The Proto-Renaissance period began in the early 13th century in Northern Italy, where artists started to move away from the rigid Medieval style towards a more realistic Renaissance style. Proto-Renaissance has more natural light and modelling, leading to paintings that look more realistic. Figures now look heavy and fill out their clothing, rather than just looking like paper cut outs. Paintings are simple, uncluttered and have a spiritual and physical gravity. (Ruf Rice, 2015) Paintings like Cimabue’s Santa Trinita Madonna and Giotto’s Ognissanti Madonna illustrate this gradual move into the Renaissance period. (Art History, 2015)
The Santa Trinita Madonna was painted in 1280 to 1290 by the Italian artist, Cimabue, with tempera and gold leaf on a wood panel. It’s said to be commissioned by the Vallumbrosan monks for the main altar of the Santa Trinita church in Florence. (Virtual Uffizi, 2015) This is a standard subject of the Madonna Enthroned. Mary, wearing a dark blue cloak with a red underdress is holding the Christ child (the smallest figure in the painting) on her lap (indicating to him with her hand) and he is wearing a red tunic with a brown cloth that is wrapping over his left shoulder. Mary has …show more content…
Giotto renders the body in its naturalistic proportions, figures are grounded, have three dimensionality to them, look solid and substantial and features are naturalistic. For example Cimabue’s Christ has a small head in comparison to his body and he has the facial features of an older man, where Giotto’s Christ has realistic proportions, he is rendered as a young child and no-one is literally above him, emphasizing his
The Santa Trinita Madonna was painted in 1280 to 1290 by the Italian artist, Cimabue, with tempera and gold leaf on a wood panel. It’s said to be commissioned by the Vallumbrosan monks for the main altar of the Santa Trinita church in Florence. (Virtual Uffizi, 2015) This is a standard subject of the Madonna Enthroned. Mary, wearing a dark blue cloak with a red underdress is holding the Christ child (the smallest figure in the painting) on her lap (indicating to him with her hand) and he is wearing a red tunic with a brown cloth that is wrapping over his left shoulder. Mary has …show more content…
Giotto renders the body in its naturalistic proportions, figures are grounded, have three dimensionality to them, look solid and substantial and features are naturalistic. For example Cimabue’s Christ has a small head in comparison to his body and he has the facial features of an older man, where Giotto’s Christ has realistic proportions, he is rendered as a young child and no-one is literally above him, emphasizing his