The Golden Gospel of Duccio

Welcome to this online retreat.

Duccio's glorious masterpiece, the Maestà, represents the supreme achievement of Sienese art. Its panels tell the story of the Christ's life on earth, its centrepiece a work of beauty for the devotion of the people. 

After two introductory videos looking at Duccio's life and the Maestà we will follow the life of Christ through his Infancy, Passion, Death and Resurrection. The final video will look at the Maestà in all its glory.

I hope you find it helpful,

Fr Brendan

Out of his infinite glory 

may he give you the power through his Spirit 

for your hidden self to grow strong 

so that Christ may live in your hearts, 

and then planted in love and built on love, 

you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, 

the height and the depth, 

until knowing the love of Christ, 

which is beyond all knowledge, 

you are filled with the utter fullness of God.  

Glory be to him whose power, working in us, 

can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine;

glory be to him from generation to generation

in the church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.  Amen.

Ephesians 3:16-21

Here are some questions you might like to think about as you look at Duccio's art in relation to our own spiritual growth.

• In our modern age when we have seen so much change, how do we, like Duccio, hold on to the best of the past and the values we cherish while being open to fresh insights and expression?
• Duccio and Giotto began a quest for the real, to try to portray the truth of things in art. Can that inspire us to do the same in life?
• Duccio suffered from Florentine prejudices, but we all have them. Cimabue, Duccio and Giotto tried to introduced perspective in their art. Do we struggle to put people and things in (a better) perspective?