▁from ▁Florence ▁during ▁the ▁Late ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁He ▁worked ▁during ▁the ▁Goth ic / Pro to - R ena issance ▁period . ▁Gi otto ' s ▁contemporary , ▁the ▁bank er ▁and ▁chron ic ler ▁Giovanni ▁Vill ani , ▁wrote ▁that ▁Gi otto ▁was ▁" the ▁most ▁so ver eign ▁master ▁of ▁painting ▁in ▁his ▁time , ▁who ▁drew ▁all ▁his ▁figures ▁and ▁their ▁post ures ▁according ▁to ▁nature " ▁and ▁of ▁his ▁public ly ▁recognized ▁" tal ent ▁and ▁excell ence ". ▁In ▁his ▁L ives ▁of ▁the ▁Most ▁Ex cell ent ▁P ain ters , ▁S cul pt ors , ▁and ▁Arch itect s , ▁Giorg io ▁Vas ari ▁described ▁Gi otto ▁as ▁making ▁a ▁decis ive ▁break ▁with ▁the ▁pre val ent ▁By z antine ▁style ▁and ▁as ▁initi ating ▁" the ▁great ▁art ▁of ▁painting ▁as ▁we ▁know ▁it ▁today , ▁introdu cing ▁the ▁technique ▁of ▁drawing ▁accur ately ▁from ▁life , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁neglect ed ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁hundred ▁years ". ▁ ▁Gi otto ' s ▁master work ▁is ▁the ▁decor ation ▁of ▁the ▁Sc ro veg ni ▁Chap el , ▁in ▁Pad ua , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Arena ▁Chap el , ▁which ▁was ▁completed ▁around ▁ 1 3 0 5 . ▁The ▁fres co ▁cycle ▁dep ict s ▁the ▁Life ▁of ▁the ▁Virgin ▁and ▁the ▁Life ▁of ▁Christ . ▁It ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁supre me ▁master pie ces ▁of ▁the ▁Early ▁Renaissance . ▁That ▁Gi otto ▁painted ▁the ▁Arena