Giotto was a Late Medieval painter who also acted as a bridge to the Italian Renaissance. Giotto was a student of the famous painter of the time, Cimabue. Most art historians considered Cimabue as one of the last medieval masters and his student Giotto as an early Renaissance master. Here we see Ognissanti Maesta, a beautiful, highly medieval painting. The Virgin is seated on a Gothic throne surrounded by pointed arches, the main architectural style that dominated the medieval era. Giotto also arranges the throne so that we can glimpse the faces of the prophets through the openings, placing them behind the structure and reinforcing the sense of depth and layered space. As we gaze through Virgin’s beautiful dark coloured cloak, we notice how we can sort of see the way she is seated, her legs apart. Giotto studied ancient sculptures really well and was inspired by them. We can feel her presence and mass. Moving to baby Christ, we see his robe almost translucent making us see a part of the Virgin’s clothing and baby Christ’s legs. This beautifully reflects Giotto’s move toward naturalism and highlights his key role in the transition to Renaissance art.
This painting by Giotto represents Mother Mary sitting holding baby Jesus in her lap. Saints and angels surround her. Gold paint is used in the painting, which adds a layer of depth and elegance. Giotto retained the hierarchy of scale, making the centralised Madonna and the Christ Child much larger in size than the surrounding saints and religious figures.
