Duccio's Enthroned Madonna And Giotto Di Bondone

Grace Klumpp
Dr. Schaeffer
LSTD-3173-202
29 October 15

Essay 1: Comparing Enthroned Madonna to Rucellai Madonna
In the 13th century naturalism was on the rise. This can be seen in both the work of Duccio di Bouninsegna and Giotto Di Bondone. However there is difference in their artistic style. This can be seen if you compare Duccio’s Rucellai Madonna to Giotto’s Enthroned Madonna. By looking at Duccio’s work you can see the influence of the Byzantine traditions. Duccio also stays true to the gothic style and the classical view of the way the human body should be portrayed. This is something that not only did Duccio do in this specific piece or work, but also something that he continued to explore and perfect throughout the remaining duration
They depict the same concept. Both of the pictures show the Virgin holding the Christ Child while sitting upon a throne while surrounded by saints and angels. Even though the concept is the same, the actual content and the details of it are what make up the differences between the two pieces of work. Something else that is similar to each of the paintings is the symmetry of both. Duccio’s Rucellai Madonna shows the throne with three angels on each side who seem to be floating in the air equidistant apart. This is different from Giotto. Giotto portrays his saints and angels more life like. They all seem to be worshipping at the foot of the throne while gazing up to the Virgin and Christ child. Giotto also used seven instead of just the three that appear in Duccio’s piece. Even though both of the artist have depicted the virgin sitting on a throne the look of the throne is depicted extremely different. The throne that Giotto depicts in his version of the Madonna in a throne that has a large front step that seems to be constructed of marble, two large side panels, and a pointed vault at the top. The alter itself is also symmetrical which lends itself to the theme of symmetry that is throughout the entire painting. The grandness of the alter found in Giotto’s Madonna juxtaposes the alter that is found in Duccio’s Madonna. The alter that Duccio depicts is much smaller and not as detailed. Duccio
In Duccio’s Rucellai Madonna the Virgin Mary had a much more two dimensional face. There is not as much shading around her nose and the hallows of her cheeks so this give her face a greater appearance of being flat. The Christ Child is seated upon her left knee. He is very skinny. His face doe not look very childlike. Duccio portrayed the Christ Child as almost just being a miniature version of a grown man. The way that Duccio portrays both the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child is much different from the way that Giotto in his Enthroned Madonna portrays them. The Virgin Mary and the Christ Child when portrayed by Giotto are much more realistic. Giotto added a great deal of shading in the Virgin Mary’s face. He also created a sleek line with her eyebrows that flows into the shaded that is created by the bridge of her nose. The way that he allows all of the lines of her face to flow together really helps to emphasize the realistic nature of his paintings. Giotto also depicted the Christ Child as just that, a child. Christ is much more baby like. This is because of his weight as well as his softened features. Giotto depicts the child as chubbier than he has been seen in other paintings. This chubbiness creates a softness that is normally found in children. Giotto also placed a scroll in the Christ Child’s left hand, which is something that cannot be found in Duccio’s