Presentation Type
Research Study
Release Option
Event
Description
Covering the back wall of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy, Giotto di Bondone’s Last Judgement (1306) serves as a comprehensive benchmark for the transition between medieval and renaissance art. Quickly becoming one of his most definitive works, the fresco exhibits techniques taken from some of the earliest medieval and late Byzantine works of religious art while still proving to be a brilliant display of the artist’s unique style. This research paper first explores Giotto’s artistic influences, focusing on three specific iterations of the Last Judgement in France and asserting that they all had a direct impact on Giotto’s later work in the Scrovegni Chapel. To do so, this paper engages in an iconographic study of each of these medieval sculptural representations, a process that has largely been overlooked in recent years in favor of stylistic studies. After drawing connections between these medieval Last Judgements and the Scrovegni Chapel fresco, this paper also asserts that Giotto’s Last Judgement presents one of the first instances of true individuality in European art. Drawing from other contemporary works of art and literature in the early renaissance, Giotto’s unrivaled artistic signature proves to be just as pronounced as his affinity for his medieval predecessors. Each of these analyses contribute to a broader assertion that Giotto should be seen as a key figure in the often ambiguous transition from the high middle ages to the early renaissance, driving a substantial change in the role and recognition of the individual artist.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. James Todesca
Department of Primary Presenter's Major
Department of History
Primary Presenter's Major(s)
History
Location
Virtual Symposium
Symposium Year
2021
Giotto's Last Judgement: Medieval Influences and Renaissance Impact
Virtual Symposium
