Taddeo Gaddi facts for kids

Taddeo Gaddi was an Italian painter and architect who lived in the Middle Ages. He was born around 1290 in Florence, Italy, and passed away there in 1366.

Taddeo was the son of a painter named Gaddo Gaddi. He learned from the famous artist Giotto and worked in his studio from 1313 until Giotto's death in 1337. Many people, including a famous writer named Giorgio Vasari, thought Taddeo was Giotto's best student. In 1347, he was even named the top painter in Florence! Besides painting, he was also a merchant and had a business in Venice. He created paintings, mosaics, and even designed buildings.

Taddeo Gaddi

Famous Artworks

Taddeo Gaddi's most important work is a series of paintings called Stories of the Virgin. You can find these beautiful artworks in the Baroncelli Chapel inside the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. He painted them between 1328 and 1338.

These paintings show how well he understood Giotto's new style of art. Taddeo also added his own ideas, especially in the backgrounds of his paintings. For example, in the Presentation of the Virgin painting in the Baroncelli Chapel, he created a very interesting staircase.

Other Notable Works

Some experts believe Taddeo Gaddi helped paint the Stefaneschi Polyptych in Rome. A polyptych is a painting with many panels.

His other artworks include:

• A Madonna painting in Bern.
• An Adoration of the Magi in Dijon.
• The Stories of Job in Pisa.
• The Madonna Enthroned with Child, Angels and Saints in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
• The Stigmatization of Saint Francis at the Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• The Madonna del Parto in Florence.
• A polyptych in Santa Felicita's sacristy in Florence.

A small painting called Nativity, created in 1325, is kept at the MNAC in Barcelona. It was once part of a larger artwork. Some people also thought Taddeo designed and rebuilt the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, but modern experts don't believe this is true.

Family Life

Taddeo Gaddi had two sons who also became painters. Their names were Agnolo Gaddi and Giovanni Gaddi.

Images for kids

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  Stories of the Virgin (north wall), around 1330, Baroncelli Chapel, Santa Croce, Florence

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  Visitation, around 1330, Baroncelli Chapel

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  Annunciation to the Shepherds, around 1330, Baroncelli Chapel

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  Adoration of the Magi, around 1330, Baroncelli Chapel

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  Arbor vitae, around 1330-40 or -60, Santa Croce Refectory

See also

In Spanish: Taddeo Gaddi para niños