Like most art Italian art was influenced by the many cultures that surrounded them Roman Greek and Early Christian art were one of the main influences of Italian architecture and sculpture Because of Byzantine and French Gothic art styles many Italian artists were able to create murals mosaics and altarpieces that centered on the religious icon There was also a growing interest in the singularity of artists Mendicant Orders During the 13th and 14th centuries artists were looking towards nature and the human experience The most important mendicant orders of the 13th and 14th centuries were the Franciscan and the Dominican orders Within these orders traditional monks would build churches within the city while helping people who were living in poverty The Franciscan Order The Dominican Order The Franciscan Order was created by Francis of Assisi in 1209 The Franciscans devoted their spiritual beliefs to nature and were committed to spreading spiritual growth amongst the people The Dominican Order was created by Dominic de Guzman in 1216 The Dominicans saw great value in classical learning and because of this they sought to argue against heresy Visual Art in Italy St Francis Preaching to the Birds When Francis died in 1226 a church was erected in his honor called the Basilica of San Francesco The wall surface of the church is covered in fresco paintings by many artists One particular fresco that commemorates the life of Francis is St Francis Preaching to the Birds The painting demonstrates the Franciscans fondness of nature as St Francis preaches to a flock of birds Altarpiece of St Clara The Altarpiece of St Clara draws more inspiration from Byzantine art This painting commemorates St Francis s associate St Clara who founded a branch of nuns in the Franciscan order Instead of fresco this painting is done in tempera Pulpit Fortitude Nativity Pulpits were erected in the churches of Pisa in order for preachers to read Scripture and preach sermons With his knowledge and influence of Roman and Early Christian sculpture Nicola Pisano created Pulpit and Fortitude in the Pisan baptistery Nicola and his son Giovanni both created nativities featuring the Annunciation and the Birth of Christ Nicola s Nativity influenced by Byzantine and Roman has more condensed content however Giovanni s Nativity influenced by contemporary Gothic art is more dramatic and dynamic Madonna Enthroned Cimabue and Giotto di Bondone Cimabue painted the Madonna Enthroned in the church of Santa Trinitia in Florence Holding onto Byzantine art Cimabue created this piece using gold linear lines and abstract patterns and figures Giotto di Bondone also painted a Madonna Enthroned in the church of All Saints in Florence However Lorenzo s Madonna Enthroned draws from Gothic naturalism as perspective depth and height are enhanced through contrasts of light and dark and the sizes of figures Besides Giotto s skill in light and space he also had a gift for storytelling Two of Giotto s narrative frescos were painted in the Arena Chapel Christ Entering Jerusalem depicts Christ being welcomed into Jerusalem as he rides on a donkey The Lamentation depicts Mary holding the dead body of Christ as friends and angels surround the two Visual Art in Tuscany The Maesta and Duccio Continuing through the 13th and 14th centuries Byzantine art continued to be a strong influence of Italian art Byzantine influence was continuous because of the religious crusades that were often between the Byzantine and Christian empires Duccio di Buoninsegna Giotto s older contemporary also led an artful life in Siena Tuscany The Palazzo Publico a city government house commissioned Duccio to paint an altarpiece called the Maesta Heavily influenced by Byzantine and Gothic art The Maesta was created on a polyptych with tempera on panel The fluidity of the drapery also holds Gothic influences Duccio s use of architecture creates space in the image The Annunciation of Death of the Virgin was placed above the Maesta The piece depicts Mary and an Angel inside an architectural setting Duccio uses foreshortening to represent depth created by the receding walls and ceiling beams The use of architecture can be seen in Entering Jerusalem on the back of the Maesta A disciple of Duccio s Simone Martini also created a different version of Annunciation in triptych form The Lorenzetti Brothers A more realistic representation of the life of the Virgin Mary was painted by Pietro Lorenzetti for a cathedral at Siena The Birth of the Virgin is a triptych piece that depicts Mary giving birth to Christ Pietro was influenced by Giotto and Duccio as the illusion of depth created by the architectural settings can be seen throughout the painting Mary is also placed in a more realistic setting compared to previous versions of the Birth of the Virgin Using the same influences from Duccio and Giotto Ambrogio Lorenzetti created two frescos for the Palazzo Publico titled the Allegory of Good Government and the Allegory of Bad Government Although the Allegory of Bad Government was damaged The first landscapes after ancient Rome this piece is an allegory that demonstrates good and bad government in the Sienese city and countryland These frescoes were made for the council to always seek good government over bad government The Bubonic Plague The first three decades of the 14th century in Florence and Siena were met with a prosperous economy political stability and artistic prosperity However in the 1340s both cities were met with disaster and misfortune The cities were riddled with constant warfare that shook the economy Later in 1348 a devastating plague spread by flea infested rats killed more than half of the people in both cities The plague and constant warfare not only affected people and society but it also affected the artistic world This can be seen in the fresco titled The Triumph of Death This painting no longer depicts glorious angels or saintly figures but death indiscriminately claiming lives of both the rich and poor The Book of Hours In Lombardy Milan an authoritarian and ambitious family called the Visconti Family ruled northern Europe Giangaleazzo Visconti commissioned a cathedral to be built in Milan in 1386 as well as the commission of various illumination manuscripts by Giovannino dei Grassi One of his manuscripts the Book of Hours features numerous representations of Giangaleazzo King David also appears within the pages of manuscript King David is both the author of text and