Duccio : The Maesta Book

In 1308, Duccio di Buoninsegna, one of the foremost European artists and the founder of the Sienese school, signed a contract to paint a panel for the high altar of Siena's cathedral. Three years later, the richest and most complex altarpiece ever created in Italy--the Maestà--was carried amid general jubilation from the artist's workshop to be installed in the cathedral. It was the greatest achievement of Duccio's career and remains one of the most beautiful works in Italian art. Centuries later, the altarpiece was removed from the cathedral and several panels were separated from it. While most of the Maestà--forty-six panels--survives in Siena's Cathedral Museum, parts of it can be found in museum collections around the world, including the National Gallery and the Frick Collection. This book brings together the known fragments and unites them with the two-sided altarpiece, illustrating the work in 150 sumptuous color plates, many of which reproduce details in actual size. The central panel on the front of the altarpiece shows the Virgin Enthroned with Angels and Saints, while the back contains mainly scenes from the Passion. Other panels depict the Apostles and scenes from the Life of Christ and the Gospel story. The authoritative text, by a noted Italian art historian, discusses the social and historical context of Duccio's commission, the artist's relationship with Cimabue and Giotto, and the influence of the work on Sienese and Italian painting.