Art Captions

Author notes

0023. The Crucifixion

CornTown

on Feb. 11, 2010

By Bernardo Daddi (1280-1348)
Circa. 1325-30
Proto-Renaissance

Daddi is important among artists as he sot to bring back a simple premise; to make figures in paintings look like real people. After the collapse of Rome, Europe was thrust into the dark ages and all knowledge seemed to disappear. This included the artistic teachings from ancient Greece. During the dark ages, art took on characteristics found in Egyptian hieroglyphs; characters were flat, perception was missing and a figure's size was determined by there importance.
Though primitive, Daddi's paintings show signs of drawing from life not seen in hundreds of years. Figures have proportions and all characters are the same size. Daddi's works were quite popular among people and helped to spawn the next generation of artists who would now turn towards life for inspiration.