Giotto: “The Father of European Painting”

Giotto - Scenes from the Life of Joachim: Joachim among the Shepherds - 1304-06 - Fresco, 200 x 185 cm - Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), PaduaGiotto (c. 1266-1337) was the most important Italian painter of the 14th century. His works point to the innovations of the Renaissance style that developed a century after he lived. For seven centuries, Giotto has been revered as the “Father of European Painting” and the first of the great Italian masters. He is the only artist in the Western Tradition who has no forerunner. Without precedent, he broke away from the styles of the Middle Ages and ushered in what Vasari called “the good modern manner”. Giotto’s influence can also be felt in the Modern and Postmodern movements--particularly in works by such artists as Diego Rivera and Fernando Botero.