Published: 21/04/2025
Siena, The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350 at The National Gallery (ends 22 June 2025) and Munch Portraits at The National Portrait Gallery (ends 15 June 2025).
Easily visited on the same day but so very different! In the former, early paintings of the 14th century are centre stage, with the focus on the Sienese artists Duccio, Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers: drama, emotion, movement and above all, gold.
The Exhibition highlight for me was the bringing together of the known panels of Duccio’s altarpiece, ‘Maestà’ and there is a mock-up on the wall of what the whole would have looked like. It must have dazzled its viewers (no stinting on the gold), inspiring wonder and awe. Various biblical scenes were depicted but one I particularly liked was The Wedding at Cana. Such artistry, beauty and technical accomplishment…wondrous.
Hopping across to the NPG, entering a world of familiar faces, made a striking contrast. While there are no ‘Scream’ similarities in the Munch portraits on display, one can tell the people he disliked: the pompous, the wealthy, the arrogant. The pictures represented an interesting side to the artist although out of his 400 known portraits, this was but a small selection.
