Awe and admiration

Daniel Jahansouz reports from a remarkable National Gallery exhibition

The National Gallery’s exhibition Siena: The Rise of Painting ran this year from 8 March until 25 June. The exhibition gathered together, for the first time in centuries, scenes from Duccio's monumental Maestà altarpiece. This altarpiece is a foundational and integral part of the history of devotional art and using art as a theological medium; it was, after all, the first altarpiece with panels on both the front and the back.

The front panels consist of large portrayal of The Virgin and Child enthroned, flanked with a plenitude of glorious Angels and Saints. The back panels show forty-three remarkable scenes of the life of The Blessed Virgin and of Christ. This is the centre piece of the Siena exhibition, and it does not disappoint. Duccio's magnificent craftsmanship and care speak volumes.

The intricate engravings inlayed within the architecture of the throne, the abundance of byzantine gold which was inspired and taken from the transrelational materials that the town of Siena had access to via the crusades, are all exceptional.

But the highlight of Siena is in the first room of the exhibition, almost paving the way for Duccio’s Maestà: the triptych of The Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Aurea.

The town of Siena is famous for its Marian devotion. This is made clear not only in the written history of the town, but also in the artwork. The 14th century is filled with Marian paintings, but Duccio's unique work feels different. At first glance, one can see The Virgin and Child surrounded by angels, flanked with the founder of the Order of Preachers and the famous abbess. On closer inspection however, one can make out more details, such as the Prophets and Patriarchs above the Virgin and Child holding their elegant scrolls, containing prophecies about the Messiah centuries before He had come. Now, they are in utter awe and admiration. The angels too, with their dazzling garments, almost peering into the scene. They have their hands clasped together in pure joy. They point and marvel as if to say, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, and His Immaculate Mother whom He deemed worthy to bear Him!’

The subject of The Virgin and Child is the literal and metaphorical centrepiece of Siena. Mary's classic blue garments, resembling the maris, or sea, from where she gets Her name. St Thomas Aquinas writes, ‘for just as sailors are directed to port by the star of the sea, so also Christians are guided to glory by Mary: to which may he lead us.’ Her gorgeous blue garb is outlined with gold, even having a star on Her forehead (prefiguring the crown as prophesised in Revelation 12:1), in addition to one on Her shoulder. Duccio even decided to give Mary these wonderful rosy cheeks. She is utterly, wholly, and totally consumed of Her Son and Lord, the God-Man Jesus Christ. As St Louis de Monfort says, ‘that all in heaven and on earth, even God himself, is subject to the Blessed Virgin… [since] Her prayers and requests are so powerful with him that he accepts them as commands in the sense that he never resists his dear mother's prayer because it is always humble and conformed to his will.’ It is also written: Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove’s, thy neck as jewels (Song of Songs 1:9). The Christ Child is seated in Mary’s arms, grasping at His Mother's veil with both hands, almost in desperation. God deigned and saw it fit for Him to have a mother, for Him to be nursed, protected, cared for, loved, fed, and nourished by Her.

The clothing of the Christ Child flows effortlessly down his body covering his lower half, and this, in addition to the inside of His Mother's veil, are all painted with the same care, detail and shine that Duccio is known for. Christ looks with admiration at God's marvellous creation, while Mary has a face of true, sacrificial love (agape), but also sorrow. Like any good Mother, She wants the best for Her beloved Son, and since Simeon's prophecy, Her heart will always have a sword pierced through it (Luke 2:35).

This theme of sorrow is also echoed in Pietro Lorenzetti’s diptych of The Virgin and Child on the left, and the

Man of Sorrow on the right. The Virgin and Child both exchange a look of concern, with Mary’s signature ocean blue garments contrasting with the deep blood red material that Christ is wrapped in, prefiguring His Passion. This red is not only worn by the Christ Child, but is also on the insides of Mary’s veil and mantle. This play between the glorious signature byzantine gold, representing the transcendent and heavenly elements of the Theotokos and of Christ, in contrast with these sorrowful emotions and prefiguration of Christ’s passion and Mary’s spiritual martyrdom, is terrifyingly beautiful.

When observing the opposite panel with the Man of Sorrows, Christ almost looks at peace. Christ is painted to look like marble or stone –The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone (Psalm 118:22). There is still gold in this image, but now it is contrasted with this deep ebony black, symbolising death, and the signature deep red wounds of Christ on his hands and side. The same red is used in the image on the left, and Lorenzetti did not do this by accident. He also very cleverly weaves the red in and around the frame of Christ. Our Saviour, killed by our sin, has redeemed us by His blood. He is at peace, but also is in deep pain, a pain His Mother saw the moment the prophecy of Simeon was spoken to Her.

Duccio and Lorenzetti go above and beyond in their works, not only from a technical aspect, but also from a theological one. Their work is painted with such care, detail and intimacy, that one cannot but help to enter into the thoughts and mind of the Holy Virgin. We pray that we are able to suffer this spiritual martyrdom that Our Blessed Lady did. May we, as the Christ Child did, cling to Mary with both hands, be under Her protection and mantle, and adorn Her glorious body and soul, so we can be ever more united to Her Divine Son and find solace only in Him.