Comparison between the Crucifixes’ of Cimabue and Giotto
Comparison between the Crucifixes’ of Cimabue and Giotto
HU 200: Humanities
Chris Wright
May 4, 2014
Brookline College
Comparison between the Crucifixes’ of Cimabue and Giotto
I come from a Roman Catholic household in which we had a crucifix in every room. I asked my mother why one day and she told me that having a wall crucifix in every room where your family gathers, as well as in every bedroom just above the doorway, was a great visual reminder of God's love for us. Even as a child I remember looking at the crucifix and always was filled with lots of emotions; from anger to sadness. I believe that was the same emotions the artists who created the famous crucifix at Basilica Santa Croce, in Florence and the crucifix at Santa Maria Novella, in Florence wanted people to feel. The crucifix at Basilica Santa Croce was made by Cimabue, AKA Bencivieni Di Pepo, who was a Florentine painter in the Byzantine Style. His devotion to the Byzantine style of his figures of the Christus patiens (suffering Christ) is bordered by the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist. “The faces are very expressive and Christ sways dramatically. His outwardly stretched arms create more tension than the sagging arms of most Byzantine crucifixes. His blood flows downward from his hands, pooling the gold border of the cross.” (Hartt, 1949, pp. 49-51) Cimabue is known for being well adept in both his technical knowledge and his move towards more humanistic interpretations of religious figures and saints. This painting is a mix of the traditional guiding (applying the layer of the gold leaf) and the wooden structure, with a Jesus who is clearly in pain (the most natural side to Cimabue’s work), unlike older interpretations. The Jesus on the this Crucifix is clearly in anguish shown noticeably by the position of his body and the details in his face – closed eyes, tilted head, open mouth. This interpretation of Christ looks lifeless,
HU 200: Humanities
Chris Wright
May 4, 2014
Brookline College
Comparison between the Crucifixes’ of Cimabue and Giotto
I come from a Roman Catholic household in which we had a crucifix in every room. I asked my mother why one day and she told me that having a wall crucifix in every room where your family gathers, as well as in every bedroom just above the doorway, was a great visual reminder of God's love for us. Even as a child I remember looking at the crucifix and always was filled with lots of emotions; from anger to sadness. I believe that was the same emotions the artists who created the famous crucifix at Basilica Santa Croce, in Florence and the crucifix at Santa Maria Novella, in Florence wanted people to feel. The crucifix at Basilica Santa Croce was made by Cimabue, AKA Bencivieni Di Pepo, who was a Florentine painter in the Byzantine Style. His devotion to the Byzantine style of his figures of the Christus patiens (suffering Christ) is bordered by the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist. “The faces are very expressive and Christ sways dramatically. His outwardly stretched arms create more tension than the sagging arms of most Byzantine crucifixes. His blood flows downward from his hands, pooling the gold border of the cross.” (Hartt, 1949, pp. 49-51) Cimabue is known for being well adept in both his technical knowledge and his move towards more humanistic interpretations of religious figures and saints. This painting is a mix of the traditional guiding (applying the layer of the gold leaf) and the wooden structure, with a Jesus who is clearly in pain (the most natural side to Cimabue’s work), unlike older interpretations. The Jesus on the this Crucifix is clearly in anguish shown noticeably by the position of his body and the details in his face – closed eyes, tilted head, open mouth. This interpretation of Christ looks lifeless,