Crucifix 1

Crucifix
Artist: Giotto; Tempera on panel, Size:578x406 cm; Santa Maria Novella, Florence.

The painting Crucifix by Giotto, constitutes one of the most important testimonies to the painter's early activity and is believed to have been executed around 1290. Although in some parts, such as the transparent cloth that covers Christ, it is possible to recognize the legacy Crucifix of Cimabue, the painting work constitutes a fundamental step in the move away from the Byzantine tradition and toward a greater naturalism. The art historian Giovanni Previtali, who has made a thorough comparison between this painting and the Crucifixby Cimabue in the Museo di Santa Croce in Florence, has pointed out how the changes made by Giotto are the sign of a different way of looking at Christ, who is represented as a real man on the cross and not a symbol of the Passion. Giotto's Christ is given a solid appearance by means of chiaroscuro, the light contrasted and createdg an impression of volume and showed a realistic physical structure.