Giotto

Giotto di Bondone, known as Giotto, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence during the Late Middle Ages. He lived from around 1267 until 1337.

Giotto’s most famous work is the decoration of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. He finished this around 1305. The wall paintings show the stories of the Life of the Virgin and the Life of Christ. Many experts think this is one of the greatest works of art from that time.

We know Giotto painted the Arena Chapel and that in 1334 he was chosen to design the new bell tower for the Florence Cathedral. But many other details about his life are still unknown.

Early life and career

Tradition says that Giotto was born in a farmhouse, maybe at Colle di Romagnano or Romignano. Some think he was born in Florence, the son of a blacksmith named Bondone. Most authors accept that Giotto was his real name.

The artist Cimabue found Giotto drawing pictures of his sheep on a rock. The drawings looked so real that Cimabue asked Giotto to become his apprentice. Giotto showed great skill even as a young artist. There are stories of him painting a very realistic fly on a painting while Cimabue was away. When Cimabue returned, he tried to brush the fly off, thinking it was real.

When Pope Benedict XI asked to see a drawing from Giotto, Giotto drew a perfect red circle without using compasses. The messenger was surprised, but when he explained how Giotto made the circle, the Pope and his courtiers were amazed at Giotto’s skill.

Career

Giotto married Ciuta and they had four daughters and four sons. One of their sons, Francesco, also became a painter. Giotto worked in Rome from 1297 to 1300, but only a few of his works from there remain today. By 1301, he owned a house in Florence and often returned there. In the early 1300s, he got many painting jobs in Florence. One of his works is a small part of a fresco cycle at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran made for the Jubilee of 1300 called by Boniface VIII. He also designed the Navicella, a mosaic for the front of the Old St Peter's Basilica, and painted the Badia Polyptych, now shown in the Uffizi in Florence.

There is debate about whether Giotto painted the large frescoes of the Life of St. Francis in the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. Some experts think he did, while others think other artists did the work. Giotto became famous and was invited to work in places like Padua and Rimini. In Padua, he created important paintings that helped shape the local art style. By 1301 and 1304, Giotto owned large pieces of land in Florence and likely led a big team of artists, getting projects from all over Italy.

Scrovegni Chapel

Around 1305, Giotto painted important pictures inside the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. In 2021, these paintings were named a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The chapel was built by Enrico degli Scrovegni for his family.

The paintings tell the story of Salvation, with a focus on the Virgin Mary. This is because the chapel is dedicated to the Annunciation, which tells how the angel Gabriel told Mary she would have a special baby. The paintings show events from the lives of Mary and Jesus. Giotto used ideas from old books like The Golden Legend and The Meditations on the Life of Christ as well as the Bible.

The paintings are arranged in 37 scenes around the walls. They show the lives of Mary’s parents, Mary’s early life, and events from Jesus’ life and teachings. Giotto’s style was different. His people look real, with natural faces and feelings. They wear clothes that hang naturally, and the scenes often give a sense of depth.

Mature works

Giotto made many wall paintings in Padua, but some are gone now. His style influenced painters from northern Italy.

From 1306 to 1311, Giotto was in Assisi. He painted important wall paintings in the Lower Church of the Basilica of St. Francis. These showed scenes from the life of Christ and stories from a famous book. He also painted a picture of the bishop who asked him to do the work.

In 1311, Giotto went back to Florence. Around this time, he likely helped make a big mosaic for the old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He also designed an altarpiece that is still kept in the Vatican today. Some think he worked in Rome for several years and got many requests for his art.

In Florence, Giotto painted a large altarpiece called the Ognissanti Madonna. It is now in the Uffizi gallery. It was made for a church built by a religious group. Giotto also painted other important works around this time.

Peruzzi and Bardi Chapels at Santa Croce

Giotto painted special areas called chapels for families in the church of Santa Croce in Florence. These chapels show stories from the lives of saints.

The Peruzzi Chapel shows scenes from the lives of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. The paintings are old and not in great shape, but they still show Giotto's skill.

The Bardi Chapel shows the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Giotto picked seven important moments from the saint's life and arranged them in a special way in the chapel. This helps people see connections between different events in St. Francis's story.

Later works and death

In 1328, Giotto finished the altarpiece of the Baroncelli Chapel in Santa Croce, Florence. It was mostly made by Giotto’s helpers, including Taddeo Gaddi, who later painted the chapel. The next year, Giotto moved to Naples where King Robert of Anjou invited him to work. He stayed there with some students until 1333. Only a few of Giotto’s paintings from Naples remain, such as one showing the Lamentation of Christ in the church of Santa Chiara. In 1332, King Robert named Giotto the “first court painter” and gave him a yearly payment.

After Naples, Giotto visited Bologna, where he painted for a church. In 1334, he became the main architect for Florence Cathedral. He began designing the bell tower, called Giotto's Campanile, on July 18, 1334. After Giotto died three years later, others finished the tower. Giotto was also in Milan around this time but no paintings from there are known. His last known work was helping decorate a chapel in the Bargello in Florence.

Giotto was mentioned by many writers of his time. Giotto died in January 1337.

Burial and legacy

Giotto was buried in either the Cathedral of Florence or the Church of Santa Reparata. These places are very close because the church is under the cathedral.

In the 1970s, workers found old bones near where Giotto might have been buried. Experts thought the bones might be Giotto’s because they had paint chemicals in them. The bones were from a short man, about four feet tall, which matches an old story that Giotto was very short. Some people think these bones are Giotto’s, but others are not sure.