Simone Martini
Italian·1284–1344
No Portrait Available
Simone Martini (c.1284-1344) brought the Sienese school to its highest point of refinement, creating works of courtly elegance that spread Italian influence across Europe. Likely trained under Duccio di Buoninsegna, Martini developed a style marked by decorative line, harmonious colors, and graceful figures. His "Maestà" fresco (1315) in Siena's Palazzo Pubblico established his reputation, while the "Annunciation" (1333), now at the Uffizi, remains one of the most beautiful Gothic paintings ever created.
Martini became the first painter in history to be knighted, receiving the honor from the Angevin court of Naples on July 23, 1317, for his painting "St. Louis of Toulouse Crowning His Brother, King Robert of Anjou." His equestrian portrait of condottiero Guidoriccio da Fogliano (1328) in Siena became the first non-religious Sienese painting, setting a precedent for Renaissance portraits of rulers on horseback. In 1336, Martini moved to Avignon to serve the Papal court, where he befriended the poet Petrarch and painted a portrait of Petrarch's beloved Laura. His influence on the development of International Gothic style proved immense. Major works survive at the Uffizi, the National Gallery of Art, and in frescoes at Siena's Palazzo Pubblico.
Primary Genres
Notable Works by Simone Martini
4 paintings catalogued with museum locations
A
Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus
Simone Martini, 1333
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Florence
T
The Miracle of the Child Attacked and Rescued by Augustine Novello
Simone Martini
Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna, Bologna, Bologna
S
Saint Catherine of Alexandria Polyptych
Simone Martini
National Museum of San Matteo, Pisa, Pisa
P
Petrarch's Virgil (title page)
Simone Martini
Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan, Milan
Museums with Simone Martini's Work
4 museums display Martini's works. Click any museum to see visiting info and the specific works they hold.
Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Florence, Italy
1 work on display
Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus
Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan
Milan, Italy
1 work on display
Petrarch's Virgil (title page)
Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna, Bologna
Bologna, Italy
1 work on display
The Miracle of the Child Attacked and Rescued by Augustine Novello
National Museum of San Matteo, Pisa
Pisa, Italy
1 work on display
Saint Catherine of Alexandria Polyptych
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About Simone Martini
Martini worked in the Sienese Gothic tradition and helped develop the International Gothic style that would spread across Europe. His elegant linear approach, rich colors, and courtly refinement bridged Italian Trecento painting with French manuscript illumination, influencing artists from Avignon to Prague and anticipating certain aspects of the Renaissance.
The Annunciation (1333), painted with his brother-in-law Lippo Memmi and now at the Uffizi, is his supreme achievement, its gold ground and sinuous lines epitomizing Gothic elegance. The Maestà fresco (1315) in Siena's Palazzo Pubblico established his reputation with its unprecedented scale and sophistication.
The Uffizi in Florence displays his luminous Annunciation. Siena preserves his Maestà fresco in the Palazzo Pubblico's Sala del Mappamondo. The Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi contains his important frescoes of Saint Martin's life in the lower church.
Yes, Martini became the first painter in recorded history to receive knighthood when the Angevin court of Naples honored him on July 23, 1317. King Robert of Naples, a noted patron of arts and letters, recognized Martini's extraordinary talent and elevated him to noble status rarely accorded to artists.
Martini and Petrarch became friends at the papal court in Avignon, where both served Pope Benedict XII in the 1340s. Martini painted a now-lost portrait of Laura de Noves, the woman celebrated in Petrarch's poetry. Petrarch wrote two sonnets praising Martini's ability to capture Laura's beauty.
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