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Florence around 1420 - the start of the early Renaissance. And one artist in particular caused a sensation at this time. Giovanni di Paolo was not only influenced by the conservative Gothic line, as most artists of his time were, but made a name for himself with his, albeit few, clients precisely because he distinguished himself from others in his art and always liked to help himself to the strange and different. What runs through all his works like a common thread are the many straight lines, the elongated forms and figures and strong colors that give his individual art an exciting static quality. Even though "exciting" and "static" may sound fundamentally opposed, these details nevertheless enliven each of his paintings in a very unusual and almost explosive way.
The School of Siena left its mark on Italian art, especially in the 15th century. There, in his hometown, di Paolo also developed into a unique artist. However, he interpreted the classical style of the early Renaissance in his own personal way, clearly incorporating expressionist traits in his compositions, unlike many other Sienese painters. Strong facial expressions of the figures, often part of meaningful religious events, lend much expression to his art. But what would cause ridicule and scorn today was to make Giovanni di Paolo a master in his own time. For his individual style of painting would not have come about at all without copying the works of his fellow artists - among them even very famous ones. Especially in Tuscany, his buyers appreciated his ability to manipulate identical scenes by other artists, such as Duccio di Buoninsegna - one of the most important painters of the late Middle Ages - and individualize them in an extremely creative way.
During his artistic career, Giovanni di Paolo, although highly appreciated by some patrons due to his works that were different in detail, was always seen as a subordinate and inferior artist. It was only later, from the early 1920s that Giovanni di Paolo gained greater renown for his distorted-religious and expressionist style. Not only is this of great importance today, but the colorful forms, figures and landscapes of his first works, as well as the crude compositions, clearly reflect the painter's changing perceptions throughout his artistic development. Giovanni di Paolo never left his native Siena until his death. It is said, among other things, that di Paolo had difficulty maintaining his ability to paint in late life, so he hired assistants to help him complete his works. However, his lack of imagination and creativity was never a problem.
Florence around 1420 - the start of the early Renaissance. And one artist in particular caused a sensation at this time. Giovanni di Paolo was not only influenced by the conservative Gothic line, as most artists of his time were, but made a name for himself with his, albeit few, clients precisely because he distinguished himself from others in his art and always liked to help himself to the strange and different. What runs through all his works like a common thread are the many straight lines, the elongated forms and figures and strong colors that give his individual art an exciting static quality. Even though "exciting" and "static" may sound fundamentally opposed, these details nevertheless enliven each of his paintings in a very unusual and almost explosive way.
The School of Siena left its mark on Italian art, especially in the 15th century. There, in his hometown, di Paolo also developed into a unique artist. However, he interpreted the classical style of the early Renaissance in his own personal way, clearly incorporating expressionist traits in his compositions, unlike many other Sienese painters. Strong facial expressions of the figures, often part of meaningful religious events, lend much expression to his art. But what would cause ridicule and scorn today was to make Giovanni di Paolo a master in his own time. For his individual style of painting would not have come about at all without copying the works of his fellow artists - among them even very famous ones. Especially in Tuscany, his buyers appreciated his ability to manipulate identical scenes by other artists, such as Duccio di Buoninsegna - one of the most important painters of the late Middle Ages - and individualize them in an extremely creative way.
During his artistic career, Giovanni di Paolo, although highly appreciated by some patrons due to his works that were different in detail, was always seen as a subordinate and inferior artist. It was only later, from the early 1920s that Giovanni di Paolo gained greater renown for his distorted-religious and expressionist style. Not only is this of great importance today, but the colorful forms, figures and landscapes of his first works, as well as the crude compositions, clearly reflect the painter's changing perceptions throughout his artistic development. Giovanni di Paolo never left his native Siena until his death. It is said, among other things, that di Paolo had difficulty maintaining his ability to paint in late life, so he hired assistants to help him complete his works. However, his lack of imagination and creativity was never a problem.