GIOTTO, jotttd, or AMBROGIO (or Ambro giotto, shortened to Giotto) DI BONDONE (c.1266 1337). An Italian architect, sculptor, and the re creator of Italian painting. He was born near Florence in 1266, the son of a laborer. Two dif ferent legends explain his early study of painting: Vasari relates that while a shepherd boy he was seen by Cimabue (q.v.) drawing sheep on a slate; a commentator of Dante says that while appren ticed to a wool merchant he became attracted to Cimabue's studio, and then entered it as this master's pupil (c. 1280). But even the fact of his connection with Cimabue is now strongly con tradicted. It has become evident that his style is entirely different from Cimabue's—which was a combination of the Byzantine and Roman schools—and that he was the pupil of the Roman School, developing its early Christian and classic side, and having close relation with his older contemporary Pietro Cavallini (q.v.).
Giotto's earliest works are at Assisi, in the Church of Saint Francis, where several stages in his early progreSs may be traced, from his in tense and revolutionary but juvenile work in the life of Saint Francis, in the upper church, through the series of the "Life of Christ," in the lower church, completed in 1297 or 1298, to the master ly "Allegories of Saint Francis." Returned to Rome in 1298, Giotto painted the altarpiece for Saint Peter's (now in the Sacristy), and de signed the "Navicella" in mosaic; the frescoes at San ,John Lateran and at San Giorgio in Velabro are also attributed to him, but are too much repainted for criticism.
The next stage in his career is marked by the decoration in fresco of the entire Arena Chapel at Padua in 1303, in three rows of compositions illustrating the "Life of Christ," and the "Life of the Virgin," in thirty-eight scenes, besides the "Last Judgment" on the inner facade, the scenes in the choir, and the "Allegories" of the dado. The simplicity, dignity, and dramatic power of these compositions are beyond praise. He reaches here the height of his genius. After executing some almost destroyed works in San Antonio, Giotto returned to Florence and then to Assisi, where he painted the four famous allegorical frescoes in the vault of the lower church—the "Marriage of Saint Francis with Poverty," the "Triumph of Charity," the "Triumph of Obedience," and the "Glorification of Saint Francis." At some time before 1330 he executed the superb series of frescoes in the chapels at Santa Croce of which only those in the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels survive in lamentable condition, but sufficiently to show that the religious fervor re cently gained had not been lost.
The "Lives of John the Evangelist" and "John the Baptist" (cleaned in 1841 and 1863) in the Peruzzi Chapel are pronounced by many to be the master's greatest work, and the most fruitful inspiration of his successors even during the fifteenth century. The "Ascension of Saint John" also is remarkable, as are the "Dance of Herodias's Daughter" and the "Birth of John the Baptist." The scenes in the Bardi Chapel are from the "Life of Saint Francis," from which even Ghirlandajo and Benedetto da Majano drew inspiration. Giotto went to Naples in 1330, re
maining there till 1333 and establishing a fruit ful branch of his school. After his return to Florence he was engaged rather in works of architecture and sculpture than painting.
While Giotto's genius undoubtedly expressed itself in freest and most revolutionary fashion in frescoes, his panel pictures are both numerous and important. An early example is the "Virgin and Child with Angels" in the Academy at Florence. There are crucifixes at Santa Maria Novella, at the Ognissanti, and the Arena; im portant altarpieces at Santa Croce (Florence). in the gallery at Bologna, in the Louvre, and other galleries.
Giotto was also an architect, though probably not of the first rank, except as a designer. Ile was made chief architect of the Florentine Ca thedral in 1334, and his masterpiece of design, the Campanile, called Giotto's Tower, was thm begun, and though left unfinished at his death, was carried out according to his plan, even to the smallest details. It is unique among church towers for its wealth of colored patterns and architectural detail and especially of sculptures. It is a square tower, 84 meters high, in three stories. Its reliefs and statues were from his designs, executed partly by Andrea Pisano and other masters, and are among the best works of Italian Gothic sculpture. They are characteris tic, allegorical, and philosophic themes of the creation and the moral qualities of man, and the various occupations of human life, artistic, scien tific, intellectual, and material. Giotto's share in the building of the cathedral is less clear.
His style was broad and simple. his coloring light and clear, his figures animated and full of expression, in contrast to the previous Byzan tine style. At his death his style had penetrated through a large part of Italy, and his followers gave him the compliment of almost slavish imitation. The Giottesque style ruled Italy throughout the fourteenth century as no one man's style ever did before or afterwards. Among his most noted pupils was Taddeo Gaddi (q.v.). For a portrait of Dante by Giotto, see DANTE.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. The original sources are GhiBibliography. The original sources are Ghi- berti, "Commentaries," in Vasari, Delle vite dei pier eeeellenti pittori, seultori. ed arehitetti, edited by Milanesi (Florence. Vasari. Lives of Painters. Rculptars. and Architects, edited by Blashfield and Hopkins (New York, 1896) ; Boc caccio, Decameron, vol. vi. 5; Sacchetti, Novelle (Florence, 1886). Full modern studies will be found in Crowe and Cavalcaselle, History of Painting in Italy (London, 1864-66) ; Thode, "Giotto," in Kiinstlermonographien, edited by Knackluss (Bielefeld, 1899) ; Zimmermann, Giot to (Leipzig, 1899). Consult, also: Ruskin, Giotto and His Works in Padua (London, 1854-60) ; Quilter, Giotto (London, 1880) ; Frey, "Studien zu Giotto," in Jahrbiieher der koniglich preus sichen Kunstsammlungen, vols. vi., vii. (Berlin, ; Janitscheck, Die Kunstlehre 'Mates and Giottos Kunst (Leipzig, 1892).