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Over the course of the 13th century in Italy, there was a big move towards naturalism in the art,

particularly religious art, which attempted to free itself of the conservative, limited scope of Byzantine
art into a new realm of realism. This gradual change in art is very indicative of the shift in society itself
that Italy was experiencing at the time, as it was slowly but inexorably moving towards the
Renaissance. Painters were struggling to express the new attitudes that were being expressed by the
people and those in power, which were different from strict religious iconography, opting instead to
place more expression into their works. In this essay, we will examine three paintings of the time –
Berlinghieri’s St. Francis of Assisi, Cavallini’s The Last Judgement, and Giotto’s Meeting at the Golden
Gate – and explore just how the changes in style were influenced by the pervading cultural changes
that were occurring.

GENERATECHECK PLAGIARISM
Before we start, we must look into the basic attributes of strict Byzantine art, so that we can
understand the changes that are happening over the course of the century. Byzantine art places a
great emphasis on iconography, eschewing artistic expression for a substantial reverence for the
person or event that was being depicted. (Cunningham, 167) Figures in it would have a strange,
detached alienation to them, as they are meant to be portrayed as being above the normal and
physical. The sacred nature of the content was placed at the forefront, its roots firmly in Christian
Orthodox forms of worship. (Cunningham, 169) Byzantine painters would strive to create a portrait
that, more than anything else, showcased the spirituality and reverence that should be associated
with the subject of the painting. As a result, these artists would attempt to infuse their own small
nuances on their work, but they would more or less follow the same formula – flat, two dimensional
paintings that were more abstract and presentational than representational, of which the first
painting we will discuss is a perfect example.

In Berlinghieri’s painting St. Francis of Assisi, we see a classic example of the Byzantine style of art –
the entire painting is one enormous symbol of the man himself and what he stands for, as opposed to
a more realistic approach. St. Francis takes up the center of the painting, his visage more stylized than
detailed; the golden skin and odd proportions of his fingers make him seem alien, heightened
somehow. Surrounding him are six small vignettes, all of St. Francis performing certain acts within his
life (helping others, receiving messages from the angels, etc.), as well as a pair of angels hovering
above his shoulders in the central panel. Francis himself is an abstract figure in the middle, not part of
the surrounding panel, but they all tell stories about him. The painting is less about a specific event
than about the man himself, presenting a mosaic of his life and the good deeds that he has done.
While this takes away from a sense of narrative about the painting, it allows for a greater sense of
worship and piety in regards to St. Francis, as we are given an impression of the kind of man he is,
rather than see the story of his life in any sort of sequence or detail.

In the early part of the thirteenth century, Italy’s economic status was greatly improving, with the
European network economy becoming established more strongly due to the establishment of ports
along the Mediterranean. Infrastructure was starting to form within Italy during this time, as banking
and foreign exchange became more centralized and organized. (Burke, p. 232) International trade was
booming, making Italy a greater power in Europe, and a presence on the global marketplace. On the
religious front, Italian city states were given the power to separate themselves completely from the
Holy Roman Empire. All the same, there was still a great deal of religious piety, and the Byzantine
style of art was a very big influence on the painters of the time.

Cavallini’s The Last Judgement was an attempt to break out of the Byzantine mold in Italian art and
shift it towards a more naturalistic vein. The painting depicts seven figures, all sitting in chairs on the
same plane, but for the rightmost one, which is standing and praying in the direction of four angels
(presumable the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse), all clustered in the far right of the fresco, and all
turned away from the seven figures. The figures are painted in a more naturalistic way – their skin
tones and body proportions are all much more consistent with what could be considered realism than
Berlinghieri’s stiff, alien St. Francis. While all of the people seem to be sitting in a single file line, the
Horsemen on the right are all clustered from top to bottom, in front of and behind each other,
indicating a three-dimensional look that was not present in strictly Byzantine art. Faces and clothing
are more detailed, with a greater emphasis on subtle colors and shading, and postures and
positioning appears more fluid and natural.

This painting is often referred to as being in the style of Roman naturalism, as it has this sense of
greater realism than Byzantine religious art, but still feeling like religious iconography to an extent,
with everyone still being on the same plane. In this way, Cavallini makes it clear that it is still meant to
instill a deep sense of spirituality in the viewer, while still creating more relatable figures in the work.
This humanizing of these religious figures can be indicative of the events happening in Italy near the
end of the thirteenth century; feudalism was on the decline, as trade was increasing between foreign
countries to the level where merchants were becoming very wealthy. What’s more, landed nobility
were beginning to lose power as well, as this new way of living allowed urban patriarchs to surpass
them as the wealthier class in Italy. (Burke, 93) Consequently, the art of the time moved toward a
more communicative, democractic style that attempted to depict these changes, especially where
religious art was concerned.

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