Triptych: Crucifixion and other Scenes

This small devotional triptych by Duccio di Buoninsegna, dating to around 1302, exemplifies the exquisite portable altarpieces created for private worship among the wealthy patrons of Siena. Duccio was the founder of the Sienese school and his graceful, lyrical style transformed Italian Gothic painting. Now in the Royal Collection, this intimate Crucifixion triptych showcases his ability to convey profound emotional narrative within a miniature format.

Executed in tempera and gold on small wooden panels with hinged wings, Duccio employs his signature combination of Byzantine gold-ground tradition with a new emotional expressiveness. The delicate figures display his characteristic flowing drapery lines and the subtle, sorrowful facial expressions that distinguished Sienese painting from the more monumental Florentine approach.