Cimabue

Pioneering Italian painter who transitioned art from Byzantine to Proto-Renaissance styles.

Chronology: 1240 – 1302

Origins & Early Life

Giovanni Cimabue ( CHEE-mə-BOO-ay, Italian: [tʃimaˈbuːe]; c. 1240 – 1302), also known as Cenni di Pepo or Cenni di Pepi, was an Italian painter and designer of mosaics from Florence. Although heavily influenced by Byzantine models, Cimabue is generally regarded as one of the first great Italian painters to break from the Italo-Byzantine style. Compared with the norms of medieval art, his works have more lifelike figural proportions and a more sophisticated use of shading to suggest volume.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

According to Italian painter and historian Giorgio Vasari, Cimabue was the teacher of Giotto, the first great artist of the Italian Proto-Renaissance. However, many scholars today tend to discount Vasari's claim by citing earlier sources that suggest otherwise. == Life == Little is known about Cimabue's early life. One source that recounts his career is Vasari's Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, but its accuracy is uncertain. He was born in Florence and died in Pisa.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Hayden Maginnis speculates that he could have trained in Florence under masters who were culturally connected to Byzantine art. The art historian Pietro Toesca attributed the Crucifixion in the church...

Source: Wikipedia