Italian Early Renaissance Painter, 1267-1337 Italian painter and designer. In his own time and place he had an unrivalled reputation as the best painter and as an innovator, superior to all his predecessors, and he became the first post-Classical artist whose fame extended beyond his lifetime and native city. This was partly the consequence of the rich literary culture of two of the cities where he worked, Padua and Florence. Writing on art in Florence was pioneered by gifted authors and, although not quite art criticism, it involved the comparison of local artists in terms of quality. The most famous single appreciation is found in Dante's verses (Purgatory x) of 1315 or earlier. Exemplifying the transience of fame, first with poets and manuscript illuminators, Dante then remarked that the fame of Cimabue, who had supposed himself to be the leader in painting, had now been displaced by Giotto. Ironically, this text was one factor that forestalled the similar eclipse of Giotto's fame, which was clearly implied by the poet.
. Wedding Procession
1304-06 Fresco, 200 x 185 cm Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua Mary walks in front of her companions and is led to the house other parents, where she is received by musicians. This group alone lends a cheery air to the sombre procession. The bay window of the house, from which a palm leaf juts out as an allusion to the imminent birth of the Lord, appears again in the representation of the Annunciation. In this way Giotto incorporates the Bridal Procession of the Virgin into the sequence of the narrative. The fresco was damaged by the humidity. Artist: GIOTTO di Bondone Painting Title: No. 12 Scenes from the Life of the Virgin: 6. Wedding Procession , 1301-1350 Painting Style: Italian , , religious