Joanna James
Far from being the dark ages of art, the medieval period saw a great deal of religious art. Here is a list of some of the famous medieval artist and their paintings. Sri Lankan Art Gallery
Cimabue was an Italian painter who was one of the first to break free (up to an extent) from the Italo-Byzantine style. He is known to have painted the Maestà which is now displayed at the Louvre. This piece set precedence to a new style followed by many other artists at a later period. In the painting, angels are placed one above the other in place of being spatially arranged as was the practice before Cimabue painted his widely known piece. Cimabue was one of the first artists to have recognized the potential of painted architecture. He used this realization to give a heightened sense of three-dimensionality to his work. Cimabue is not as well-known as Giotto, but he may have inspired artists in places as far as Sri Lanka. Art keeps on evolving and Cimabue was one of those people who helped it evolve.
Giotto is perhaps the most famous of the medieval painters. He was a painter and an architect too. His chef-d'œuvre is the frescos of the Scrovegni Chapel, in Padua. The decorations depict the Life of the Virgin and the Life of Christ. His art falls into the Late Gothic style but with some visible influence from the Byzantine style. But his paintings are three dimensional and the figures have clear facial expressions and the gestures appear natural. Sometimes, he painted his characters with their backs to the observer to create an illusory sense of space. Perhaps, you can check out painters that have used similar tricks when you visit a gallery such as the Sri Lankan Art Gallery next time.
From 1313 to 1337, Taddeo Gaddi was a member of Giotto's workshop. He is considered the most talented painter to have trained under Giotto. He is most renowned for the 'cycle of Stories of the Virgin' in the Baroncelli Chapel of the Basilica of Santa Croce (the main Franciscan church in Florence). He may also have painted the cabinet tiles within the sacristy of Basilica of Santa Croce. Taddeo Gaddi's work shows that he clearly mastered Giotto's style and of course added his own touch to the architectural backgrounds. The staircase in the 'Presentation of the Virgin' is a good example of his experimentation with architectural details.
Jean Fouquet was French, and he mastered the art of panel painting and manuscript illumination. He is generally credited with the invention of 'portrait miniature'. The artist invented miniature portrait paintings using the techniques of illuminating miniatures in manuscripts. Fouquet won an honoured position in French art for his excellent skills as an illuminator. His self-portrait miniature is one of earliest surviving sole self-portraits. As far as paintings go, his most renowned painting is called 'The Melun Diptych' which depicts Étienne Chevalier (a civil servant of Charles VII and Louis XI) with his patron saint St. Stephen.
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