Maestà
7:00 AM |
| Duccio, Maestà, 1255–1319 |
by NAYOUNG KWON
Being able to learn Renaissance art history this year kept me curious and excited, but it was also nerve-racking. I believed that all renaissance art would be much more hard to depict what the artist was going for and there would be hundreds of way of figure out the meaning behind it. However, by taking this class I have started to appreciate the story and skills that goes into the each paintings. Although I'm not much of a religious person seeing Maestà made my jaws drop. To think he spent years creating this piece sure is admiring.
Commissioned by the city of Siena, Duccio painted Maestà around 1255 to 1319 using tempera paint and gold. Since tempera paint is thinner than oil paint or acrylic, it requires multiple layers to attain vibrant colors. Its breathtaking to see how he used gold to give the shiny effect. The amount of detail in the painting shows the amount of effort he put in it. The painting it consists total of 26 episodes and 14 panels that tells the history of Mary and Jesus. We all know the painting Mary and Child seems a bit off, but as time passed Duccio's skill truly developed. The flow of the painting is smooth, pretty symmetrical, and not to distracting to the eyes - especially the proportion of humans, their emotions, and the way fabric flows has become much more realistic.
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