Duccio, the Maesta [Hardcover]

Luciano Bellosi (Author), Luciano Beuosi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0500237719 | ISBN-13: 978-0500237717 | Publication Date: October 1999

A study of Duccio's Maesta (Virgin in Majesty). The Maesta was painted between 1308 and 1311 by Duccio di Buoninsegna for the high altar of Siena Cathedral. The volume contains photographs of the different sections of the great altarpiece, both the front, showing the Virgin in glory, and the back, with the stories of the Passion of Christ taken from the gospels. The narrative sequence of the Maesta moves from the enthroned Virgin and Christ to the figures of the angels, saints and apostles who surround her. The scenes of the Passion, from left to right, follow the chronological order of the Gospels. Beginning by looking at the work as a whole, the visual analysis moves on to examine the different sections and then isolates particular details, reproduced to scale. The text describes the historical background and provides an iconographic interpretation of the altarpiece, while shedding light on the character of the great painter and his creative processes.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Painted between 1308 and 1311 for the high altar of the cathedral of Siena, Duccio di Buoninsegna's "Maest?" is not only a key monument in the genesis of European painting but also a work of supernal beauty. It is this beauty that is so lavishly documented in this superb gathering of 258 color plates. These superior reproductions permit a comprehensive appreciation of virtually every aspect of Duccio's complex and multifaceted work. The quality of the illustrations permit a kind of intimacy hardly possible even when viewing the painting in situ. Less satisfying, and certainly less significant, is Bellosi's (Cimabue, Giotto) introductory essay. In his too-abbreviated discussion, he sketches the origins of the "Maest?," elucidates its place within the artist's oeuvre, and provides a minimally functional description of its style and stylistic connections. What it lacks is adequate consideration of its condition, iconographic nuances, sense of function, and an account of its impact in its own epoch. On the basis of the illustrations alone, however, this lavish tome is recommended for collections concerned with trecento art.ARobert Cahn, Fashion Inst. of Technology, New York
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Italian

Product Details

• Hardcover: 366 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500237719
• ISBN-13: 978-0500237717
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 10.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,613,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great idea, variable reproductions, March 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Duccio, the Maesta (Hardcover)

Any lover of Duccio's poetic and heartbreaking paintings will certainly want this book. But let the buyer be aware that many of the remarkable close up , actual-sized photographs are so out of color that the experience is compromised. As great an attempt as this book is in providing clear and insightful essays and the wealth of photos, each time I open the book, the overwhelmingly "hot" nature of the salmonly reproductions diminish the experience.