The Early Renaissance and the Shift in Art Styles
The period of art known as the Early Renaissance brought with it some artistic growth. Various artists began to shift into other styles besides the medieval art, and especially into the gothic style.
Giotto and Duccio's Unique Style
However, the Italian artists such as Giotto and Duccio did not seem to buy into the new wave of gothic art. Giotto and Duccio presented a unique style of individualism that was represented by naturalism in artistic presentations. They began to think beyond the abstract nature of art into the details that created a more natural feeling to drawings.
Adding Personal Information to Art
For instance, instead of focusing on human bodies as just that, they added more personal information to make the drawing more realistic and to add a toll to capturing the beauty of bodies. In this regard, it is evident that they were able to transfer their philosophical notions to a more classical orientated perspective of the human form.
Narrative Technique of Painting
Giotto and Duccio are mainly known for their narrative technique of painting. However, despite the apparent likeness, it is prudent to note that they also expressed different styles in how they composed their paintings in depictions of similar settings. In their representations of the Betrayal of Christ, Giotto and Duccio portray their different artistic methods as well as their use of natural art elements to depict different religious texts and figures.
Differences in Depicting the Betrayal of Christ
The first visual element that one notices as a difference in the depiction of the Betrayal of Christ by the two artists is the surface and the space in which they make their drawing. It is quite evident that Duccio prefers to work on a broader surface as compared to Giotto.
The drawing by Duccio is more of on a landscape orientation while Giotto's can be compared to a portrait. In this regard, it is prudent to state that Giotto's artwork is embellished in visual composition and detail. This differentiates those who see the painting vis-à-vis what they see, i.e., the finer details and symbolism of the narrative would be better comprehended when the audience saw every aspect.
Besides, Duccio's preferred working surface for this particular painting like most of his other works is skillfully done on wooden painting in more of a tempera technique that was more or less quick to dry. On the other hand, Giotto preferred to make this painting on a plaster surface. Also, Duccio's seemed to have stuck with traditional artwork with his painting being heavily influenced by Byzantine styles.
An observable dynamic factor in both drawings is the balance in their visual features. Perhaps owing to space, there is a high sense of balance in Giotto's drawing as he creates a more symmetrical balance in his artwork.
Natural Artistic Elements in the Drawing
The natural artistic elements in the drawing play a significant role in elaborating the respective painter's understanding of the scene. In his drawing, Duccio softens the lines in his Byzantine-influenced drawing to soften the figures. He skillfully uses colors both dark and light hues of the same colors to reveal the figures under the heaviness of the cloaks and drapery. He gives the details a three-dimensional feel by rounding the faces, feet, and hands and on a bright background, he gives the painting some warmth.
The soft lines and the warmth of the colors give the drawing a smooth visual texture. His organization of figures to space plays a specific purpose. For instance, in his depiction of The Betrayal of Christ, the fact that the figures are close together implies the intensity of the moment Judas went to relay the information on Christ. Besides, the leaning men in the painting show that they were giving some thought to the information that Judas had to give. The background of a temple also indicates that the people present were religious leaders. The people are the central figures in the drawing, implying that the rest of the drawing only played prop to the moment.
Giotto, on the other hand, does not follow some of the conventions of the Byzantine art. His drawings present a more realistic visual language of three-dimensional figures with gestures and faces that are only based on close observation of details. Just like Duccio, he rounds the lines of Byzantine art on a fresco touch. The clothing on the figures are not swirling but naturally, hang on them to give them weight and form. He creates the illusion of space by allowing the characters to face inwards.
Additionally, Giotto seems to use lines especially on the drapes and garments to skillfully show movement, and his portrayal of facial emotion is seen in the interaction between the various people in the drawing. For instance, one can easily observe the weight of the matter being discussed in the intensity in the eyes of the men in the drawing. Giotto's use of color was also rather skillful. He used quite unprecedented colors with such brilliance to show the status of the characters in the drawing. For instance, Judas is dressed in a more shiny drapery than the other three men who are presumably the religious leaders. The background is also a hue of blue and black that show the night and a figure of the devil is seen to touch Judas perhaps as an implication of the evilness of the situation.
Moments of the Betrayal of Christ
This scene between Judas and the chief priests is found in the books of Matthew 26:14, Mark 14:10 and Luke 22:3-6. It is a scene that is captured quite briefly but one which the artist captured in a rather intricate way. Judas was pretty confident in his ability to deliver Christ to them while still afraid that he may be 'caught in the act.' Giotto captures these two feelings in the emotions and postures of the figures. His confidence is seen in the intensity of his eyes, while at the same time he seemed to bend forward to show some timidity.
Besides, he portrays the priests to be quite older than him by giving them more beard and giving them more weight using the drapes. Their garments appear larger and heavier, and he even uses darker colors for them. As is told in the scriptures, they agreed to give him thirty pieces of silver which Judas is holding in the bag in his hands. This particular drawing depicts an end and seal of the agreement being that Judas is already in possession of his payment.
Duccio, on the other hand, paints a picture of the moment before Judas is given his pay. This is the moment when he deliberates his intentions to the chief priests as they listen. The drawing captures the moment of Matthew 26:15 when Judas asks "What will you give me?" and they bargained for the thirty pieces of silver. This aspect can be seen in the movement of their hands. The hand gestures of the chief priest imply an attempt to convince the disciple while the intensity of Judas' eyes shows an individual who is on the verge of conviction while still trying to maintain his ground. Just like in Giotto's drawing, the details on the faces of the figures show their difference in age. Besides, their clothing also depicts a difference in status with the priests of higher status having bigger garments and more facial hair. They have also been given a central part in the apparent negotiations.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, the Early Renaissance period was a period that changed the face of art across the world. Notable Italian artists like Giotto and Duccio occupied a high pedestal in regards to the period with their distinctive art that brought naturalism and spoke a visually realistic language.
The fact that they practiced in the same period implied that their artworks were likely to possess several similarities including the influence of the Byzantine art. However, their distinctions in style were highlighted by their application of the use of natural art elements to tell the same story.
Giotto and Duccio both captured the same moments of the betrayal of Christ by Judas. However, the details in their drawings present rather different periods of the same moment with Giotto showing the period after the negotiation and Duccio showing the period during the negotiation. Nevertheless, it is prudent to state that the use of artistic elements and the difference in style play a great role in their presentation of their narrative technique to depict religious texts and figures.
