To see some of the most significant pictures in art history, painted in the new style developed in Florence and Siena, you should visit … New York or London, and later, Paris.
Where two exhibitions, “Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350” and “A New Look at Cimabue“, promise to shed new light on the birth of Italian painting and the artists who shaped it.
In fact, this particular period and style seem to be fashionable again, which is quite remarkable, as they are supposedly very far from the current sensibility.
The 14th century marked a pivotal moment in the history of art, as Italian painters began to experiment with new techniques, styles, and themes, reinventing paintings after they were codified in the Byzantine tradition.
The use of new materials and techniques, along with brilliant and unusual colors, contributed to a new era of artistic innovation.
The emergence of this distinctive style would influence Western painting for centuries to come.
The shows do exhibits mostly artworks in foreign collections. Many Florentine and Sienese paintings are currently outside Italian borders.
Not too long ago, the so-called “primitives” were the highest aspiration. Billionaires did everything (even buying fakes) to own an artwork of the Italian Middle Ages, to feel and appear cultured and refined.
Then this fashion declined, leading more modern painting styles to attract the largest attention.
Now medieval paintings seems to be returning to centre stage.
A New Look at Cimabue
For the first time, the Musée du Louvre is dedicating an exhibition to Cimabue, one of the most important artists of the 13th century. The exhibition, which runs from January to May 2025, brings together two major events: the restoration of Cimabue’s Maestà and the acquisition of a previously unknown panel, Christ Mocked, which was rediscovered in France in 2019.
Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350
This monumental exhibition, which opens at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art in October 2024 and then travels to the London National Gallery in March 2025, explores the rise of painting in Siena during the 14th century. The exhibition reunites elements of whole works that have been separated for centuries, providing a once-in-a-lifetime chance to explore the influence of this extraordinary artistic center. The show examines the impact of Siena’s position as a major stop on the Via Francigena, a historic route that stretched from Naples and Rome to Paris and Canterbury in northern Europe.
The Art-Test Database
Art-Test has been working on an extensive database of paintings from the Pinacoteca Nazionale of Siena, which still owns the largest collection of Sienese paintings. The project, which includes the analysis of 100 paintings, provides a reliable and scientific way of comparing materials and techniques employed by different painters, schools, and periods. This database is an indispensable tool for art historians, conservators, and curators, offering a new level of understanding and insight into the artistic innovations of the 13th to 15th centuries.
Do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
