Unit 1 - 14th century Europe Art

Title: Virgin and Child Enthroned

Artist: Cimabue 1280

Medium: Tempera

Style: Byzantine

Depiction: Virgin Mary is holding the child Jesus at her side while pointing to him as the source of salvation for humankind. Mary's head usually inclines towards the child, who raises his hand in a blessing gesture

Title: Virgin and Child Enthroned

Artist: Giotto 1305-1310

Medium: Tempera

Style: Gothic / Italian Renaissance

Depiction: The subject matter of this painting is a traditional, religious one, with the Virgin Mary, or Madonna, holding the Christ Child on her lap. Saints and angels surround the Madonna on all sides

Important note: introduced naturalistic trend in painting

Title: Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel

Artist: Giotto 1305-1306

Medium: frescos

Style: Gothic / Italian Renaissance

Depiction: The frescoes tell the story of the lives of Mary (beginning with her parents, Joachim and Anna) and Christ on the long walls

Title: Kiss of Judas

Artist: Giotto 1306

Medium: Tempera, Fresco

Style: Italian Renaissance

Depiction: The Betrayal by Judas mentioned here occurs shortly after the last supper and involves him identifying Christ though an embrace (it is from this that the phrase of a Judas Kiss was born). Those seeking Jesus then arrest him and take Christ away for punishment

Title: Maestà Altarpiece (front)

Artist: Duccio 1308-1311

Medium: Tempera, Gold

Style: Byzantine

Depiction: designed for devout contemplation and depicts the Virgin and Child in majesty, surrounded by a host of angels and saints. Above and below this main scene are scenes from the Life of Christ and the Virgin, along with smaller figures of Saints

Title: The Effects of Good Government in the City and in the Country

Artist: Ambrogio Lorenzetti 1338-1339

Medium: Fresco

Style: Gothic art, Sienese school

Depiction: illustrated on the adjoining wall, which faces, and opposes, the Bad Government wall. It presents a plausible picture of Siena as an ideal and a real city at the same time, brightly colored, hard-working, full of people

Title: Exeter Cathedral

Artist: Thomas of Witney 14^th century (architect)

Style: Norman, Gothic

Depiction: design the choir furnishings

Title: Pietà

Artist: Vesperbild 1330

Medium: Poplar, plaster, paint, gilt, Sculpture-Wood

Style: German style

Depiction: Virgin, in the agony of her grief, imagined she was holding Christ as a baby once again in her arms. The image is realistic and grim; his ribs protrude, his stomach is sunken and he shows visible signs of rigor mortis