HUMANITIES
Famous Artists in Western Europe and their Artworks
The great artist was responsible for developing the arts in the Middle Ages. During this period,
painters separated themselves from Byzantine arts and created Gothic visual art. Medieval
painters and sculptors began their pursuit of more realism, culminating in the Renaissance art
style. In the medieval period, the following are prominent artists:
1. Giovanni Cimabue- He was born in Florence in the year 1240. He spent his time adorning
his papers and books with images of horses, houses, people, and other bizarre
creations. He created mosaics and paintings, including the New Testament frescoes in
St. Francis of Assisi’s upper church. In the year 1302, he died.
2. Giotto di Bondone- He was born in the Tuscan town of Vespignano in the year 1266.
Giorgio Vasari, a tiny landed farmer, was his father. He began painting a fresco cycle
with pieces from the Old and New Testaments for the Cathedral of San Francesco in
Assisi with the help of other artists. Pope Benedict XI invited him to Rome in 1300 to
paint a mosaic above the St. Peter’s Basilica entrance. On January 8, 1337, he died.
3. Filippo Brunelleschi- He was born in Florence, Italy, around 1377. His father was
Brunelleschi Di Lippoo, an Italian lawyer, and Giuliana Spini was his mother. In one of
the Florentine factories, he worked as a sculptor and goldsmith. On April 15, 1446, he
died.
4. Lorenzo Ghiberti- He was born in Florence, Italy, around 1378. In 1392, he joined the Gold
Guild and began training as a goldsmith. He began construction on the Baptistery of San
Giovanni’s East Doors. The ten panels of the bronze door (known as the “Gates of
Paradise”) depicted scenes from the Old Testament. Ghiberti was commissioned to
construct the work between 1425- 1452. In 1455, he died.
5. Donatello (known as Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi) - He was born in the year 1386 in
Italy. Nicolo di Betto Bardi's son was a wool trader in Florence. He studied metallurgy,
the science of fabricating metals and other materials. St. John the Evangelist, St. Mark,
St. George the Killing Dragon, Pazzi Madonna, Zuccone, Herod’s Feast, David, and
Penitent Magdalene are among his most famous works. He also devised the schiacciato
(shallow relief) technique for achieving spatial depth. On December 13, 1466, he died.
6. Fra Angelico (also known as Beato Angelico, which means ―Blessed Angelic One‖)- Was
born in Florence, Italy, in 1395. His most well-known works as a painter include
Annunciation, Madonna and Saints, and the Transfiguration of Christ.
7. Leon Battista Alberti- On February 14, 1404, he was born in Genoa, Italy. Pope Nicholas
V recruited him as an architect to renovate the papal palace and the Roman bridge of
Acqua Vergine. On April 25, 1472, he died in Rome.
To sum things up, Art continually develops. From pre-historic up to the present, Art
serves different purposes and functions. Every Art has its distinct style, and no art is the
same. Remember that there is no specific style to make an artwork beautiful; it depends
on creativity and imagination.
Famous Artists in Western Europe and their Artworks
The great artist was responsible for developing the arts in the Middle Ages. During this period,
painters separated themselves from Byzantine arts and created Gothic visual art. Medieval
painters and sculptors began their pursuit of more realism, culminating in the Renaissance art
style. In the medieval period, the following are prominent artists:
1. Giovanni Cimabue- He was born in Florence in the year 1240. He spent his time adorning
his papers and books with images of horses, houses, people, and other bizarre
creations. He created mosaics and paintings, including the New Testament frescoes in
St. Francis of Assisi’s upper church. In the year 1302, he died.
2. Giotto di Bondone- He was born in the Tuscan town of Vespignano in the year 1266.
Giorgio Vasari, a tiny landed farmer, was his father. He began painting a fresco cycle
with pieces from the Old and New Testaments for the Cathedral of San Francesco in
Assisi with the help of other artists. Pope Benedict XI invited him to Rome in 1300 to
paint a mosaic above the St. Peter’s Basilica entrance. On January 8, 1337, he died.
3. Filippo Brunelleschi- He was born in Florence, Italy, around 1377. His father was
Brunelleschi Di Lippoo, an Italian lawyer, and Giuliana Spini was his mother. In one of
the Florentine factories, he worked as a sculptor and goldsmith. On April 15, 1446, he
died.
4. Lorenzo Ghiberti- He was born in Florence, Italy, around 1378. In 1392, he joined the Gold
Guild and began training as a goldsmith. He began construction on the Baptistery of San
Giovanni’s East Doors. The ten panels of the bronze door (known as the “Gates of
Paradise”) depicted scenes from the Old Testament. Ghiberti was commissioned to
construct the work between 1425- 1452. In 1455, he died.
5. Donatello (known as Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi) - He was born in the year 1386 in
Italy. Nicolo di Betto Bardi's son was a wool trader in Florence. He studied metallurgy,
the science of fabricating metals and other materials. St. John the Evangelist, St. Mark,
St. George the Killing Dragon, Pazzi Madonna, Zuccone, Herod’s Feast, David, and
Penitent Magdalene are among his most famous works. He also devised the schiacciato
(shallow relief) technique for achieving spatial depth. On December 13, 1466, he died.
6. Fra Angelico (also known as Beato Angelico, which means ―Blessed Angelic One‖)- Was
born in Florence, Italy, in 1395. His most well-known works as a painter include
Annunciation, Madonna and Saints, and the Transfiguration of Christ.
7. Leon Battista Alberti- On February 14, 1404, he was born in Genoa, Italy. Pope Nicholas
V recruited him as an architect to renovate the papal palace and the Roman bridge of
Acqua Vergine. On April 25, 1472, he died in Rome.
To sum things up, Art continually develops. From pre-historic up to the present, Art
serves different purposes and functions. Every Art has its distinct style, and no art is the
same. Remember that there is no specific style to make an artwork beautiful; it depends
on creativity and imagination.
