Week 12, Locating Renaissance Art, Chapter 4, Siena and its Renaissance

Introduction
Carol Richardson paints a brief picture of the history, civic pride and relationship of Sienna particularly with its powerful neighbour Florence. She points out that it lay on the via Franigena, the trade and pilgrim route running from Northern Europe to Rome, and as such the city was visited by many different nationalities. Sienese artists worked from a long tradition that formed 'an integral part of their national identity' (CB2,p133). The Renaissance is much about new techniques and approaches and Sienese artists practiced this against the 'powerful precedent of local tradition' (CB2,p133). The election of the Sienese Pope Pius II in 1458 prompted a more outward looking view but not at the expense of its own civic identity.

Siena and its Renaissance
Diana Norman outlines the geography and look of Siena and highlights its position on the pilgrim and trade route to Rome, that placed it in a position for the exchange in cultures that led to innovation and development in art, but how this was tempered by the long established artistic traditions of the city.

1. The survival of and respect for late medieval art in Siena
This section informs us of the strong civic pride within Siena and its dedication to the Virgin seen as the city's ruler and protector, based on a famous victory over Florence in 1260. During the 1300's there were many artworks in churches, frescoes on buildings, and within the city hall, showing scenes from the life of the Virgin. The presence of these works and their influence continued through into the 1400's and in 1448 the painter Sano di Pietro (1405-81) was instructed to paint a predella based on some of these earlier works. By the mid 1500's Siena had become a subject city of Florence,. but continued to preserve many of its own artistic traditions and had its own painters guild the Arte dei Pittori.

2. Civic schemes and projects (1400-1450)
Within this section there are considered a number of locations and works from the period. In 1402 Siena regained its independence from the control of the Duke of Milan, which led to this period of civic pride and self belief.

The Fonte Gaia
(The Fountain of Joy) was a large sculptural complex on the side of the Campo, carved by the Sienese sculpture Jacopo della Quercia (active 1394-1438) The importance of this work in its prestigious and public location is comparable to that of Ghiberti's first Baptistery doors and the sculptures of Orsanmichele in Florence. It carried important political messages for the whole community reinforcing Christian virtues, the position of the Virgin. and Siena's ambition 'to be known as a city founded during antiquity'. (CB2,p143)

The baptistry font
Another sculptural commission designed to enhance Sienese civic pride which in this case incorporates work by a number of sculptors including Donatello, Ghiberti and Jacopo della Quericia. The font within the baptistery has bronze reliefs similar to those of the baptistery doors in Florence, together with bronze statuettes and bronze putti, with low relief marble panels. The section highlights the bronze panels of Donatello with its single point perspective and Donatello;s skill in showing the narrative. This is The Presentation of the Head of St. John the Baptist to Herod (CB2 P4.13,p148) and Jacopo della Quercia's The Annunciation to Zachariah (CB2 P4.14,p149) and who creates a sense of space by setting the viewer at an angle from the building.

This work demonstrates how the Sienese government was willing to invest in order to enhance the cities reputation and status in a project that would benefit the whole populace. It shows how skilled artists from other cities would move from place to place in order to work, and also Jacopo della Quercia, the Sienese sculptor was himself in demand in other parts of Italy.

The Pellegrinaio

This is a long vaulted hall also known as the pilgrims hospice in the hospital of Santa Maria della Scala (CB2,P4.15,p150). This work is a complex decoration of this hall and was a collaborative effort by a number of Sienese and Florentine artists and others. This section describes the main paintings and how they reflect Renaissance styles from Florence including contemporary clothing in historical narratives. The paintings show events in the history of the institution which promote the importance of that institution and Siena itself. The section highlights the interchange of ideas between centres and how Sienese artists incorporated these into works that retained the Sienese taste for the art of earlier times.

3. Public and private commissions (1450-1510)

The Loggia of the Mercanzia

Somewhat in the style of the Orsanmichele this loggia was commissioned by the merchants as a prestigious building on the main thoroughfare. The five standing sculptures, three of which are of early saints associated with the city reflect the Renaissance taste for the style of antiquity. Inside the loggia two ornate stone benches once again reflect antiquity and hence add to Siena's claim to being an antique city and to display both the wealth and the lineage of the cities merchants.

The Piccolomini Loggia

This section deals with the work commissioned by Pope Pius II a member of the Piccolomini family in Siena. It highlights the Pope's influence in introducing Renaissance ideas and styles to Siena, but particularly how the loggia which is in a prominent Sienese site, promoted the Piccolomini family.

Piccolomini Palaces

Highlights three palaces built by the Piccolomini family which show both Renaissance style and a deference to traditional Sienese building styles and materials.

The Piccolomini Library

The decorative scheme which survives even today, was devised as a memorial and celebration to Pope Pius II and the Piccolomini family. The works both paintings and sculptures show the introduction of contemporary Renaisance ideas, but also particularly through paintings such as the Canonization of Saint Catherine of Siena promote a continued civic pride. The library as part of the cathedral show how a family commission of such status was accepted into Siena in similar style to the family commissions in the churches of Florence.

Conclusion

Pulling together this chapter the conclusion reinforces the influence that Rome and Florence and their Renaissance ideas had on the City, its civic and its private patrons. It points to the way in which the Sienese brought artists from other cities in, but also strongly emphasizes the strong tradition of Sienese artists working on these projects, and the way in which a civic pride in the city and its history has a continuing influence on the works commissioned.