Giotto di Bondone

About the Artist

Giotto di Bondone, born in 1266 and died in 1337, was an Italian painter and architect, a leading figure of the early Renaissance active in Florence. Beginning as a pupil of Cimabue, he broke from the Byzantine style, introducing natural figure depiction and spatial perspective, laying the foundation for Renaissance art. Giotto's artistic world stands out for bringing vitality to religious art and emphasizing human emotion and realism. Signature works include 'The Last Judgment' and 'The Lamentation' from the frescoes of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua; he was also entrusted with the architecture of the Florence Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, though he did not live to see it completed.