Sculptures in the Cathedral of Siena (1280-95)

Giovanni Pisano's first major independent work was the façade of Siena Cathedral. He never completed this above the line of the gables over the doors. This lower part luckily preserves its original decoration, and here the first time one finds an Italian mason incorporating a major amount of large-scale figure sculpture into a façade design.

The façade turns decisively towards the Gothic in its decorative motifs and lavish use of large-scale figural sculpture. In contrast to Nicola, Giovanni's style is closer to the expressionistic Gothic of German sculpture than to the courtly style of France.