Duccio's adjustment to 'The temptation of Christ on the mountain' from his 'Maestà'

• Autores: Dillian Gordon
• Localización: Burlington magazine, ISSN 0007-6287, Vol. 151, Nº 1270, 2009, págs. 19-21
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • A significant addition to the composition of The temptation of Christ on the mountain from Duccio's Maestà, his double-sided altarpiece for the high altar of the cathedral in Siena, Italy, was probably the outcome of the intervention of the work's patron. The panel features angels that were not initially included in the composition, with various clues showing that they were added after the final stages of the painting had been completed. Whoever oversaw the commission must have insisted that Duccio include the angels so as to bring the narrative more closely in line with the biblical account, since they are mentioned both in the description of the temptation on the temple and the temptation on the mountain. It has been suggested that the commission may have been directed by a theological adviser, the then Bishop of Siena, Ruggiero da Casole, in which case it was probably he who ordered the painting to be changed.