The Three Marys at the Tomb (Fragment) - Duccio di Buoninsegna

A fragment from Duccio's Maestà, depicting the three Marys with a focus on emotional expression and refined tempera technique.

This fragment originates from the Maestà, a monumental altarpiece commissioned for the Siena Cathedral. Duccio di Buoninsegna, a central figure in the development of Sienese painting, executed this work during the early fourteenth century. The panel depicts the three women arriving at the tomb of Christ, each carrying a vessel of ointment.

Duccio employs a refined approach to tempera, using delicate brushwork to define the facial expressions of the figures. Their countenances convey a sense of solemnity and grief, rendered with a degree of psychological observation that departed from the rigid Byzantine conventions of the period. The drapery of their garments, painted in saturated tones of vermilion and deep blue, creates a sense of volume and movement. The gold leaf halos, though partially visible, provide a luminous backdrop that contrasts with the sombre narrative.

As a fragment of a larger narrative cycle, this piece demonstrates the artist's ability to organise complex theological subjects into coherent visual sequences. The composition focuses on the interaction between the figures, with their gestures and gazes directed towards the unseen tomb. The crackle pattern across the surface, known as craquelure, is a natural result of the ageing of the tempera medium on a wooden support. This print captures the texture and colour of the original panel, allowing for a close examination of Duccio's technique. The work remains a primary example of the transition towards a more humanistic style in Italian art, where the focus shifts to the emotional experience of the subjects.