A Closer Look: Episode 21 - Duccio’s Maestà
What happens to a great work of art when later tastes move in a different direction?
In this episode of A Closer Look, art historian and specialist guide Freya Middleton explores the history of Duccio di Buoninsegna's fourteenth-century masterpiece, the Maestà or Madonna in Majesty. A monumental polyptych of multiple gilded panels, covering a huge space on both the front and back of the work, it's an acknowledged masterpiece of not only the Sienese School, but also of Italian medieval painting.
Inconceivably, at a later point in its history, the artwork was cut down, the sum of its parts sold, dispersed and, in some cases, lost forever. And yet, despite its troubled history, Freya shows how much there is to appreciate in this timeless work and its extraordinary legacy.
FREYA MIDDLETON
Freya Middleton is a specialist art guide who has been based in Florence, Italy for close to twenty years. She has postgraduate qualifications in Italian Renaissance Studies from Warwick University, an acknowledged leader in the field, and is known for her passionate communication of all things related to Italy.
Kathleen Olive
Kathleen is one of Australia’s best-known cultural tour leaders, with over fifteen years’ experience leading tours to Western Europe, North America, Australasia and Japan.