Simone Martini

Simone Martini was an Italian painter of the Medieval period, evidenced by his use of elongated figures and vague, flat depictions of space. A student of Duccio, his soft color palette and forms mark him as exemplary of Siennies painting in the 14th century. Art historians remember him for creating both icon-portraits and narrative biblical scenes as well as for the sculptural quality of some of his works. Martini’s Annunciation masterpiece is particularly three-dimensional, and departs from typical Medieval works in that it shows an emotional, reluctant reaction from Mary as she receives the news that she is pregnant (shown literally as words escaping the mouth of the angel Gabriel).