Giotto (c1267 -1337) was an Italian painter and architect from Florence. He is generally considered the first in a line of great artists who contributed to the Renaissance. His contemporary, Dante, called him “The Father of Painting”.
Giotto was born in a village called Colle Vespignano in the Tuscan region of Italy. He was the son of a peasant farmer named Bondone. Giotto’s artistic talents were recognized early on by a local Florentine nobleman, who sent him to study with the renowned painter Cimabue.
Giotto is most famous for his frescoes, which are large paintings done on wet plaster. He painted several fresco cycles, the most famous being the Life of St. Francis in the Basilica of Assisi. This cycle tells the story of the life of the founder of the Franciscan order of monks.
Giotto’s style was naturalistic and expressive, a stark contrast to the more stylized art of his time. His work had a profound influence on subsequent generations of artists.
Giotto died in Florence in 1337.
