Lecture 8: Duccio and the
Maestà
Their quality resides partly in the ¿ nely detailed, subtly composed scenes that
often measure only about 17 or 18 inches square. There is a vast difference
in technique between fresco, with its broadly painted areas, and tempera,
which often is painstaking but well-suited for small formats. The Maestà was
executed in tempera. With tempera, ground colors are suspended in egg yolk
thinned with water. Because tempera dries quickly, only a small area can
be painted before change is impossible. Tempera paintings are generally on
panels that have been coated with a smooth layer of gesso. In the medieval
period, gold leaf was often used for decorative splendor or for the entire
background of the painting, which greatly increases the reÀ ection of light.
This medium also permits colors that are subtle and sumptuous, where fresco
tends to have more muted colors. (Another reason fresco secco was used was
to intensify the color of certain areas.)The famous altarpiece remained on the high altar until 1505, when it was
removed to a side chapel in the cathedral; in 1771, the two sides—front and
back—of the painting were separated by sawing it apart! Subsequently, some
of the panels from the predella and the pinnacles were separated from the
altar, sold off by cathedral authorities, and are now in museums in London,
New York, and Washington, DC. The altarpiece as it remained was at last
placed in the cathedral museum, where it is today.Looking at the Maestà from the front, we see the Madonna and Child
enthroned with saints and angels present. Note the size of the ¿ gures—
they faced the congregation and could be seen clearly from some distance,
intended for contemplation. Figures of this weight, solidity, and substance
were new to Siena. The enthroned Madonna and Child are À anked by a
kneeling row of saints, a standing row of saints and archangels, and a back
row of angels who continue up and around the throne. Note the upper part of
the Madonna, with angels leaning on the throne. The predella shows seven
scenes of the infancy of Christ (these had to be seen at close range), while
scenes from the life of Mary can be seen on the pinnacles. At the far left,
we ¿ nd St. Catherine of Alexandria. This type of face, less stylized than in
Byzantine art, is typical of Duccio in its quiet solemnity.Our next example shows a scene from the lower left predella, which was
separated and sold. The Annunciation is now in the National Gallery in