December 7 - A History of Art - Cimabue Santa Trinita Madonna

Cenni di Peppi, known as Cimabue, is traditionally believed to have been Giotto's teacher and is credited with preparing the ground for the naturalism of Giotto's revolutionary style. Not much is known of Cimabue's life.

Judging this by the commissions that he received, Cimabue appears to have been a highly-regarded artist in his day.

Cimabue was commissioned to paint two very large frescoes for the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. They are on the walls of the transepts: a Crucifixion and a Deposition. Unfortunately these works are now dim shadows of their original appearance. During occupancy of the building by invading French troops, straw caught fire, severely damaging the frescoes. The white paint was partially composed of silver, which oxidised and turned black, leaving the faces and much of the drapery of the figures in negative.

Among Cimabue's few surving works are the Madonna of Santa Trinita, once in the church of Santa Trinita, and now housed, with Duccio's Rucellai Madonna and Giotto's Ognissanti Madonna, in the Uffizi Gallery.

In the Lower Church of Saint Francis in Assisi is an extremely important fresco, depicting The Madonna and Christ Child enthroned with angels and Saint Francis. It is claimed to be a work of Cimabue's old age.