Good Government in Art and Society

Sienese Frescoes and Their Significance

• Captured enemies are presented by Sienese soldiers, reflecting military success and social order.
• Justice, an enthroned figure, is accompanied by Wisdom, punishing the guilty and rewarding the deserving.
• The fresco "The Effects of Good Government in the City and in the Country" illustrates ideal governance through a naturalistic depiction of Siena.
• Siena’s contemporary architecture, including the dome and campanile, is represented with the Roman Gate (Porta Romana) as a key landmark.
• A vibrant community is depicted with people dancing, signifying social harmony and conflict-free transactions.
• The security of travel and trade is emphasized with open city gates, welcoming merchants and pilgrims.
• The agricultural landscape exhibits fertility, with peasants actively working fields and signs of good harvests.
• Spatial depth is skillfully rendered in the fresco, reminiscent of ancient Roman artistic techniques.
• An allegorical representation of bad governance is found on the west wall, featuring a figure of Tyranny surrounded by Vices.
• The consequences of corrupt leadership are illustrated with a city in ruins and a devastated countryside.
• The moral lesson presented highlights the vital role of virtuous leadership in ensuring peace and prosperity.
• Despite the ideals depicted, the Black Death struck Siena shortly after the fresco's completion, claiming the life of artist Lorenzetti.

Nicola Pisano and the Pulpit of Pisa

• Pisa, unlike Siena, did not construct a town hall; its cathedral serves as the city's symbol.
• Nicola Pisano created a freestanding stone pulpit for the Pisa baptistery in 1260.
• Baptism played both religious and political roles, introducing infants into Christianity while conferring citizenship rights.
• The pulpit is hexagonal and supported by seven columns made of polychromatic marble and granite, likely from ancient ruins.
• Many column capitals are adorned with Corinthian-like leaves, while three columns rest on lion sculptures.
• The bases of the central pillar feature grotesque figures adding a layer of narrative depth.
• Personifications of Virtues, influenced by Roman models, are depicted above the columns.
• The pulpit showcases carved marble panels illustrating key events in the life of Jesus, including the Nativity, Crucifixion, and Last Judgment.
• The Nativity panel combines multiple stories, such as the Annunciation and Adoration of the Shepherds, conveying a continuous narrative within a single composition.