Scholars Generally Agree that the Maesta, the High Altarpiece Painted by Duccio for the Cathedral of Siena

Reading Passage Question

Scholars generally agree that the Maesta, the high altarpiece painted by Duccio for the Cathedral of Siena, is one of the greatest panel paintings ever produced. Some scholars have argued that the painting was commissioned in 1308 and completed by the summer of 1311, but the former date seems improbable for two reasons. First, the argument that the painting was commissioned in 1308 is based on a dubious interpretation of a document. The one bona fide Duccio commission in existence, for the Rucellai Madonna in the Uffizi Gallery, stipulates the form and subject of the painting. That part of the Siena document that concerns the Maesta itself mentions only Duccio’s role in its execution.

Second, scholars who argue that the 1308 agreement was the commission for the entire Maesta must explain how Duccio managed to complete the altarpiece in less than three years. White suggests that “the actual work of painting a large panel was much more like frescoing a wall than might at first thought,” thus implying that the panel was painted by Duccio as quickly as a fresco would be painted. But this appears a wildly improbable thesis, given the intricate design and complexity of the painting on the main panel. Stubblebine attempts to explain the rapidity of the production of the altarpiece by arguing somewhat more plausibly that while Duccio himself painted the main panel and the predella beneath it, he assigned the design and execution of the back of the altarpiece to six other painters, including Simone Martini and the brothers Lorenzetti, who attained prominence later in the century. Although the painting of large altarpieces was often carried out by the designing master with the help of members of his shop, it is doubtful that in a commission of such solemnity Duccio would have allowed his disciples to undertake such a large portion of the work on their own. True, the narrative scenes on the back show intermittent evidence of studio intervention, but the absolute narrative consistency of the whole cycle of paintings in the altarpiece would be inexplicable if all the panels were not at least designed by Duccio himself and painted under his close supervision.

“Scholars generally agree that the Maesta, the high altarpiece painted by Duccio for the Cathedral of Siena” - is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 6 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

Question 1
Which of the following titles best summarizes the content of the passage?

(A) Competing Views of Duccio’s Influence on Fourteenth-Century Italian Painting
(B) New Theories on How the Maesta Came into Being
(C) Duccio’s Techniques in Painting the Maesta: A Scholarly Dispute.
(D) When Work on the Maesta Was Begun? : An Unresolved Question
(E) The Maesta: Duccio’s Masterpiece?

Question 2
According to the passage, the author’s response to White’s explanation of how the Maesta was painted is most directly influenced by which of the following?

(A) The complexity of the painting on the main panel
(B) The evidence of studio intervention on the back panels
(C) The terms of the commission for the Rucellai Madonna
(D) The work of Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers
(E) The comparison of Duccio’s work with that of other artists

Question 3
The passage implies which of the following about frescoes?

1. They are generally more intricate in design than panel paintings.
2. Wall frescoes were generally painted more quickly than panels of comparable size.
3. Artists in fourteenth-century Italy preferred them to panel paintings.
   
   (A) I only
   (B) II only
   (C) I and II only
   (D) II and III only
   (E) I, II, and III

Question 4
According to the passage, the commission for the Rucelfai Madonna differs from the document highlighted in line (8) in that the former

(A) specified the date by which the painting was to be completed
(B) specified what the painting was to represent
(C) indicated how much Duccio was to be paid when the painting was completed
(D) indicated which artists would assist Duccio in completing the painting
(E) specified Duccio’s role in the execution of the painting

Question 5
According to the passage, the practice by masters of relying on the members of their shops to help complete a work was

(A) unusual in the case of Duccio
(B) put into effect when the commission was a the Maesta
(C) the only way to explain the narrative consistency of the Maesta
(D) common when the work was a large altarpiece
(E) the cause of a dispute between Duccio and those who commissioned the painting.

Question 6
The author assumes which of the following in analysing White’s and Stubblebine’s arguments?

(A) Duccio often carefully supervised the work of his assistants.
(B) It was common for Italian artists of the fourteenth century to begin work on a project before it was actually commissioned.
(C) The narrative consistency of the Maesta can be explained by the short time it took Duccio to complete it.
(D) Duccio’s work on the Rucellai Madonna made it impossible for him to devote full time to the Maesta.
(E) The Maesta must have been completed by the summer of 1311.

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