From the artist's life
Legend says Giotto could draw a perfect circle freehand in a single stroke, sending it to the Pope as proof of his skill.
Source: Wikipedia / WikimediaProto-Renaissance
Giotto
Giotto (c. 1267–1337) was the father of Western painting, who broke from flat medieval icons to give figures real weight, space and human emotion. His Scrovegni Chapel frescoes opened the road to the Renaissance.
Giotto's revolutionary naturalism was honoured by Dante in his own lifetime and made him the starting point of the Renaissance.
- The father of Western painting, ancestor of the Renaissance.
- Gave figures real weight, space and emotion.
- Painted the revolutionary Scrovegni Chapel frescoes.
Key works
Where to start
Complete list of key works
Works with a dedicated ArtAtlas page are highlighted in gold.
- Lamentation of ChristOn ArtAtlas
- Scrovegni ChapelListed for reference
- Giotto's CampanileListed for reference
- Saint StephenListed for reference
- Virgin MourningListed for reference
- Fragment of the Navicella MosaicListed for reference
- Portrait of DanteListed for reference
- Giotto's OListed for reference
Lamentation of Christ
Giotto was the first since antiquity to give figures volume, weight and real space.