How Did Cimabue Influence His Work?

The subject of religion has captured the attention of artists for centuries, working its way throughout the years, in and out of various of styles and movements. The artists of this era often found themselves reliant on this subject matter due to Churches being a steady Patron throughout the Renaissance all the way to the Baroque period. Whether it was because of the rich cultural impact to society or the enforcement of strong divine beliefs, depicting biblical narratives have struck an everlasting cord within this medium. Two particular ones, in fact: The Deposition from the Cross (Entombment of Christ) by Jacopo Pontormo and The Entombment of Christ by Michelangelo Caravaggio. Both of which provide an excellent example of how culture and artistic style combined can alter the message of the same iconic scene and still evoke different emotions.

The following piece although very similar in theme, is created by Giotto di bondone whom was taught by Cimabue himself. Although comparable to Cimabue’s, it also displays many artistic differences with gothic influence. It uniquely displays a greater spatial consistency and sculptural solidity; this particular painting seemingly depicts the seeking of light theme so common in the gothic period. Praised for the lifelike figure with three-dimensional forms, it seemingly begins to rid of the Byzantine influences.

On March 6, 1475 one of the most brilliant man related to art in Europe was born Caprese, Itália. That man was Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, he was responsible for creating most of the famous sculptures and paintings that are now exposed in Vatican, Rome.

Cimabue’s piece shows a linear formation of the surrounding figures, with both the angels and prophets placed in straight lines. This opposes the realistically situated figures in Giotto’s. Though Cimabue’s formation is linear, the postures and gestures of the figures in his piece are much more fluid and graceful then those in Giotto’s who are much more vertical. This absence of verticality in figures shows the influence Gothic sculpture had on Cimabue’s work. The figures in both show isometric perspective, staying the same size regardless of depth into the imagery. The figures in Giotto’s also seem more grounded and have none of the floating qualities Cimabue’s embodies in his angels. This differentiates the stylistic and realistic natures of the pieces.

Before I begin discussing the specific differences between the two paintings, it is important to mention that the painting styles of Cimabue and Giotto differed significantly. Cimabue painted with a more Gothic and Byzantine style. His figures tended to be two-dimensional and thus his paintings looked rather flat. He made his figures very elongated and stylised, which was common among Gothic and Byzantine artists at the time (“Biography of Giotto”). Giotto, on the other hand, while being slightly influenced by the Gothic and Byzantine style, largely deviated from the traditional

Giotto, the first Renaissance painter was important for many reasons such as taking sacred objects and expressing them in a natural setting, His importance to the Renaissance, and his techniques that he employs. Before Giotto’s change in the style the styles in medieval paintings were stiff. He really changed the style of painting in the Renaissance and influenced others to join. Giotto was trained by Italian painter Cimabue, who later Giotto outshined. When one thinks of Giotto they do not think about Cimabue, but he is the reason for Giotto’s talents.

Similarly, the image of Madonna Enthroned was painted by Cimabue in Italy during the 13th Century, an interesting period of the country’s religious and art history. It was during the 13th Century that Italy was on the brink of a great revival known as the Renaissance. Cimabue’s work represents the best of the Byzantine Tradition. Cimabue is also the well-known teacher of Giotto, one of the leading artists of the Italian Renaissance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimabue

One of the most famous painter and sculptors of the Italian Renaissance, the age of renewal and cultural achievement circa 1500, was the artistic genius Michelangelo Buonarroti. The man that desired nothing but perfection often reached it in his work. He captured the motion of the human figure and the anatomy of muscles in a way that was increasingly beautiful and startlingly realistic. Whether because of one of the most famous sculptures in history, “the David” or the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, that became the textbook examples for the art period of High Renaissance, Michelango’s art changed the world and he will continue to be studied with awe throughout history.

During the Baroque Ages a man by the name of Caravaggio was a very prominante artist,

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio better known as simply Caravaggio was an Italian Baroque master painter born in Italy around 1571. After he apprenticed with a painter in Milan, he moved to Rome, where he lived for most of his life. His work influenced painters around Europe. He’s most known for his gruesome subjects and use of Tenebrism, which was a technique that used heavy shadow to

But what really attract my attention was two art works. The first is from baroque period and it is a cross representing a figure of the Catholic Church where believers adore when they

Michelangelo Merisi; also known as Caravaggio was a historical painter that can be traced back to Northern Italy. He was born on September 28th, 1571 in a town called Milan. At an early age, Michelangelo would flee with his family to Caravaggio to escape a plague that devastated their hometown. This was a major aspect in his life as he would soon be known by that name. Both his father and grandfather would pass away there just a few years later, coincidentally on the same day. It is believed that his family had close connections with the Sforzas which were a ruling class group in Italy at the time. They ended up playing a major part in the following years. Merisi was a man filled with intersecting personalities. During his early ages, he was a well trained painter.

From London, England, William Blake was born the 28th of November in 1757. Blake was born to a middle-class family and as a child he was a trouble-maker in school, he constantly did not attend school, therefore his parents attempted to educate him at home. He, “lived and worked in the teeming metropolis of London at a time of great social and political change,” that deeply influenced his writing. He believed that his writings were important and that they could be understood by a majority of men.

The Roman Christian Art also known as byzantine Art marks the beginning of religious art and the image of Jesus. Which emerged after Christianity become the dominate religion in Rome around the 2nd century. One the oldest images of Christ comes from the mid-3rd century, it is young Jesus as the Good Shepherd from the Catacombs of San Callisto. In this fresco Jesus is portrayed as a young shepherd holding a sheep on his shoulders. A shepherd guides and direct his sheep. This has a symbolic meaning, in the bible (John 10:1-21; Luke 15:1-7 and 11-32). Jesus represented as the good Shepard and we are his sheep. It also states that as the shepherd he will look for the lost sheep (sinners) and rejoice when it is found. The painting explains how Jesus will help protect and guide you in the right direction. This was a way of telling passages of the bible to the people who were illiterate.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini was born on December 7, 1598 in Naples, Italy to a mannerist sculptor named Pietro Bernini (“Gian Lorenzo Bernini”). When Gian Lorenzo Bernini was little, his father would often take him to his projects, which then sparked Bernini’s interest on sculpting. With Bernini now starting to sculpt and being quite good at it, he caught the attention of Pope Paul V and Annibale Carracci (“Gian Lorenzo Bernini”). Since Pope Paul V and Annibale Carracci took interest in