ITALIAN ARTISTS / CIMABUE & GIOTTO

Certainly, when we think Renaissance we think da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, etc. But those Byzantium rebels, Cimabue and his student, Giotto, are seldom ascribed their proper respect as trailblazers for the Renaissance. What was so special about Cimabue and Giotto?
Cimabue broke with the rigidity of Byzantine Art and expressed, in realistic detail, emotion in his subjects, as opposed to the Church’s symbolic terms. This doesn’t sound like any big deal, but in the days when the Church had a strangle hold on every aspect of the do’s and don’ts of everyday life, believe me, it was one giant step for future artists to follow.
Giotto’s paintings continued to explore Christian themes, but they did so figured with people who walked and talked equally with Christ. This was another big leap toward the Renaissance, when artists began to celebrate “human” feats and accomplishments, not just those of an invisible God.
So let’s tip our hats to Cimabue and Giotto for stepping on more than a few Catholic toes and leading the way to the Renaissance, which is considered the greatest art movement in the history of the world.
The Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi includes frescoes by these two pre-Renaissance giants. Two of the most celebrated frescos are: St Francis Preaching to the Birds, by Giotto, and Virgin and Child, by Cimabue.