Pietro Cavallini

(actually Pietro dei Cerroni). Born circa 1240– in Rome; died there circa 1330. Italian painter, representative of proto-Renaissance art.

Cavallini created mosaics on the themes from the life of Mary in the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome (1291). He painted frescoes in the church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere (c. 1293; fragments of the Last Judgment remain), and in the church of Santa Maria Donna Regina in Naples (1316–20; with assistants). While basing his work on the tradition of ancient painting, Cavallini was the first to move from the canons of Byzantine art. He gave his subjects corporeality and volume, modeling the forms with chiaroscuro and color. His work exerted a great influence on early 14th-century Italian artists, including his contemporary Giotto.