Paintings of Giotto Trivia Quiz

Answer: A crucifix

The crucifix, which is nineteen feet high, is part of a choir screen. It has the same shape as the famous San Damiano crucifix, which was supposed to have spoken to St. Francis of Assisi. The figure of the dead Christ bears a strong resemblance to the depiction in the Arena Chapel in Padua, as well as the Rimini Crucifix.

At the end of each arm of the cross are square panels depicting the Virgin and St. John, each of whom looks inward at the figure of Christ. There is evidence that the crucifix was attributed to Giotto even in his own time; the will of a Florentine nobleman, Ricuccio Pucci (drawn up in 1312) requests that funds be delegated for a lamp to burn perpetually before a crucifix "...by the illustrious painter, Giotto" in the chapel of Santa Maria Novella.

Answer: The Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi

Giotto's authorship of the Assisi frescoes was accepted as fact up until the late 18th century, when a Franciscan art historian named Guglielmo della Valle suggested that Giotto might not have painted all of the frescoes. Della Valle noted that there were numerous stylistic discrepancies among the frescoes, and theorized that more than one artist had worked on them. Since then, a debate has ensued as to whether Giotto was solely responsible for the frescoes, whether he was one of several artists who had a hand in their painting, or whether he had painted at Assisi at all (the friary records of the time, which could have settled the matter, were lost or stolen during the Napoleonic invasion of 1809). Some have noted certain discrepancies from Giotto's typical style; others have argued that Giotto, like any artist, was human, and that these discrepancies are merely indications of his evolving style and sensibilities.

There are several details in the Assisi frescoes that seem consonant with Giotto's unique style. An architect as well as a painter, Giotto's skill at rendering architectural detail can be noted in such panels as "The Expulsion of the Demons From Arezzo". His skill at expressing human emotion through facial expression can also be noted in the faces of the mourners surrounding the dead knight of Celano, and those surrounding the dead St. Francis himself in the scene of his death and the "Lament of the Poor Clares". The figure of a young man climbing a tree in the latter fresco also bears a resemblance to two similar figures in the "Entry of Christ into Jerusalem" in the Arena Chapel. However there are also certain stylistic incongruities, such as the excess of extraneous details in such scenes as "The Celebration of Christmas at Greccio" and "The Death of the Knight of Celano" which detract from the central figures. In the latter half of the last century, restorer Leonetto Tintori and art historian Millard Meiss conducted an analysis of the Assisi frescoes and determined that they had been painted over a period of well over a year, and that it seemed likely that at least three artists had worked on them. Assuming that Giotto was one of the three, this theory would explain both the similarities and discrepancies which can be seen in the Assisi frescoes. Portions of the frescoes were damaged in a devastating earthquake in 1997 (which also claimed several lives), but a restoration is underway.

Answer: Joachim and Anne

The life of Mary properly begins with the story of her conception and birth. Nothing is actually known about Mary's parents, or the circumstances of her childhood, but according to tradition, she was born to an elderly couple named Joachim and Anne. These two had long been childless, which had made them an object of reproach (the first painting in this series depicts the rejection of Joachim's sacrifice at the Temple). Each of them received separate angelic visitations in which they were informed of the imminent birth of a child, for whom great things were prophesied. Among the notable images in this series are the strikingly barren rock in "Joachim's Dream" from which, symbolically, a few sparse bits of vegetation have sprung and a tree has begun to flourish; the eavesdropping servant girl in the scene of the annunciation to St. Anne, and the tender kiss between the reunited (and newly expectant) couple in "The Meeting at the Golden Gate", in which their two faces seem to merge as one.

Answer: The angels hovering overhead.

The clusters of angels, which can be seen hovering joyfully above the stable of the Nativity, and flanking the figure of Christ in the Ascension, are among the most moving images in the two central panels depicting the Passion. Swarming around the cross, and later hovering over Christ's lifeless form, they wring their hands, tear at their hair and their clothes (note the angel bearing its breast in the Crucifixion, echoing the action of Caiaphas in a previous panel), twist themselves in paroxysms of grief, and utter cries that are nearly audible in their anguish. Giotto's angels stand in sharp contrast to the usual detached, objectified celestial creatures depicted by most artists of his time.

Further evidence of Giotto's skill at capturing emotion in both form and facial expression can be seen in the various expressions on the face of Mary in the panels depicting the life of Christ. The expression of maternal tenderness as she places the newborn child in the manger, the mute anguish conveyed by her tightly closed eyes and mouth, furrowed brow, and shrouded form at the foot of the cross, and the ineffable sorrow as she gazes into the face of the dead Christ in the Deposition (in which their pose touchingly reflects that of the Nativity) are images not easily forgotten. Indeed, Giotto seems to have had an innate sympathy for the emotions of women; in addition to Mary, there are the desperate mothers in the "Massacre of the Innocents", whose cries visually echo each other in a crescendo of grief that, like that of the angels in the Passion, can almost be heard. And note the mingled horror and anguish with which the Magdalen regards the pierced feet of Christ in the Crucifixion; the same feet which (according to tradition) she had bathed with her tears.

Answer: The Vices and Virtues

The figures depicting the virtues and their contrasting vices (which include some male and some female figures on each side) are among the most fascinating in the Arena chapel. The central figures on each side are the seated allegorical figures of Justice and Injustice. Justice (a woman) sits on a three-sided throne (similar to that featured in the "Ognissanti Madonna") and weighs in each hand a small figure depicting good and evil. At her feet, a scene of idyllic happiness unfolds. Injustice is depicted as an armed male figure, bearing a sword and a halberd, whose face is turned to the left, away from the viewer. He is oblivious to the scenes of human cruelty at his feet, which are further obscured by a symbolic thicket of overgrown trees. His throne is hewn crudely out of rock, which on either side reveals wide cracks.

Each of the figures faces its opposite on the wall directly across. Winged Hope (whose pose echoes that of the ascending Christ in the panel diagonally opposite) contrasts with suicidal Despair. Faith holds aloft a cross and a scroll containing the Divine Word, while Idolatry, whose ears and vision are constrained by an absurd helmet, holds a tiny figurine, which is attached to his neck by a halter. Temperance holds a sheathed sword, contrasting with wild Rage, who tears open her clothes. Fortitude stands protected by a huge shield, while Inconstancy whirls on a perpetually turning wheel. The diligent figure of Prudence is ensconced behind a massive marble desk, while Folly, a bloated male figure absurdly dressed in what appears to be an imitation of bird's feathers, steps onto nothingness. Charity is crowned with plenty, and carries an overflowing basket, while Envy tightly grasps a purse and grasps ahead blindly with a claw like hand. The figure of Envy is the most striking of the lot; she (or he, it's not quite clear) is depicted being consumed by flames that spring under her feet (the red-tinged flames are the only spot of color among these panels); her tongue is a serpent, which turns toward her own face, and her ears are those of an ass.

Answer: The Last Judgment

The Arena chapel could be considered the equivalent for Giotto of what the Sistine Chapel was for Michelangelo. In each case, the central fresco is a depiction of the Last Judgment, though in Giotto's case the fresco is on the rear wall of the chapel, making it the last thing to be seen as one leaves the chapel, whereas the Sistine fresco is on the altar wall. At the top of the fresco, two angels literally peel back the heavens to reveal glimpses of the jeweled gates of Paradise. The angels and archangels are arranged in serried ranks on either side of the figure of Christ, who is flanked by the apostles. At his right foot stand the elect (there is great damage to this section of the fresco), while a group of suppliants is moved along by angels beneath them (still further down, the dead are seen rising from their graves). From beneath Christ's right foot shoots a column of flame, which widens to enclose the pit of Hell. At its center sits a monstrous, corpulent demon, whose grotesqueness recalls Michelangelo's later depiction of King Minos. Prominent among the figures of the damned is the hanging figure of Judas (echoing the similar figure of Despair among the Vices beneath). Directly beneath the figure of Christ, the cross is held aloft by angels; at its feet, the kneeling figure of Enrico degli Scrovegni, who had financed the decoration of the chapel, presents a miniature of the chapel to St. Gabriel. (Ironically, Dante would later place Enrico's father Reginaldo in the seventh circle of Hell for usury). Gabriel is flanked by two embodiments of the Virgin; the Virgin of the Annunciation (to whom the chapel is dedicated), and the Virgin of Charity.

Among the group of suppliants at the lower left of the fresco is a possible self-portrait of Giotto himself. Many believe that the white-capped figure in rose-colored robes, fourth from the left in the front row, to be a portrait of Giotto himself. According to his contemporaries, Giotto was exceptionally unattractive (if so, his self-portrait is a rather flattering one). A story exists that Dante paid a visit to Giotto in Padua while he was at work in the Arena Chapel. The artist's children were playing nearby as he worked, and Dante was heard to ask how a man capable of creating such beautiful paintings could have produced such homely children. Giotto was, apparently, not fazed by the insult, and simply replied that it was probably because he painted in the daylight, but created children by night.

Answer: Enthroned

The "Ognissanti Madonna" depicts the Virgin and Child enthroned amid numerous saints and angels (the name "Ognissanti" means "All Saints", and the painting was created for the Florentine church of that name). The throne has two walls on either side, which contain openings through which the faces of saints can be seen.

The enclosing throne calls to mind the medieval imagery of the Virgin enclosed within the walls of a garden. However, Giotto's Madonna is far from the typical medieval representation; here, the throne seems barely able to contain the massive figure of the Virgin, who dwarfs the numerous surrounding figures.

In keeping with what was then the traditional representation, she is modestly dressed, but Giotto departs from tradition by depicting her with the full bosom of a nursing mother swelling beneath her white robe.

She does not gaze at her child, nor hold him close, but holds him forward on her lap, as if presenting him to the world. The mastery with which Giotto handles volume, form, and space in this painting created an image of imperturbable strength and power.

Answer: The Badia Altarpiece

The Badia Altarpiece had been lost since the Napoleonic invasion of 1810, and had been reinstalled in Santa Croce. In 1940, while workman were hiding the art treasures of the church of Santa Croce, the sharp-eyed superintendant noticed that a sticker on the back of one altarpiece stated that it had been removed from the "__dia di Firenze".

He deduced that the incomplete word was Badia, and that it was none other than the celebrated Badia altarpiece of Giotto, mentioned by Ghiberti and Vasari. A subsequent restoration some eighteen years later removed layers of paint that had been applied in the centuries after Giotto, and revealed the altarpiece to be in nearly perfect condition.

The Badia Altarpiece had been created for the church of that name, built by Arnolfo di Cambio.

It consists of five panels; the center depicting the Madonna and Child, the two left panels depict St. Nicholas and St. John, the two on the right depict St. Peter and St. Benedict. The figures are painted against a gold background. Giotto's frescoes in the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels were also uncovered in the later 20th century; these depict episodes from the lives of St. Francis of Assisi, St. John the Baptist, and St. John the Evangelist. Sadly, these are in considerably worse condition than the Badia Altarpiece.

Answer: They depicted both Biblical and secular figures.

Giotto painted a series of frescoes at Castelnuovo, the residence of the King of Naples, entitled "Uomini Famosi" ("Famous Men"). The frescoes were said to depict not only biblical figures, such as Samson and King Solomon, but famous pagan rulers such as Caesar and Alexander the Great, as well as figures from the Trojan War, such as Hector, Paris, Aeneas, and Achilles.

Despite the work's title, it is also believed to have included portraits of Cleopatra, Dido, Helen of Troy, and the Queen of Sheba. For the palazzo in Milan, he is believed to have painted a similar series of frescoes, including biblical figures along with rulers and military leaders from antiquity and pagan mythology, under the title "Vanagloria" ("Vainglory").

It is extremely unfortunate that these works have not survived; not only would they have been fascinating works in their own right, but they would have represented an anomaly among Giotto's oeuvre, and that of his contemporaries.

In an era when Western art was almost completely dominated by the Church, a series of paintings depicting non-biblical subjects from pagan antiquity was both an extraordinary achievement and a watershed moment in the history of art.

Answer: The Virgin looks at the child, instead of the viewer.

In contrast to the "Ognissanti Madonna", Giotto here simply depicts mother and son, unencumbered by surrounding figures, or even a throne. The figure of the Christ child is much smaller than the sturdy infant depicted in the earlier painting, yet Giotto depicts him (as was the tradition of the time) as a perfectly formed man-child.

In contrast to his mature appearance, he playfully grasps his mother's finger, in the familiar manner of infants. The Virgin holds the child close to her, but her gaze is directed at the viewer; she does not appear to notice that his hand is closing around the stem of the rose which she holds in her hand.

The rose has a dual symbolism: its white blossom represents Mary's purity, while its sharp thorns look forward to Christ's Passion.

In some respects, this painting recalls Byzantine images of the Madonna and Child, such as the famous 13th century painting popularly known as "Our Lady of Perpetual Help". In that painting, the Christ child holds his mother's hand, but his gaze is directed above at the instruments of the Passion, held aloft by an angel.

However Giotto's painting, with its economy and subtlety of imagery, and its unique emotional language, is unmistakeably in his own style. This last "Madonna" serves as both a fitting postlude to his career and as a prelude to the full flowering of the Renaissance.