Two unpublished documentary records help to shed light on the private life of Duccio di Buoninsegna, revealing that he was on some occasions involved in acts of violence. These episodes broaden our understanding of the biography of the painter, who was repeatedly subjected to fines and penalties by the municipal authorities and proved notably inept in managing his earnings – so much so that he left a meagre inheritance, which was refused by his sons. The first of the two documents (1279), relates to the painter's early career and offers an opportunity to re-examine what is probably Duccio's earliest surviving sacred work, a painting recently become the focus of renewed scholarly debate.