The Guido Riccio Controversy in Art History Michael Mallory and Gordon Moran

6 The Guido Riccio controversy in art history Michael Mallory and Gordon Moran Published in Brian Martin (editor), Confronting the Experts (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1996), pp. 131-154 Introduction can be challenged both inside and outside The Guido Riccio is a fresco, or wall painting, academia. in the city of Siena in Italy. Guido Riccio is The lengthy duration of the Guido Riccio short for the full name, Guido Riccio da controversy has given us the time and the Fogliano at the Siege of Montemassi. The opportunity to study other academic contro- standard view has long been that Simone versies of the past and present, and to compare Martini, a famous painter from Siena, painted notes with other scholars who are involved in the entire fresco in 1328-1330, a view adopted ongoing disputes of their own. Such compari- by generations of scholars and repeated in sons have enabled us to detect, even predict, many textbooks, guidebooks, reference books, patterns of behaviour on the part of experts as and classroom lectures. This was also our own they attempt to overcome challenges. These view until 1977, when we proposed that a patterns include: the suppression and censor- portion of the fresco, namely the horse and ship of the challengers’ ideas from scholarly rider, was painted by a close follower of conferences, symposia, and journals; personal Simone Martini in 1352, while still attributing attacks, including insults, retaliation, and the rest of the painting to Simone. ostracism, against the challengers; and On the face of it, it would seem that the secrecy, instead of open discussion and debate. Guido Riccio discussion would be an obvious candidate to remain limited to a small group of Vested interests and motivation academics with a specialization in Sienese As the Guido Riccio controversy has pro- painting, with discussion involving fine points gressed, an increasing number of persons have of an intellectual, if not erudite, nature. After taken an interest in it, including undergraduate all, a portion of a painting was being dated 20 and graduate students, art students, alumni years later then commonly believed, and this groups, culturally minded tourist groups, and specific portion was being attributed to a close local Sienese civic groups. Frequently we are follower of a famous painter, rather than to the asked: “Why can’t they accept the truth?”; famous painter. Yet, for various reasons, the “Why can’t they admit Simone didn’t paint the issue became hotly contested, immediately got famous Guido Riccio fresco?”; “Why into the mass media, and swiftly escalated into wouldn’t they let you be on the program of the what several writers have described as “the Simone Martini conference in Siena in case of the century,” or the “enigma” of the 1985?”; “Why don’t they want to uncover the century in art history. fourteenth century frescoes that might be The controversy — or “war,” as one scholar hidden under the plaster on the walls of the put it — over Guido Riccio has raged for more same room where the Guido Riccio painting is than a decade. Hence, this chapter can be no located?” “They” in these questions are the more than a progress report, revealing some various persons who have vested interests in highlights from the history of the controversy. confirming the standard view of the Guido We hope to provide some insights into how Riccio. experts react to upsetting hypotheses and also The famous fresco is located in the main into how their various tactics and manoeuvres council room of the museum of the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena, situated on one side of the Guido Riccio controversy 79 famous town piazza known as the “Campo.” A The producers of Chianti Classico and large wall painting or mural, painted in the Brunello wines have a vested interest in Guido fresco technique, it is one of the most — if not Riccio since he appears on their wine labels. the most — famous painting in Siena, and in Even more so the city government officials the history of Italian Renaissance art. It is who are the “owners” of the painting located listed in many art history textbooks, reference in their city hall and the officials of the books, and monographs, as well as guidebooks Soprintendenza (the federal Italian govern- and brochures, as one of the few documented ment agency with responsibility for preserva- works of the fourteenth-century Sienese tion of works of art in Italy) who must painter Simone Martini. Simone, in turn, is preserve it have a vested interest in the Guido regarded as one of the most famous and Riccio. Obviously the local tourist board has a important painters of the Late Medieval and vested interest in it, since the painting is one of Early Renaissance period both in Siena and in the big attractions of Siena. And the citizens of Italy. Siena themselves, and their cultural institu- Reproductions of the famous Guido Riccio tions, such as the Accademia degli Intronati, — particularly its image of the horse and rider have vested interests based on their pride in — are found on posters for the local Sienese their city, its history and its artistic heritage. tourist agency, on the covers of guidebooks As the Guido Riccio controversy developed, and textbooks, postcards, plates, ash trays, other persons and institutions became cookie box covers, lampshades, bathroom involved, such as the powerful Monte dei tiles, calendars, wine bottle labels, and even Paschi Bank, which financed a monograph blankets. It seems clear that much of the book on the Palazzo Pubblico, certain art popularity of the image of Guido Riccio on libraries and art library associations which in horseback stems from the belief that it was turn involved the German government, the painted by Simone Martini. In fact, genera- editors of scholarly journals and specialized tions of Sienese children have been brought encyclopedias, and certain academic profes- into the Palazzo Pubblico museum in Siena by sional societies, such as the College Art their school teachers and told that Simone Association of America, a member of the Martini painted the image of Guido Riccio on American Council of Learned Societies. horseback for the glory of the Sienese Rather than trying to guess what prompted Republic of the fourteenth century, or some the actions, reactions, and manoeuvres of these remark to that effect. The painting has become persons and organizations, we will describe as part of Sienese pride in its history and and analyze events and situations that have artistic patrimony and heritage. Moreover, the actually taken place. Readers can then decide local Sienese government controls, as a virtual for themselves what the motivation might have monopoly, the touristic guided tours of the city been. and its museums and grants licenses to only a select and limited number of official guides Historical and art historical background who claim exclusive rights to show groups of Siena is a small city in central Italy, about an tourists around the city. Over the years, these hour’s drive south of the larger and more well- “official guides” have told many thousands — known city of Florence (Firenze), its historic if not millions — of tourists that the famous rival. Siena’s history most likely extends to Guido Riccio fresco was painted by Simone Etruscan times, and it is referred to in Roman Martini, and some continue to do so. And, to literature and historical writings. In Medieval be sure, for many years, numerous art history times, Siena developed into something of a professors in art history classes in universities political and economic power in its own right, around the world have waxed eloquently about in part through international banking. In fact, the painting, describing it as Simone’s in the fourteenth century Siena was a masterpiece. flourishing city-state, expanding its territory in all directions, to the west as far as the Mediter- 80 Confronting the experts ranean coast, to the north to the Chianti region, Riccio became entrenched in the history of art to the south as far as Mt. Amiata, and to the as a documented masterpiece. east into the Val di Chiana. This territorial In 1980, a second fresco was uncovered expansion revived centuries’ old conflicts with from under modern plaster on the same wall as the leaders of the feudal lords who owned the the Guido Riccio. This newly-uncovered castles and territory in the areas of the Sienese painting has subsequently been regarded countryside. During the twelfth, thirteenth and unanimously by all scholars who have written fourteenth centuries military conquests or on the subject as being one of the castles of the financial transactions by the Sienese govern- castle program described above. Its discovery ment brought many castles and their raised hopes that other masterpieces of surrounding land into its jurisdiction and under fourteenth century Sienese painting might still its military control. be hidden under the plaster in the room, It is precisely during this territorial waiting to be uncovered for the world to see. It expansion program that the Guido Riccio story was also soon evident that the Guido Riccio begins. Early in the fourteenth century, the was in every respect very different from the Sienese government had decided to depict in newly discovered work that everyone regarded wall paintings castles that the government had as original. Doubts about the origin of the recently taken under its jurisdiction that were famous work began to rise. deemed to be important and strategic from a military/political standpoint. These castle Connoisseurship in art history depictions eventually covered large portions of In the field of art history, expert claims for two walls of the main council room of the intellectual and professional superiority often Palazzo Pubblico.

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