Duccio di Buoninsegna
ca. 1255 - 1319
Italian painter. Duccio was born in Siena, where he lives until his death. Not much is known about him, the only sources of information are official records. He is married with seven children.
Duccio is trained in the rigid Byzantine style of painting but succeeds in adding more life and emotion to his work than his predecessors. Many of his larger works are surrounded by smaller tableaux showing scenes from everyday life.
Ten of his works have survived the ages. The best known is the Maestà, a large altarpiece ordered by the city magistrates for the Siena cathedral: the Duomo.
Originally the Maestà measures 5 by 5 meters. The name refers to the central part, which shows Mary on a throne with Jesus on her lap. Next to the central panel are tens of smaller panels, some of which are shown on this site. The original 84 panels are completed between 1308 en 1311. In 1711 the work is dismantled. Most panels can still be viewed in the Siena Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
Duccio is considered one of the most influential artists of his time. He contributed to the creation of the International Gothic style and his influence reached as far as Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti.
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