Simone Martini

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.