Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 Exhibition Catalogue

Special Gallery Price £35.00 - RRP: £40.00

Accompanies the exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 13 October 2024–26 January 2025, and The National Gallery, London, 8 March–22 June 2025.

"The exhibition ‘Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350’ at the National Gallery in London until 22 June is therefore trailblazing, as well as being one of the most glorious displays of art ever seen in this country. This book matches it in the splendour of its production and the clarity of its design. It consists of shortish essays that combine expertise with lucid writing. The works of art it covers are reproduced to such a high standard that the discussion can be followed with an appreciation of the beauty of the originals."

Literary Review

‘This is a book to be savored and treasured, much like the objects it celebrates.’

Wall Street Journal, ‘Holiday Gift Books: Fine Art’

In the early 1300s the city of Siena gave rise to an extraordinary period of creativity and innovation. Painters, sculptors and goldsmiths produced remarkable works whose impact was felt far beyond the city’s walls. From vast altarpieces to portable objects for private devotion, the art emanating from Siena left an enduring legacy.

This book traces the evolution of a celebrated era of Italian art, a turning point when the prestige of painting reached new heights. Siena became the centre of a rich exchange of ideas between artists and art forms, as painters took inspiration from marble and ivory sculptures, intricate metalwork and precious imported silks to enhance the power of their work. Travelling beyond their native city, Sienese artists made their mark across Italy and into northern Europe.

Beautifully illustrated and featuring important new scholarship, chapters explore masterpieces by four of Siena’s most illustrious painters – Duccio, Simone Martini, and Ambrogio and Pietro Lorenzetti. Their paintings are considered alongside objects from other countries and cultures, encouraging fresh perspectives and dialogues between these groundbreaking works.

Author

Joanna Cannon is Professor Emerita at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London.

Caroline Campbell is Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.

Stephan Wolohojian is John Pope-Hennessy Curator in Charge of European Paintings at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

With contributions by Emma Capron, Donal Cooper, Glyn Davies, Peter Dent, Nicholas Flory, Christa Gardner von Teuffel, Dillian Gordon, Sarah M. Guérin, Laura Llewellyn, Andrea De Marchi, Francesca Marzullo, Lisa Monnas, Susie Nash, Imogen Tedbury and Beth Williamson.