The Children of Siena

A while ago I started the mini-series The Children of Siena as an addition to my series Siena Palio Portraits. The children of Siena, however small (even babies in their pram), represent the district* of Siena in which they were born on the days when the festival of the Palio is celebrated. This famous horse race of Siena takes place twice a year since the Middle Ages  The parents of the children drape a silk scarf in the colors of the flag of their district around the back or an arm of their children. A moving image that has always impressed me. Fortunately, during the years that I was present at the Palio, I took pictures of the children which now serve me well as a reference for this new series of paintings.

• Siena is divided into 17 districts (contrade), each with its own colors and bizarre names such as Istrice (Porcupine), Chiocciola (Snail), Valdimontone (Valley of the Ram) etc. that compete with each other during the Palio