File:Giotto (1905) (14796292973).jpg

Identifier: giotto00dese (find matches)
Title: Giotto
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors: De Selincourt, Basil, 1876-
Subjects: Giotto, 1266?-1337
Publisher: London : Duckworth and Co. New York, C. Scribner's Sons
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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ture the execution already over;and though he entirely refuses to dwell on the horrorsof the event, the headless trunk itself naturally offereda most implacable material, which the strange, unearthlybeauty of the haloed head, as it lies upon the ground,has only just redeemed from monstrosity. The clumsi-ness of the white horse in the foreground is likewise amisfortune. For the rest, the picture displays Giottosvarious powers in a peculiar degree. It has all thenaturalism and versatility of The Crucifixion of S. Peter,and an even greater tenderness. This is most remark-able in the figures of two women, who bend over theprostrate body,* and in the pensive face of a man whostands, on their right, near by. The lightning descent oftwo angels, whose swift flight marks the intensity oftheir grief, contrasts well with the easy motion of thosewho, in the cusp of the arch, waft the victorious apostlethrough the sky. * A miracle in foreshortening, considering the date at which theywere produced.
Text Appearing After Image:
Photo, Andersonl (_The Ciborium THE DECAPITATION OF S. PAUL To face p. 90 ^•,- ■^ GIOTTOS WORK IN ROME 91 The free use of vermilion, both in this and in thecrucifixion scene, deserves attention ; refusing to give arealistic picture of either event, Giotto probably em-ploys this colour with conscious intention to suggest theviolence and agony on which he does not wish to dwell. It will be noted that the framework of each subjectconsists of strips of mosaic pattern, alternating withminiature figures of standing apostles and saints. Theseare represented, by a slight exaggeration of naturalisticbias, as intently and sympathetically watching the sceneto which their real relation is that of ornamental acces-sories. In the apex of each pinnacle a medallion givesopportunity for the suggestion of Old Testament paral-lelism, so dear to the mediaeval mind. But the figuresof The Eternal^ over Christ Enthroned, of Abraham sacri-ficing Isaac over the Crucified Peter, and of Moses withthe Tablet

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