Simone Martini was an Italian painter, who had a major part in the development of early Italian painting and was credited for developing the modern International Gothic style. Not much is known about his life, aside from the fact that he was born in Siena and was an apprentice from a young age. According to Renaissance art biographers, Martini was known to be the pupil of Giotto di Bondone. However, experts now believe Martini was a pupil of Duccio di Buoninsegna, the leading Sienese painter of his time, from whom he learned the technique of harmonizing colour. According to E. H. Gombrich, Martini was also “a friend of Petrarch,” and had even painted a portrait of him (Gombrich 214).
One of his earliest documented works was the Maestà, a large fresco produced in 1315. The painting was created when he was staying in Palazzo Pubblico. Martini painted it for the Town Hall of Siena as a counterpart to the huge pala by Duccio in the Cathedral. The Madonna and Child were enthroned with saints and angels in the artwork. The fresco was a reimagining of Duccio’s Maestà, with a greater emphasis on illusionary perspective and concrete replacing abstract. In comparison to his predecessor’s work, which was abstract, it was a little more descriptive in the setting and actions of his characters. This work of his is recognized as a representative of 14th-century Italian art.
Martini’s work has a distinct Sienese feel about it. His work had a significant impact on the art form and style of Sienese painters in the years ahead. Throughout his career, he upheld the Sienese tradition. The artist’s body of work stands in stark contrast to Florentine art’s seriousness and monumentality. His art was characterized by stylized, decorative, soft features, courtly grace, and sinuosity of line, among other things. Martini drew inspiration from French manuscript illumination and ivory carving in his work.
The painting Annunciation, which he produced for the Siena Cathedral, is one of his most famous pieces. The painting was a triptych with three panels. Simone Martini signed the artwork in 1333 alongside his brother-in-law, Lippo Memmi. The triptych presented Gabriel and Mary in their dematerialized forms, with beautiful line rhythm. The complexities of his detailed work prompted plenty of painters to try and replicate his style. None of his successors, however, could achieve the energy and vibrant shapes of his work.
Sources:
Gombrich, E. H. The Story of Art. 16th ed., Phaidon Press, 1995.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Martini
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Simone-Martini
http://www.travelingintuscany.com/art/simonemartini.htm
Images:
By Simone Martini – The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=154980
By Simone Martini – Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15396236
By Simone Martini – File:Simone Martini 068.jpgFile:Simone Martini 069.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86898659
By Simone Martini – jwG5CBwYZObuvA at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21894083
By Simone Martini – The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=154806
October 11, 2021 at 6:43 pm
Garleen,
Nice work on Martini here. You have plenty of information through your research and you’ve presented it well. What I would like to see more of, and I’ve been pushing this with a number of other students, is more personal thoughts and insights into the work you are looking at. I’d like to know how you feel about the painter and why he may resonate with you. Also Petrarch was a man, not a woman. Look forward to seeing what you come up with next time.
Jeff
October 18, 2021 at 4:50 pm
Writing comments from Patrick
Niiice! Flows well, strong sentences and good vocabulary. The only quibbles I’d have are overuse of commas (check on Grammarly next time you post). Reading aloud will help catch that — and too long sentences — as well. Well done.