Cimabue (Italian: [tʃimaˈbuːe]; c. 1240 – 1302), also known as Cenni di Pepi, was a Florentine painter and creator of mosaics.Cimabue is generally regarded as one of the first great Italian painters to break from the Italo-Byzantine style, although he still relied on Byzantine models. The art of this period comprised scenes and forms that appeared relatively flat and highly stylized.