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The Proto-Renaissance |
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The Proto-Renaissance |
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Late Medieval style |
Emerging Renaissance style | |
| Foreshadowings of the Renaissance occur in the late medieval (Gothic) period, sometimes called the "Proto-Renaissance." The fourteenth century painter Giotto is often considered to be an important forerunner of the Renaissance. Compare his painting of the Virgin Mary with that of his contemporary Duccio. Duccio's portrayal is still conceptual and unrealistic. Giotto's Virgin, however, seems like a real woman with a volumetric body. She holds the baby Jesus as a real mother would and the folds of her drapery are naturalistic. While still the enthroned Queen of Heaven (typical of medieval depictions) she is more accessible (note the steps to her throne) and seems to be more a part of the observer's world. This kind of naturalism would soon emerge as an important trait in Renaissance painting and sculpture. |
 Duccio Maestą, front 1309-11 |
 Giotto Ognissanti Madonna  1306-10 |
All images marked MAS were photographed on location by Mary Ann Sullivan. All other images were scanned from other sources or downloaded from the World Wide Web; they are posted on this password-protected site for educational purposes, at Bluffton College only, under the "fair use" clause of U.S. copyright law.