement, Design and Carpentry in Duccio's Maestà, Part I. The Art Bulletin, 55(3), 334-366.

Date of sampling

Other information about the sample: Samples description [ hand written note] (Fig.2).

Inventory