About The Artist - Giovanni Cimabue
(1242 -1302) |
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Giovanni Cimabue also known as Bencivieni Di Pepo was
an Italian painter popular for his mosaics. |
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About
The Painting - The Madonna in Majesty |
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Cimabue was one
of the highly popular, respected and regarded painters
in Italy in the 13th century. One of his students Giotto
became of the artistic painters of those times and was
one of the pioneers of Renaissance in Italy. The uniqueness
of Cimabue's paintings lied in the fact that he was
able to glorify the Byzantine tradition in all his paintings
including The Madonna in Majesty. |
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Considered as
on of the pioneers in bringing naturalism in paintings,
Cimabue has brought out a distinctive radiance through
the near human expressions on Madonna's face. This was
one of the naturalistic approaches and aspects that
made The Madonna in Majesty one of its kinds. This beautiful
rendition of Madonna and Child with Angels and priests
has always been admired by most of Cimabues's contemporaries
and one of his students Giotto drew his inspiration
from this particular painting for The Ognissanti Madonna.
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The painting
highlights Virgin Mary in a red tunic and draped in
a blue mantle. Mary's feet are resting on the pedestal
while there are eight angels carrying the chair. There
is a delicately painted nimbus around her head, while
the infant savior sits on her lap. This posture of the
Virgin Mary with the little savior and the angels had
become one of the most popular subjects for some of
the greatest painters of all times including Cimabue.
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Cimabue had created
many other paintings and frescos with the same subject
of Virgin Mary with the child on her lap and surrounded
by angels. Some of his paintings had six angels while
The Madonna in Majesty has eight angels. |
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The colors used
in The Madonna in Majesty by Cimabue are simple and
natural and yet make the subject of the painting stand
out. This was one of his unique qualities that made
him such a respected painter. |
