The Siena cathedral, the Duomo, served as a religious centre and as a focal point of civic activities. The function of the town hall, the Palazzo Pubblico that constituted the political centre of the city, linked civic ideology with religious belief. The duality of the governing principles of both institutions were conveyed in the major theme of their decoration, the Maestá.
Maestá
The two paintings were commissioned by the Sienese government. Duccio di Buoninsegna's panel was an altarpiece for the cathedral's high altar and Simone Martini's mural in the room of Siena's principal legislative body in the Palazzo Pubblico, the Sala del Consiglio which was designed for governmental functions.
The Madonna Enthroned was a very popular mode of representing the Virgin in Italy during Late Middle Ages. Derived from the Italian word for 'majesty', Maestá became to signify a formal composition where the enthroned Madonna holds the Christ Child, sometimes accompanied by angels and saints. The ever growing veneration of the Virgin Mary contributed to the theme becoming increasingly present in artistic projects especially in the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Duccio's Maestá in the Siena Cathedral
Duccio's Maestá was commissioned by the city of Siena in 1308. This monumental complex of many individual panel paintings, both frontal and reverse, was the most elaborate altarpiece in Europe at the time. The front panels show Madonna and Child with saints and angels in the upper part. The predella in the lower part depicts the Childhood of Christ and prophets. The reverse panels show small-scale paintings of the Life of the Virgin and the Life of Christ. The inscription around the base of Madonna's throne pleads the Virgin to bestow peace on Siena and glory upon Duccio, the artist. The altarpiece itself came to be worshipped with respect usually accorded to relics of the saints.
Simone Martini's Maestá in the Town Hall of Siena
According to Diana Norman, Simone Martini's mural is a sophisticated and urbane reinterpretation of Duccio's earlier treatment of the same subject. Both paintings were designed as monumental civic icons with a specific intercessionary role for the citizens of Siena. The central composition of both works depicts the Virgin and Child enthroned with saints, apostles and angels.
Madonna as Queen
In both cases the Virgin is seated upon a monumental throne and her regal representation together with finely clothed and gracefully poised gathering evokes a ceremonial and courtly setting.
Thus, the Virgin is not only depicted as a mother of Christ tenderly holding her son in her lap and inlcining her head toward him, but also as a queen of heaven in the company of heavenly beings.
Madonna as Siena's Governor
In the foreground of both paintings are kneeling patron saints of Siena: Ansanus, Sabinus, Crescentius and Victor, considered the most powerful spiritual representatives of the Sienese associated with the city's political and military fortunes. Their posture and gestures underline their significance as intermediaries between the audience and the Virgin. This concept of association between divine beings and civic success further extends to the Virgin herself, who is also portrayed as governor of Siena.
Madonna as Civic and Religious Icon
As Norman claims, Martini adapted Maestátheme for a new location, within a room designed to house the collective deliberations of the Council. While Duccio's double-sided altarpiece is positioned at the very heart of the cathedral in liturgical terms, where the High Mass would be celebrated at the high altar on feast days, Martini's mural is located at the centre of the city's policy making. He adjusted the represenatation of a traditional subject to the secular environment by the courtly elaborating impression.
Sources:
- Diana Norman: Siena, Florence and Padua: Art, Society and Religion 1280-1400, Yale University Press, 1995
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