Cimabue and Giotto

Painting in Chapterhouse of Santa Maria Novella
Picture taken by Cava Hadikusumo

Detail of above painting, showing Cimabue and Giotto
Picture taken by Cava Hadikusumo

Giovanni Cimabue was born in 1240 in Florence, and was one of the first artists to break away from the Italo-Byzantine style of painting. According to Vasari, Cimabue “greatly improved upon [the Italo-Byzantine style of] painting, removing from it a good deal of their awkwardness....” Among Cimabue's accomplishments in Florence include the altar dossal at Santa Cecilia, a panel of Our Lady in Santa Croce, a large panel for the monks of Vallambrosa in the abbey of Santa Trinita, a large wooden crucifix in Santa Croce, three small arches on the life of Christ in the Cloister of Santo Spirito, and a panel of Our Lady in Santa Maria Novella. Vasari stated that “although Cimabue still had the Greek manner, he was gradually approaching, in some ways, the lines and style of modern times.”

Giotto di Bondone was born in 1267 in Vespignano, and was discovered and taken in as a student by Cimabue. Giotto is considered the father of Renaissance painting and a master of naturalism. According to Vasari, Giotto “became such an excellent imitator of Nature that he completely banished that crude Greek style and revived the modern and excellent art of painting, introducing good drawing from live natural models, something that had not been done for more than two hundred years.” Giotto designed the bell tower of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, and received numerous painting commissions in Arezzo, Assisi, Pisa, Rome, Avignon, Verona, Ferrara, Ravenna, Urbino, Lucca, Naples, Gaeta, Rimini, Padua, and Florence.