National Gallery Showcases Siena's Forgotten Artistic Renaissance

A new exhibition highlights the 14th-century innovations of Duccio and his Sienese contemporaries, redefining medieval painting and narrative art.

The National Gallery's 'Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350' exhibition brings attention to Siena's overlooked contributions to early Renaissance art.
Duccio di Buoninsegna, considered a founder of Western European painting, is the centerpiece of the exhibit alongside Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers.
The exhibition reunites eight panels from Duccio's Maestà altarpiece for the first time in nearly 250 years, showcasing its intricate narrative and craftsmanship.
Sienese artists blended Byzantine influences with emerging humanistic elements, introducing emotional depth, narrative complexity, and proto-perspective techniques.
The exhibit also features other mediums, including sculpture, textiles, and metalwork, emphasizing Siena's rich cultural and artistic network of the 14th century.