Giotto Similarities Between Florence And Jan Van Eyck

Giotto di Bondone, of Florence, and Jan van Eyck, of Bruges were both revolutionary artist during the Late Gothic and Early Renaissance era (c. 1300-1500). However, each artist had incredibly different styles and utilized different mediums that they would later become known for. Giotto lived and worked in Florence during a period when religious subjects and styles had been laid down by centuries of tradition. As the first artist to depict human emotion, his influence put Western art on a path to the Renaissance. Jan van Eyck was one of the first Flemish artist to sign his artwork and his rich oil paints and detailed images reflect the prosperity of the cities of Flanders in Northern Europe. Comparison of the two artists will be done on one of their popular works of art. First, Giotto di Bondone, Lamentation, Arena Chapel (Cappella Scorvegni), Padua, Italy, ca. 1305, Fresco and …show more content…
He a wealthy merchant in the city of Bruges needed a commemorative painting of him and his wife. The portrait is in a way about his wealth and everything from both of their clothing and furnishings is indicative of a wealthy merchant’s life. This is a period where a tremendous value is put into symbolism. There is plenty of symbolism in this portrait everything from their shoes being off, to the joining of their hands, and a single candle in the chandelier. Their shoes off is a symbol of them being grounded in holiness. Next, the chandelier with a single lit candle is a symbol of the presence of God. Finally, their joined hands draw the viewer 's eye to the center of the portrait giving the viewer a sense of importance of the couple and their matrimony. Jan van Eyck use of oil paints allows him to place layer after layer, each one almost translucent to create a depth and richness of color lasting over 600 years. Jan van Eyck’s medium also allowed him to paint in great detail which had rarely been done before