Three Marys at the Tomb (top); Descent into Hell (bottom)

Duccio di Buoninsegna's Three Marys at the Tomb and Descent into Hell panels belong to the Maestà altarpiece's complex reverse depicting multiple Passion and Resurrection scenes. The Maestà, created for the high altar of Siena Cathedral between 1308 and 1311, was Duccio's supreme masterwork and the most ambitious painting commission in Trecento Italy. These small narrative panels, visible to the clergy behind the altar, depicted the complete Passion sequence with extraordinary narrative sophistication. The Three Marys at the Tomb presents the Resurrection announcement, while the Descent into Hell shows Christ releasing the righteous souls from Limbo.

Executed in egg tempera and gold leaf on poplar panel, Duccio's technique combines Byzantine-influenced gold grounds with innovative spatial depth and emotional expressiveness. The figures display the elegant linear rhythms and refined color harmonies that define the Sienese Gothic school.