Kelly Hagan: Giotto Di Bondone

Along with Cimbue, Giotto is considered one of the first Renaissance Artist. Supposedly, Giotto was greatly influenced by the work and teaching of Cimbue. It is said that Cimbue found Giotto drawing sheep. When Cimbue saw how life like this drawing was, he asked Giotto to be his apprentice. However, many historians argue that Giotto was never taught by Cimbue at all.

Giotto was a painter and an architect.

As an architect, Giotto is most famous for The Bell Tower at the Cathedral in Florence. The colors come from three different Italian marbles.

As a painter, Giotto is most famous for his fresco cycle in the Arena (or Scrovegni) Chapel in Padua. This chapel was commissioned by Enricho degli Scrovegni to be used as a place of worship and a burial space for his family and himself.

This fresco cycle completely covers the interior wall and ceiling surfaces. The cycle is divided into 37 scenes. This starts with the story of Joachim and Anna, who were the parents of Mary.

Joachim Meets Anna at the Golden Gate.

The Annunciation of Anna.

and continued on with the life of Mary:

The Birth of Mary

Mary Presented at the Temple.

along with the life and death of Jesus:

The Nativity

Massacre of the Innocents

The Baptism of Christ

Raising of Lazarus

Christ enters Jerusalem

The kiss of Judas

Crucifixion

The Pieta

The Resurrection: Noli Me Tangere

Giotto was breaking away from Byzantine style and starting the Renaissance era. Because of this, his figures were not stylized or elongated. Garments hang naturally and have weight and form rather than swirling formalized drapery.

Giotto was thought of as having set a new standard for representational painting. It also said that he re-introduced the technique of drawing accurately from life which had been neglected for 200 years.

More Example of Giotto's work:

Giotto also painted chapels for four different florentine families in the the church of Santa Croce. These include:

The Bardi Chapel, The Peruzzi Chapel, The Giugni Chapel and The Tosinghi Spinelli Chapel

The Bardi Chapel

The Peruzzi Chapel

Ognissanti Madonna

Another famous painting by Giotto is an alter piece in Florence called Ognissanti Madonna. This alter piece was painted for the church of the Ognissanti in Florence. (Ognissanti meaning all saints.) This is a large, 10 foot painting. This painting was actually undocumented but almost all scholars agree that it is the work of Giotto. This peice is famously exhibited beside Cimbue's "Santa Trinita Madonna"and Duccio's "Rucellai Madonna." (Shown below)