The Wounds of Christ

As a part of his Saints-life St. Francis was said to have received the Stigmata, or the wounds of Christ. The wounds of Christ included the piercings in the wrists (or hands) and ankle, as well as a wound in the side of the abdomen from where Jesus was stabbed. It was said that these wounds were a gift from God to show that Francis had lived his life in a way that imitated Christ.

It is important to note that while St. Francis was referred to as another Christ, he was not thought of as equal to or instead of Christ. The idea that Christ had been perfect from birth and that St. Francis had merely been perfect from conversion shows a necessary distinction between a nearly perfect man and a perfect divine man. The gift from God is captured in this painting by the artist Giotto.

 

One thing to consider about this painting is the halo around St. Francis' head, denoting his piety. Another is the glory of the seraphim which humbles St. Francis and brings him to his knees, but St. Francis does not fall down and worship which keeps with Christian tradition. In the Bible, when Angels appeared to humans they would fall down and worship and the Angel would tell the humans not to worship them. St. Francis is merely kneeling in submission (and probably pain), rather then worship. I believe this speaks to St. Francis character even after being recognized for exemplary character.  

The Tower of Italy

Giotto is best known for his work with paintings; however what some people do not know is that Giotto was also a successful architect as well. One of his architecture designs is not only a perfect example of 14^th century Gothic style architecture, but is also one of the main monuments at the Piazza del Duomo in Florence Italy. This Gothic design is named simply Giotto’s Bell Tower. This Bell Tower was built for more looks than actual purpose in general. It was designed and created beside the Florence Cathedral, and incorporates the same type of marble that the Cathedral itself uses.

The construction of the Giotto Bell Tower started in the 14^th century (1334) and finished production in 1359. An interesting to note is that Giotto died before the Bell Tower was finished. In fact the Bell Tower was only around the quarter of the way built before Giotto passed away. Giotto was succeeded by a man named Andrea Pisano who continued working on the Bell Tower using Giotto’s original designs, but also added his own personal artistic design as well. The Bell Tower was eventually finished being constructed in 1359 by Francesco Talenti who like Pisano incorporated his own design into Giotto’s original architectural design of the tower. Over all Giotto was the original architect of the Bell Tower, and his designs were the basis of which was used to create the Gothic masterpiece that is standing today.

Sources:

http://www.museumflorence.com/monuments/4-bell-tower

http://www.duomofirenze.it/storia/campanile_eng.htm

Let her go in a fresco

Giotto (1266-1337) was an early renaissance artist who flourished in the artistic style of fresco painting. This style of painting had the artist put their work directly onto the moist plaster by using pigments ground in water so that the paint would be apart of the wall itself.(Zophy 88) This was a very difficult technique that Giotto mastered. Using this technique, he helped revolutionize the artistic era of the early renaissance. Giotto’s platform which he painted on helped him get recognized, but his artistic ability is what helped him stand out from the rest of the artists of the time. Giotto wanted to make sure he grabbed the viewers attention and make them feel what the figures in the painting felt. This was done by giving nearly every one of the subjects an emotion that helped show the severity of the event. An example of this can be seen in Giotto’s fresco painting Death of the Virgin. In this fresco painting the virgin Mary is lying in her death bed while she is accompanied by her friends, family, and angles.

This painting embodies Giotto’s style to a tee with couple of interesting nuances seen within it. Giotto’s personal touch on his paintings is to show emotion with all figures. The grief seen on the faces of those witnessing the death of Mary is very noticeable. From the family to the angels, all show sorrow. One thing that is peculiar about this painting is that there is a significant number of angels present. At this point in time, woman were looked down upon, since Eve led Adam astray and caused the fall of man. Therefore, all woman were viewed as evil. With this in mind, this painting contained more angels than any other painting of its time which shows that Giotto realizes the significance of the event he is portraying. This can be related back to class discussions because Mary is experiencing the final sacrament of a catholic, the anointing of the sick. 

The Crucifixion

Giotto, early Renaissance master, combined naturalism and emotion to connect the viewer to the scene.  Found in the Arena Chapel of Padua, Giotto’s Crucifixion embodies these principles.  In this fresco, Jesus is positioned in the center, hung on a cross above a skull, which signifies that this is Golgotha.  On his left, soldiers are fighting over who gets to keep Christ’s clothes, while on his right, followers of Christ weep.  In this fresco, Giotto breaks away from the medieval style of painting, where subjects are stiff and stylized, with little dimension.  Instead, the figures in this piece stand in a variety of posed and have been painted with much more dimension.  Christ’s body is gaunt, with bones showing, and his hair is damp with sweat. Those gathered around do not stand side by side, but rather in groups, with glimpses of more people behind them, giving a sense of perspective.  The naturalistic method used by Giotto creates a much more life-like image; the viewer could feel like they were watching the crucifixion.

The emotion that Giotto renders in the scene also connects the viewer to the image.  St. Peter looks disappointedly at the bickering Roman soldiers.  All of Christ’s followers and the angels wear expressions of sorrow.  Jesus’s mother swoons in grief as she turns her head away from her son’s lifeless body.  Mary Magdalene expresses her grief passionately as she falls to her knees and weeps over Jesus’s bloody feet.  Giotto was inspired by the mendicant orders cropping up in his time.  The mendicant orders, especially the Franciscans, preached an emotional, energetic sort of spirituality; one should feel the pain of Christ’s suffering and the joy of knowing God.  Giotto’s aim in this fresco is to make the viewers feel the same as those in the painting.  The naturalistic view lets the viewer to feel as though they are in the painting, and the emotions evoke the grief and sorrow the followers would have felt, allowing the viewer to understand and feel the suffering of Christ's Crucifixion.  

Source:

http://www.andrewgrahamdixon.com/archive/readArticle/264

The Evolution of Art as shown in the Ognissanti Madonna

The Ognissanti Madonna or Madonna in Maesta  was a work of art painted by Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337) for the Church of Ognissanti in Florence, Italy. This altarpiece which was 128 inches high and 80 inches wide would have sat behind the altar of the church where all parishioners would have easily seen it during mass and any visitor to the church would have had a easy view of this masterpiece upon entering the church. This painting indicates the Virgin Mary sitting on a throne while holding Jesus as a baby, all while angels kneel before them and people observe from the sides.

Painted in 1310 the Ognissanti Madonna not feature all of the three dimensionality of many of Giotto di Bondone's later works, with several of the onlookers appearing to be quite flat as they look upon the throne. However the painting does break with previous styles as all the characters in the painting are not looking directly forward and even Jesus and the Virgin Mary who are facing forward are seated at angles. Another partial break from earlier artistic styles is the possible representation of movement in the painting with the way baby Jesus has his hand lifted as if to indicate something or grab at his mother which is in contrast to all the other figures in the painting who do not appear to be in the middle of movement. The coloring chosen in the Ognissanti Madonna is interesting to note as well with a heavy emphasis on the reds and yellows which are used in such a way as to not appear harsh. In contrast to the rest of the painting the Virgin Mary is garbed in blue as she usually was when represented in images. The color blue at the time represented royalty and power and was the traditional color to paint the Virgin Mary. This aesthetic choice very much links the Ognissanti Madonna to earlier styles of painting and traditional thought on the subject matter. 

The Ognissanti Madonna has some very clear breaks from previous styles of painting from the angles that all of the characters are represented as being in to the suggestion of movement by Jesus. While at the same time the image has traditional elements showing like the color of the clothing of the Virgin Mary and some flatness in the background of the painting. This suggests that changes in art at the time were not an instantaneous but instead an evolving process that took time to develop.  
         



Sources
"Giotto" Virtual Uffuzi Gallery. 2016. https://www.virtualuffizi.com/giotto.html

"Ognissanti Madonna." Virtual Uffuzi Gallery. 2016. https://www.virtualuffizi.com/ognissanti-madonna.html

"Ognissanti Madonna (Madonna in Maesta) c. 1310" Giotto di Bondone The Complete Works. 2016. http://www.giottodibondone.org/Ognissanti-Madonna-(Madonna-in-Maesta)-c.-1310.html

 

Adorazione dei Magi

The "Adoration of the Magi",  or "Adoration dei Magi" in Italian, is a term traditionally applied to the painting of the Nativity of Jesus with the three "Magi" or wisemen adoring and bestowing the child with gifts. The master naturalist painter, Giotto painted many examples of this subject. The fresco spotlighted in this post was started around 1304 and was completed around 1306. It is a portion of the cycle of frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel, which is considered one of Giotto's most renowned works.

The scene features Mary, dressed in a red robe edged with gold and a cloak of blue that is almost completely worn away, offering the child Jesus to be adored by the Magi. The draping of cloth, the emotion on the faces of the figures, and the three-dimensionality of the painting showcase Giotto's naturalistic techniques. The Magi can be distinguished by their red shoes, a symbol of royalty and the halos around their heads. The different positions of the Magi showcase the naturalistic style of the painting. One is kneeling and another displays an expression of wonderment at Christ. This is a far cry from the strict and regulated style of Byzantium. The two camels behind the Magi are depicted with extreme detail and care. Behind Mary, Joseph and two angels stand; one of whom is located at the beam of the hut with the beam covering her face, highlighting the naturalism of this painting. A silent dialogue takes place between the faces of those present and they all look very natural and life-like. One of the most interesting components of this fresco is the form of the Star of Bethlehem. It is drawn as a comet shooting through the sky and some theorize that Giotto was inspired to paint this way because of the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1301. 

Sources:

http://www.wikiart.org/en/giotto/adoration-of-the-magi-1306

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adorazione_dei_Magi_(Giotto)

Photo:

http://www.wikiart.org/en/giotto/adoration-of-the-magi-1306

Getting Naked with St. Francis

How can we place Giotto in his historical context? One of the new artists to promote linear perspective, emotion, architectural design (see the building above) through partition and lunettes (that half-circle frame above) in his large fresco paintings, he also was a product of his time.  That is, part of looking at artifacts, is also taking a moment to see the interconnections with what is happening in society.  At the Bardi chapel in Florence, a chapel within the larger Basilica of Santa Croce, we have the intersection of wealth and poverty, religion and secular society, and the inspiration of the past.  Commissioned by the Bardi family,  Giotto (and likely his team) painted scenes from the life of St. Francis of Assisi  from 1325-1328. This chapel served as a reminder of the past, a status symbol for the Bardi, and an intimate connection to an inspirational saint. In a single fresco, we must consider the artist, the subject, and the family who commissioned it and to understand how it represents the 1300s.  In this scene, St. Francis signals that his obedience rests with God and the church, while stripping off his familial clothes that represented wealth and society. Being "naked like a naked Christ" was a  popular theological phrase to indicate affinity between two religious beings, God and oneself. So even though St. Francis is literally stripping down, its meaning is more religious than the impact of seeing Francis' armpits, ankles, and slight musculature. Still it is dramatic--which is the intent of art, right?

Why is this image of such high priority? For one, it represents the lessons of religion, charity, and openness to removing oneself from secular power. Secondly, it allows viewers to partake of that moment, and witness a renunciation of power, inviting others to do so as well. But 1300s Italy, and particularly Italian city-states were quite wealthy--as were the 1200s, so that even Francis' dad was a wealthy cloth-merchant. A special few walked away from power, while many remained within secular society. Such images are useful reminders of another life choice that is possible, and yet, if one does not choose that path, one can also look at it and remind oneself of how others have sacrificed. The Bardi family made their money as bankers. Their banking business stretched from Naples to England. To commission an entire chapel dedicated to Francis of Assisi is their way to contribute to, and link to, the religious world; literally we are voyageurs into this dispute between the secular and religious world and the architectural framing reminds us that we are viewing this moment (kind of like a TV set). Yet, we can also walk away from the Bardi chapel and return to our homes. Looking at St. Francis, with his gold halo, we are reminded of what it means to be truly holy (and perhaps thankful it was him, not us?). Perhaps the intersection of religion and society is much closer than we tend to allow?