Giotto di Bondone

Giotto di Bondone's paintings give Christian narratives weight through solid figures, clear groups, and deliberate gestures. In Padua's Arena Chapel, frescoes recount the lives of the Virgin Mary and Christ. The Kiss of Judas and the Lamentation convey betrayal and mourning through closely arranged bodies. His Ognissanti Madonna brings similar physical presence to an enthroned sacred figure, while fresco cycles in Florence's Bardi and Peruzzi chapels extend his work into other church settings.