Who is known as one of the last great Italian artists of the Byzantine style?

Cimabue is recognized as one of the last great Italian artists of the Byzantine style due to his significant role in the transition from the medieval Byzantine aesthetic to the early Renaissance. His work exemplifies the characteristics of Byzantine art, which includes the use of gold backgrounds, an emphasis on religious subjects, and a particular approach to figures that tends to display a stylized, flattened quality.

Cimabue, active during the late 13th century, paved the way for subsequent artists like Giotto, who broke away from the rigid conventions of Byzantine art and contributed to the development of more naturalistic depictions of space and the human figure. While other artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael are celebrated for their contributions to the Renaissance and their innovations in style, Cimabue’s significance lies in his embodiment of the final phases of Byzantine influences while also hinting at the shift toward a new artistic direction in Italy. This particular transitional role makes Cimabue an important figure in the art historical narrative.