The Virgin and Child Enthroned, completed and signed in 1390, remains one of the earliest documented works attributed to the Sienese painter Taddeo di Bartolo. This piece, executed within the church of San Paolo in Pisa, marks an early phase of a career that spanned the transition into the early Renaissance period in Italy.
Early Career and Training
Born in Siena around 1362 or 1363, Taddeo was the son of a barber named Bartolo di Maestro Mino. By 1389, he secured admission to the Sienese Guild of artists. His stylistic development during this period reflects the influence of earlier Sienese masters, including Simone Martini and Ambrogio Lorenzetti. This connection is visible in the flowing lines and thin figures characteristic of his 1395 altarpiece for the church of San Francesco in San Gimignano.
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Taddeo traveled extensively to fulfill commissions across the Italian landscape. In 1393, he worked in San Gimignano, while his earlier itinerant career took him to Collegarli, the San Miniato al Tedesco hills, and Pisa. In Pisa, he was responsible for frescoes depicting Paradise and Hell in the local Cathedral. His ability to adapt to varying scales is evident in the twelve small panels created for the Palazzo Pubblico of Siena between 1400 and 1401, nine of which are preserved at the Opera of the Duomo.
The Montepulciano Assumption
Perhaps his most recognized contribution is the 1401 altarpiece, The Assumption of the Virgin, located in the Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta in Montepulciano. This commission included scenes from the Passion of Christ and served specific devotional functions. Taddeo balanced the established conventions required for religious settings with his own stylistic preferences. Other notable religious works include his 1403 output in Perugia, specifically the Descent of the Holy Spirit and a Virgin and Child with two Angels.
Later Years at the Palazzo Pubblico
In 1406, Taddeo returned to the Palazzo Pubblico of Siena to repaint the interior of its chapel, a project that required the removal of existing murals. His new cycle focused on the Life of the Madonna. Among these, the Death of the Virgin illustrates his narrative approach, featuring a depiction of Jesus receiving the soul of Mary as an infant. He remained active in Siena until his death in 1422, aged approximately 60.
Fast facts
- Born: 1362, Siena, Italy
- Died: 1422, Siena, Italy
- Movement: Sienese school
- Primary Occupation: Painter
- Notable Work: Assumption of the Virgin (1401)
- Significant Project: Palazzo Pubblico chapel frescoes (1406)
Questions readers ask
Was Taddeo di Bartolo related to the painter Bartolo di Fredi?
No. Historical records clarify that his father was a barber named Bartolo di Maestro Mino, not the painter Bartolo di Fredi.
Where can Taddeo di Bartolo's work be viewed today?
His paintings are held in various international collections, including the Szépművészeti Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, the Wadsworth Atheneum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Musée du Petit Palais in Avignon.
Achievements
- Notable work: Assumption of the Virgin
- Movement: Sienese school
