Born near the Republic of Florence, Giotto di Bondone was one of the pioneering artists and architects of the Italian Renaissance during the thirteenth century. Born to a family of peasants, Bondone was found by Cimabue and trained under his apprenticeship for ten years. Giotto became one of the most in-demand artists during his time because of the humanistic essence that he imbued in his paintings, its naturalism, and three-dimensionality. Giotto is thought to be one of the first artists to break away from the Byzantine art style and indulge in portraying holy figures with an emotional and natural expression. He also introduced drawing from life, which changed the course of Western art perpetually.