Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350

Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 examines an exceptional moment at the dawn of the Italian Renaissance and the pivotal role of Sienese artists—including Duccio, Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti, and Simone Martini—in defining Western painting. In the decades leading up to the catastrophic onset of the plague around 1350, Siena was the site of phenomenal artistic innovation and activity. While Florence is often positioned as the center of the Renaissance, this presentation offers a fresh perspective on the importance of Siena, from Duccio’s profound influence on a new generation of painters to the development of narrative altarpieces and the dissemination of artistic styles beyond Italy.

Drawing on the outstanding collections of The Met and the National Gallery, London, as well as rare loans from dozens of other major lenders, the exhibition will include more than 100 works by a remarkable group of Sienese artists. It will feature paintings alongside sculptures, metalwork, and textiles, ranging from large works made for public display to intimate objects created for private devotion. Although none of these artists survived the plague of circa 1350, their achievements had an immeasurable impact on painters and theorists in the centuries that followed.

The exhibition is made possible by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, Alice Cary Brown and W.L. Lyons Brown, the Gail and Parker Gilbert Fund, and the Diane W. and James E. Burke Fund.

Additional support is provided by Laura and John Arnold, a gift in memory of Regina Jaglom Wachter, The Huo Family Foundation, The Richard and Natalie Jacoff Foundation, Inc., the Robert Lehman Foundation, Trevor and Alexis Traina, the Malcolm Hewitt Wiener Foundation, and the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation.

This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

The exhibition is organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The National Gallery, London.

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