Italy is the home of Renaissance art, but Siena has not always been seen as an artistic hub on the level of Florence or Rome. This exhibition rewrites that history, imploring viewers to examine the evidence: 100 works by Sienese artists that date from the years 1300 to 1350. In 1348, Siena’s population dropped from 42,000 to 14,000 following the Black Death, which cut short the lives of many of the city’s painters. The show, which is traveling to the National Gallery in March 2025, includes several panels from the back predella of Duccio di Buoninsegna’s influential Maestà.
—Zack Hauptman