Cathy's Art Diary

Excellent two week online course from ARTscapades looking at the Sienese artists of the early 14th century. Art historian Richard Stemp led us through the main four artists featured in the recent National Gallery exhibition, Duccio, Simoni Martini and Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti. In each case he guided us through their work both items in the show and ones which couldn’t travel. This was particularly useful as he could include frescos which added another dimension to the work. As ever Stemp brought a knowledgeable but wry eye to the subject bringing out the humanity of the images and yet placing them in the context of their time. This was a lovely way to revisit the exhibition which I had enjoyed and it led me to going again before it closed.

Fascinating online lecture from the National Gallery on their current exhibition on 14th century Siena. One of the curators, Laura Llewelyn, guided us through the show and the four artists it features. She explained how the aim of the show was to look at a crucial moment in Western art where painting came to the fore as the major art form. I had been to see the show a few days before and loved it so this was a useful chance to fill some of the gaps I’d missed when I was there and to understand more about the objects which had been chosen and how, in many cases, multi-piece altarpieces had been reunited. Llewelyn was particularly helpful in setting the scene both in terms of history but also in explaining the non-painting pieces in the show used to show influences and give examples of the objects in the paintings and which would have been seen around them.

Exquisite exhibition at the National Gallery of art from 14th century Siena. I love this style of early art but was worried that the show might feel quite dry however it was quite the opposite. The display and storytelling made these works come to life. Although the show was built around four painters Duccio, Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers, others were brought in and there were some fabulous examples of sculpture. I loved one room which showed the pictures with examples of objects in them or that would have been used around them. Best of all was the narrative of the show and the way it highlighted the humanity of the work which to modern eyes could look archaic. I loved some of the details such as a man playing bongos and a dancing angel. They also told stories of the artists and I was touched by Lando di Pieto who put prayers he had written inside a Crucifix he made. I also liked how the show broadened out to look at how Sienese artists travelled and were used by ...

Excellent online lecture from ArtScapades on the Allegory of Good and Bad Government fresco in Siena. This is one of my favourite frescos and rooms so I was delighted to spend time listening to Richard Stemp explain the iconography of this secular work by Ambrogio Lorenzetti from 1338. I think last time I was in Siena I spent nearly two hours just sitting and looking at all the wonderful details. I had recently done a three week course with Richard on the Arena Chapel in Padua by Giotto and he drew parallels in this work with the figures of the virtues and vices there. I particularly enjoyed his detailed walk thought the Allegory of Good Government which leads for a figure of Wisdom, though images of Justice and Concord to the Common Good. He explained the iconography in this work of the different virtues and matched it later with that of the vices in Bad Government. I hadn’t realised before that the images of the city and countryside on the side walls match the geography of the...