A term used to describe the Greek or Byzantine mode of painting adopted in Italy by artists of the Proto-Renaissance era. It is characterized by the heavy use of gilding, brilliant colors, striations to denote the folds of fabric, and segments for the figures' anatomical details. Among the artists who adopted the Maniera Greca style are Berlinghiero and Bonaventura Berlinghieri, Coppo di Marcovaldo, Guido da Siena, and Cimabue, who is said to have brought it to its greatest refinement. Giotto is the first master to have rejected the Maniera Greca mode in favor of greater naturalism and convincing emotive content, thereby revolutionizing the art of painting.
Historical dictionary of Renaissance art. Lilian H. Zirpolo. 2008.