In the later half of the 13th century，a new trend of fine arts appeared in the central part of Italy with Florence as its centre，representing the change from fine arts of Middle Ages to Renaissance art.

　　At that time，Florence school became the main stream of fine arts.The 14th century saw the birth of a great artist-Giotto.His art bore a striking tendency of Realism.For most people Giotto is the first name in European painting since antiquity (古代)．That he had breathed fresh life into painting was recognised by people of the day，and later by Ghiberti and Vasari.

　　Before Giotto，painting was still considered a "mechanical" art.Giotto came to occupy a position of great respect in Florence.Though he was employed by the Bardi and Peruzzi families，owners of the most important European banking houses of the day，he never limited his activity to Florence，and prestigious (声望很高的) commission in other parts of Italy kept him on the move frequently.At a time when Italy's flourishing economy made every Italian city an independent cultural and artistic centre，Giotto went beyond regional barriers and the effect of his art was felt throughout the peninsula (半岛)．

　　In his lifetime Giotto has raised painting to a prestigious level among the arts，to such a high level that it influenced sculpture.Italian painting can be said to have changed greatly with the appearance of Giotto than ever before.The motivation Giotto gave to the arts was so great that it determined the fate of European painting.By the middle of the fourteenth century Europe had already become aware of Giotto's new ideas，which agreed with the growing secular tendency in European society.

　　【语篇解读】　乔托--意大利杰出的画家，被认定是意大利文艺复兴时期的开创者，被誉为"欧洲绘画之父"。

　　1．Before the later half of the 13th century ．

　　A．fine arts of Middle Ages was the main stream

　　B．Renaissance art was the main stream

　　C．Florence school began to disappear

D．Giotto became a great artist