Art Giotto and Duccio

Giotto and Duccio The Arena Chapel (Scrovegni) of Giotto (1303) and Duccio's Maesta (1308) are both masterpieces of medieval European art. The Arena chapel contains the fresco cycle and is indicative of the movement towards a more humanistic view of religiosity, while the maestro is a large altarpiece that includes multiple images. Both have a similar subject but were constructed with divergent intentions and distinctive artistic styles. Giotto di Bondone was a late Middle Age painter and architect and contemporary of the famous writer Dante (The Divine Comedy).

Historians comment on his importance as a leader in style and subject matter for generations of artists after him. From an art history perspective, he is important because he broke with the Byzantine style that was so prevalent in his time. In fact, may consider him to be a clear forerunning of the Italian Renaissance style of painting, with less stylized figures, more humanity in expression, and a greater willingness to experiment in color which added to the realism of the piece.

He seems particularly adept at capturing the humanity of the individuals within his frescos. While the pictures are certainly stylized, and the requisite halo behind the appropriate religious figures (Jesus, Mary, etc.), he was able to bring humility and realism to other characters (the portly friar, the frumpy serving wench, etc.) And his crucifix works really show the pain, suffering and anguish (ribs, distended belly, open wounds, scars, etc.) of the suffering Christ (Kloss, Lecture 6, 12:20-15:08).

Duccio di Buonisegna was active in the Italian city of Tuscany, where he was born. He had a difficult life, was continually in debt, and most historians believe that he had to take on numerous compositions simply in order to survive. He, too, broke down the sharp lines of Byzantine art, softened the figures so they were more realistic, and used a technique of playing with light and dark colors to reveal figures underneath the heavy draped costumes, making the anatomical descriptions more rounded and 3-dimmensional (Kloss, Lecture 8,.2:04-4:55).

Duccio was still more Byzantine than Giotto, using gold backgrounds and familiar religious scenes that told stories. Remembering that many people could not read during this time period, these storyboards were an important way to retell and introduce biblical lore to the general population. Unlike many Byzantine paintings, though, Duccio's use of color makes the scene both more delicate and realistic, inviting the viewer's eye in as a participant.

He was also noted for the manner in which he organized space, and he placed characters in a way that space and structure enhanced the story. Duccio was also one of the first painters of the time to include figures within architectural settings, which also meant he had to use space and geometry for a more lifelike version than the staid figures of many Byzantine compositions (Kloss, Lecture 8, 4:04-7:12). Giotto's Chapel is divided into 37 scenes, focusing on the story of Mary's parents and the life of Jesus.

In contrast to, Duccio, Giotto is far more experimental and forward thinking as an artist.

There seem to be at least four major techniques he used that appear in these Renaissance artists: 1) clear style -- uncluttered, focus is on the scene, primary colors, and a clear subject, but with interesting sidelines (other people, events, etc.); 2) Beginning and then evolution of the 3-dimmensional form, particularly when it came to human beings -- moving from Medieval flatness to better and truer representations; 3) the drama of the art -- focusing on a specific topic or subject instead of busy and alternative themes, and; 4) Use of space and volume to bring the viewer into the subject in a realistic way (size of doors and windows), using chairs and tables to express relative size, etc.

But more than this, it seems as if Giotto's real legacy was in his daring approach to challenge the conventionality of the.