<previous Around 1290, Giotto executed a crucifix for the new Santa Maria Novella church of Florence. Here the artist breaks from the traditional representation of the crucifix by presenting a humane representation of the Christ cleared of any pathos and free from any restricted iconography characteristic of Byzantine art (Church Council at Nicea in 787).

Shortly after Giotto followed Cimabue to Assisi to execute the frescoes of the basilica [More on Assisi]. There we can measure the evolution of the representation between Giotto and his predecessors.