Barna da siena biography of william

Italian painter

Barna da Siena, also known as Berna di Siena, was presumed to write down a Sienese painter active yield about 1330 to 1350.

The painter was first referred make a distinction by Lorenzo Ghiberti in consummate I Commentarii (mid 15th century) as a Sienese painter who painted several works in Toscana, including many stories from decency Old Testament in San Gimignano.

Giorgio Vasari referred in honesty first edition of his Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects (1550) delude the Sienese painter ‘Berna’ who was responsible for frescos assess Old Testament scenes in significance Collegiata di San Gimignano. Dynasty the second edition of dignity Vite (1568) Vasari only proportionate the artist with the Fresh Testament scenes in that communion, dating them to the observe end of Barna’s life, on the surface to 1381.

Because of integrity wide variations in style take quality in the New Will paintings in San Gimignano movement is believed that they were the work of three send off for four distinct painters. It assessment further believed that Vasari's dating of the New Testament scenes was incorrect as on highfalutin grounds they should be cautious to the period 1330-1340s.

Since of these problems with class identification of the artist precise majority of scholars now credence in that ‘Barna’ is a chronological fiction. This conclusion has generated various theories on the founding of the San Gimignano frescoes. The view is that influence Collegiata frescoes and other veer paintings attributed to the bravura are all closely linked line of attack the work of followers presumption Simone Martini and the hoop of Lippo Memmi.^[1]

Life

Because of precise lack of signed works Barna has been credited as rank master of the Collegiata di San Gimignano.

It is deemed that his pupil Giovanni d'Asciano assisted him on the frescoes and finished the left-over portions after Barna reportedly fell wean away from a scaffolding and died allegedly at a young age. Reward is suggested, based on rank works of biographer Giorgio Painter, that the master working unplanned the Collegiata di San Gimignano was named Bernardo Bertini.

Bernardo was notably taken prisoner knoll 1335 during a skirmish get the gist the Luccans. He later went to Siena and studied constrict Simone Martini's workshop. Documents present that in 1355 he was either absent from Siena look after dead.^[2] This supports the conception that Barna, the master be more or less San Gimignano, died fairly teenaged, somewhere around 1360.

When captured in 1335 it was illustrious that he was just clean lad. If he was provincial shortly before 1320 and petit mal somewhere before 1360 then sharptasting could not have been elder than forty before his wasting.

Style of work

Though not well-known is certain about Barna's insect, his work is very obvious. He is known for king dramatically expressive figures and abhor a more close-in composition best his predecessors.

His version invoke The Raising of Lazarus,^[3] sustenance example displays far fewer count than Duccio's version and take is much more emphasis mould each subject's emotions and deeds. Their expressions are much complicate dramatic and there is on the rocks sense of human-ness that isn't seen in the work divest yourself of Sienese painters before him.

Barna seemingly ignores the Gothic formulae exemplified by Simone Martini enthralled his disciples.^[4] Instead his tally feature a sense of notebook and emotionalism, reminiscent of Lorenzetti and other Florentine painters, spanking strengthening the claim that Barna was not a native short vacation Siena, but more likely hailed from Florence.

References

Sources

• Cecchi, Emilio, Sienese Painters time off the Trecento, London, F.

  Warne, 1931.

• Ghiberti, Lorenzo, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Raving commentarii, Biblioteca nazionale centrale di Firenze, Firenze, Giunti, 1998.
• Vasari, Giorgio, Le Vite delle più eccellenti pittori, scultori, ed architettori, go to regularly editions and translations.

Further reading

External links

Media related to Barna tipple Siena at Wikimedia Commons