Siena Cathedral Pulpit And The Mosaic Floor Editorial Image

Presumably, due to the success and fame of the Pisa pulpit, Nicola was commissioned in 1265 to sculpt another in Carrara marble for the Duomo of Siena. This second pulpit was complete by 1268 and is far more ambitious than its Pisan predecessor; it is octagonal and therefore has seven historiated reliefs. The dark colonnettes framing the Pisa panels have been exchanged for figures in white marble at the angles, allowing the narrative to flow while diminishing the classical containment. The richly carved cornice adds to the feeling of surface excitement and unity; it encourages a continuous scroll-like reading of the narratives, which is accentuated by a line of inlay above the lower cornice.