To accompany the National Gallery’s 2025 exhibition Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350, we journeyed to the very heart of Siena - its streets, its sacred spaces, and its enduring artistic legacy.

Filmed on location across the city, from the majestic Duomo to the civic splendour of the Palazzo Pubblico, this documentary captures the rich cultural fabric that gave rise to a golden age of Sienese art. We worked closely with the National Gallery’s curators to ensure the film’s narrative reflects the central themes of the exhibition - artistic innovation, spiritual devotion, and the collaborative nature of making in 14th-century Siena.

In collaboration with the Comune di Siena and guided by local voices, we filmed contemporary Sienese artisans whose work preserves the centuries-old techniques of their medieval predecessors. Through their hands, we see how the legacy of Sienese craftsmanship continues to resonate today, bridging past and present.

Through expressive interviews and evocative cinematography, the film brings to life the world of Duccio, Simone Martini, and the Lorenzetti brothers - artists whose revolutionary approaches transformed religious art and influenced generations to come. Their brilliance emerged from a vibrant ecosystem of makers, where painters and craftsmen often worked side by side in shared workshops.

Inspired by the luminous surfaces of Sienese altarpieces, our cinematographer uses natural light as a narrative tool - infusing the film with the devotional atmosphere that defines this extraordinary period.

The film will be screened at the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena for the duration of the National Gallery’s exhibition, offering audiences a cinematic reflection on the timeless relevance of Sienese art and craftsmanship.

Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350 is showing at the National Gallery in London until 22 June 2025. You can find out more about the exhibition here.