Simone Martini

Simone Martini, born around 1284 in Siena, Italy, was a pivotal figure in early Italian painting and a major force behind the International Gothic style. While documentation on his life is scarce, it's widely believed he was a pupil of Duccio di Buoninsegna, the preeminent Sienese painter of his era, though some accounts, like Giorgio Vasari's, suggest he studied under Giotto. Martini's artistic journey began with an apprenticeship, a common practice of the time. One of his…