Art Analysis of The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew

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Art Analysis
The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew is one of the rarest panels done by Duccio di Buoninsegna (Duccio), a splendid Maesta in Siena cathedral. The altarpiece was approximately fourteen feet wide with over fifty individual scenes and loomed to gabled highpoints about fifteen feet over the main altar. The altarpiece was done in 1308 and installed in June 1311 after a successful procession through Sienese streets. The imaginative panel painting depicts an episode in the career of Jesus when He met and called Peter and Andrew to be part of His ministry. Even though Duccio must have involved his workshop assistants and pupils to have the altarpiece completed, the way it is designed and executed indicates that Duccio exercised control over the entire project.
Duccio's key elements in his painting are texture, color, form, and value. He uses these elements to communicate with the viewer to bring the viewer to the art itself. He used to form in this picture to bring out the nature of the art and signify and identify different objects within the art itself. For example, the place where Jesus is standing indicates that He is standing on a rocky surface. The use of texture also brings out the tactile quality of the surface of the altarpiece. It appeals to the sense of touch that evokes familiarity, discomfort, or pleasure. Such is seen throughout the whole painting, and the viewer can differentiate different surfaces (water, for example) within the art. Duccio also includes different colors in this painting to bring out the true defin...