When examining the vast artistic heritage of the Chianti, we notice that most of the paintings collected in the small museums or still preserved in the religious buildings for which they were executed, date back to a period from the start of the 13th to the end of the 15th century, which has historical explanations. During these two centuries many paintings were commissioned for the numerous religious buildings which flourished in large numbers everywhere from the 12th century.
Indeed, in this period, the territory was repopulated, due to the encouragement of the city of Florence, which fortified the Chianti with hamlets and castles to exercise its control over Siena. Many churches requested an equal number of devotional works. However the works of the 13th and 14th century masters were distinguished by new ferments. Even if many of these artists are unknown, they are almost all of Florentine origin with their eyes turned towards Cimabue and especially to the influence of Giotto and consequently to the great innovative movement which sowed the seeds of the new painting, mainly in Florence, but also in Siena. Instead, the 15th century paintings are signed by serial masters, who may excel in their techniques and profession but show no interest in the revolutionary stirrings of early Renaissance. This explains why the Chianti and many other areas of the Florentine countryside, are teaming with delightful, elaborate works by Bicci di Lorenzo and his son, Lorenzo di Bicci whose forms are almost clones of his father’s or his contemporary., Cenni di Francesco, all active in the first half of the Quattrocento, and still painting in the international Gothic style, the affected swansong of a style of painting that had seen its century of glory in the 14th century. All this took place in spite of the fact that young Masaccio was painting the frescoes of the Brancacci Chapel and Beato Angelico brought a different, more familiar idea of transcendency to his paintings and frescoes.
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