The artistic career of Agnolo Gaddi established a final stylistic lineage descending from the Florentine master Giotto during the fourteenth century. Born in Florence in 1350, he operated within a workshop environment where attribution often blends the contributions of a master and his apprentices, leaving a legacy defined by enduring religious iconography and extensive fresco cycles.
Training and Early Influences
Agnolo Gaddi received his foundational training from his father, Taddeo Gaddi, who had served as the primary pupil of Giotto. This lineage positioned Agnolo as the concluding major Florentine painter to maintain the stylistic traditions established by the Giotto school. His early professional efforts included the Resurrection of Lazarus at San Jacopo tra i Fossi in Florence and a series of frescoes depicting the legends of the Virgin and her Sacred Girdle within the Prato Cathedral.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Major Works and Fresco Cycles
The most significant contribution to the visual narrative of the era is the fresco cycle titled the Legend of the True Cross, located in the choir of Santa Croce in Florence. Executed between 1385 and 1387, these eight frescoes depict the history of the Cross from its origin as a branch from the Tree of Knowledge to its final arrival in Jerusalem carried by Emperor Heraclius. Within this cycle, Gaddi included a self-portrait. His other notable outputs include the tempera panel titled The Crucifixion, located in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the Madonna and Child from San Donato in Prato.
Commercial Life and Professional Legacy
Beyond his occupation as a painter and mosaicist, Gaddi engaged in mercantile activities. In his middle years, he moved to Venice to pursue commercial interests, a venture that significantly increased the wealth of the Gaddi family. His influence extended to the next generation of practitioners; notably, the author of an art treatise, Cennino Cennini, identified himself as one of Gaddi's pupils. Giorgio Vasari later included a biographical account of Gaddi in his foundational work regarding Italian artists.
Surviving Collections
The works produced by Gaddi are currently housed in various international institutions. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., holds his Coronation of the Virgin with Six Angels and the Madonna and Child with Saints Andrew, Benedict, Bernard, and Catherine of Alexandria. Other works, such as the Madonna and Child with Saint John the Evangelist and various saints, are located in the National Gallery of Victoria. Additional paintings appear in the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence and the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens in Jacksonville.
Fast facts
- Born: 1350, Florence
- Died: October 1396, Florence
- Primary Field: Painting
- Style: Giotto tradition
- Notable Fresco: Legend of the True Cross
- Notable Pupil: Cennino Cennini
Questions readers ask
Was Agnolo Gaddi only a painter?
No, he was also a mosaicist and a merchant who successfully engaged in commercial activities in Venice.
Where can the Legend of the True Cross be seen?
The fresco cycle is located in the choir of Santa Croce in Florence.
Achievements
- Notable work: Crucifixion
- Notable work: Sainte Anne metterza et saints
- Notable work: Madonna and Child from San Donato, Prato
- Notable work: Madonna and Child with Saints
.jpg)