Name: Giotto di Bondone
Birth-Death Dates: c. 1267-1337
Location: Florence, Assisi, Padua

Personality Traits: Innovative, observant, pioneering, influential
Marital Status: Married to Ciuta di Lapo del Pela
Intriguing Personal Details: Often considered the father of European painting and the Renaissance, Giotto revolutionized the way space and human figures were depicted in art

Art Style: Proto-Renaissance
Subjects: Religious scenes, frescoes, altarpieces
Education/Background: Trained under Cimabue, later influenced by classical antiquity and contemporary Gothic art
Mentors and Influences: Cimabue, Byzantine art, classical antiquity
Esteem During Lifetime: Highly esteemed, with commissions from powerful patrons including the Franciscans and the Scrovegni family
Major Works: Frescoes in the Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel, Assisi Basilica frescoes, "Ognissanti Madonna," "The Kiss of Judas"

Inspirations: Byzantine art, Gothic architecture, natural observation, human emotion
Legacy: Pioneered techniques of naturalism and perspective that laid the groundwork for the Renaissance; influenced generations of artists including Masaccio and Michelangelo

Fun Facts: Legend has it that Giotto's talent was discovered when he was a young shepherd drawing sheep on a rock; he was also an architect and designed the campanile (bell tower) of Florence Cathedral