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Barna Da SienaItalian artist
Country:
 Italy |
Content:
Barna: A Mysterious Figure in Sienese Art
Vasari's AccountBarna, an Italian artist who lived and worked in the mid-14th century, is mentioned in the first volume of Giorgio Vasari's "Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects." Vasari attributes works to Barna, notably frescoes in the Collegiata church in San Gimignano. Tragically, Vasari describes Barna's untimely demise in his prime. While painting in the church, Barna allegedly fell from a scaffold and died two days later, incurring "great loss to art." Vasari notes that Barna worked around 1381.
Identity and Attribution
Some scholars have attempted to identify Vasari's Barna with Berna Bertini, mentioned in documents from 1348. However, recent research suggests that Barna may not have existed at all and that the works attributed to him by Vasari and subsequent scholars are actually the products of various anonymous artists. According to this new evidence, the frescoes in the Collegiata church in San Gimignano date to the 1330s, not the 1380s, and were executed by craftsmen from Simone Martini's workshop, led by Lippo Memmi.
Legacy and Controversy
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his existence, Barna's name continues to be associated with certain works in museums. These works exude a distinctly Sienese flavor, characterized by their vibrant colors and intricate details. The question of Barna's true identity and the exact extent of his contributions to Sienese art remains a subject of debate and research.
