14th century · Siena, international Gothic and workshop dialogue

Chiseled gold, musical line and suspended gestures unite Simone Martini and Lippo Memmi in one of the peaks of Sienese painting.

Simone Martini, active from 1315 and died in Avignon in 1344, and Lippo Memmi, documented from 1317 to 1347, belong to the most refined circle of Sienese painting of the 14th century. Lippo is Simone's brother-in-law and the two artists collaborate in an environment where civic commissions, religious devotion and court culture meet. The Annunciation between Saints Ansan and Marguerite, painted for Siena Cathedral in 1333, bears their common signature. Critics generally attribute most of the design to Simone, while Lippo participates in the execution and side figures. The Archangel Gabriel has just entered: his mantle still floats, his wings are open and the words of greeting materialize in relief on the gold background. Marie withdraws with almost courteous restraint. Between them, the lily marks the purity and space of the dialogue. The tempera, the hallmarks and the incisions transform the golden surface into luminous material. This work illustrates the circulation of models within a family workshop without erasing personalities. At Simone and Lippo, the sacred adopts the elegance of the courteous world and prepares the European influence of international Gothic. The selection "Simone Martini and Lippo Memmi" notably compares The Annunciation between Saints Ansan and Marguerite. His reading favors the story.

In their Annunciation, the word becomes a golden line: the angel advances, Mary withdraws and all the space vibrates between these two gestures.