Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects/Giotto

by Giorgio Vasari

 

GIOTTO, PAINTER, SCULPTOR, AND ARCHITECT, OF FLORENCE.

[1276—1336.]

The gratitude which the masters in painting owe to Nature—who is ever the truest model of him who, possessing the power to select the brightest parts from her best and loveliest features, employs himself unweariedly in the reproduction of these beauties—this gratitude, I say, is due, in my judgment, to the Florentine painter, Giotto, seeing that he alone—although born amidst incapable artists, and at a time when all good methods in art had long been entombed beneath the ruins of war—yet, by the favour of Heaven, he, I say, alone succeeded in resuscitating art, and restoring her to a path that may be called the true one. And it was in truth a great marvel, that from so rude and inapt an age, Giotto should have had strength to elicit so much, that the art of design, of which the men of those days had little, if any, knowledge, was, by his means, effectually recalled into life.^[1] The birth of this great man took place in the hamlet of Vespignano, fourteen miles from the city of Florence, in the year 1276. His father’s name was Bondone, a simple husbandman, who reared the child, to whom he had given the name of Giotto, with such decency as his condition permitted. The boy was early remarked for extreme vivacity in all his childish proceedings, and for extraordinary promptitude of intelligence ; so that he became endeared, not only to his father, but to all who knew him in the village and around it. When he was about ten years old, Bondone gave him a few sheep to watch, and with these he wandered about the vicinity—now here and now there. But, induced by Nature herself to the arts of design, he was perpetually drawing on the stones, the earth, or the sand, some natural object that came before him, or some fantasy that presented itself to his thoughts. It chanced one day that the affairs of Cimabue took him from Florence to Vespignano, when he perceived the young Giotto, who, while his sheep fed around him, was occupied in drawing one of them from the life, with a stone slightly pointed, upon a smooth clean piece of rock,—and that without any teaching whatever, but such as Nature herself had imparted. Halting in astonishment, Cimabue inquired of the boy if he would accompany him to his home, and the child replied, he would go willingly, if his father were content to permit it. Cimabue therefore requesting the consent of Bondone, the latter granted it readily, and suffered the artist to conduct his son to Florence, where, in a short time, instructed by Cimabue and aided by Nature, the boy not only equalled his master in his own manner, but became so good an imitator of Nature, that he totally banished the rude Greek manner,—restoring art to the better path adhered to in modern times, and introducing the custom of accurately drawing living persons from nature, which had not been used for more than two hundred years. Or, if some had attempted it, as said above, it was not by any means with the success of Giotto. Among the portraits by this artist, and which still remain, is one of his contemporary and intimate friend, Dante Alighieri, who was no less famous as a poet than Giotto as a painter, and whom Messer Giovanni Boccaccio has lauded so highly in the introduction to his story of Messer Forese da Rabatta, and of Giotto the painter himself. This portrait is in the chapel of the palace of the Podesta in Florence;^[2] and in the same chapel are the portraits of Ser Brunetto Latini, master of Dante, and of Messer Corso Donati, an illustrious citizen of that day.

The first pictures of Giotto were painted for the chapel of the High Altar, in the Abbey of Florence, where he executed many works considered extremely fine.^[3] Among these, an Annunciation is particularly admired; the expression of fear and astonishment in the countenance of the Virgin, when receiving the salutation of Gabriel, is vividly depicted; she appears to suffer the extremity of terror, and seems almost ready to take flight. The altar-piece of that chapel is also by Giotto; but this has been, and continues to be, preserved, rather from the respect felt for the work of so distinguished a man, than from any other motive.^[4] There are four chapels in Santa Croce also painted by Giotto: three between the Sacristy and the principal chapel, and one on the opposite side of the church. In the first of the three, which belongs to Messer Ridolfi de’ Bardi, and wherein are the bell-ropes, is the Life of St. Francis. In this picture are several figures of monks lamenting the death of the saint: the expression of weeping is very natural. In the second chapel, which belongs to the family of Peruzzi, are two passages from the life of St. John the Baptist, to whom the chapel is dedicated, wherein the dancing of Herodias,^[5] and the promptitude with which certain servants are performing the service of the table, are depicted with extreme vivacity. Two other paintings in the same chapel, also exceedingly fine, are events from the life of St. John the Evangelist,—that wherein he restores Drusiana to life, and his own ascension into Heaven. The third chapel belongs to the Giugni family: it is dedicated to the Apostles; and Giotto has painted in it various scenes from the martyrdom of many of them. In the fourth chapel, which is on the other side of the church to the north, belonging to the families of Tosinghi and Spinelli, and dedicated to the Assumption of our Lady, he has depicted the following passages from the life of the Virgin: her birth, her marriage, her annunciation, the adoration of the magi, and the presentation of Christ in the Temple. This last is a most beautiful thing; for not only is the warmest expression of love to the child to be perceived on the face of the old man Simeon, but the act of the infant, who, being afraid of him, stretches its arms timidly and turns towards its mother, is depicted in a manner inexpressibly touching and exquisite. The Apostles and Angels, with torches in their hands, who surround the death-bed of the Virgin, in a succeeding picture, are also admirably well done.^[6] In the same church, and in the chapel of the Baroncelli family, is a picture in distemper, by the hand of Giotto: it represents the coronation of the Virgin, with a great number of small figures, and a choir of saints and angels, very carefully finished. On this work, the name of the master and the date are written in letters of gold.^[7] Artists who reflect on the period at which Giotto, without any light to guide him towards better methods, could make so happy a commencement, whether as respects design or colouring, will be compelled to regard him with great respect and admiration. There are, moreover, in the same church of Santa Croce, and above the marble tomb of Carlo Marsuppini of Arezzo, a Crucifix, a figure of the Virgin, a St. John and the Magdalen at the foot of the Cross, all by the hand of Giotto; and on the other side of the church, exactly opposite to the latter, and above the burial-place of Leonardo Aretino, is an Annunciation, near the high altar, which has been restored with very little judgment, by the hand of some modern painter: a great discredit to those who had the custody of these works.^[8] In the refectory^[9] is a Tree of the Cross,^[10] with scenes from the life of St. Louis, and a Last Supper, by the same master. On the presses or wardrobes of the sacristy also, are passages from the life of Christ and that of St. Francis.^[11] Giotto likewise painted in the church of the Carmine, depicting the life ot St. John the Baptist, for the chapel of that Saint, in a series of pictures;^[12] and in the Guelphic Palace of Florence there is a painting of the Christian Faith, admirably executed in fresco, wherein he has placed the portrait of Clement IV, who founded the society, conferring on it his own arms, which it has borne ever since. After these works were finished, Giotto departed from Florence, and went to Assisi, to complete the paintings commenced by Cimabue. Passing through Arezzo, he painted one of the chapels of the capitular church, that of St. Francis, which is above the baptistery; and on a round column, which stands beside a very beautiful antique Corinthian capital, are portraits of St. Francis and St. Dominick, by his hand, both taken from nature.^[13] In the cathedral without Arezzo, he further executed the Martyrdom of St. Stephen, in one of the larger chapels; of which the composition is fine. Having finished these things, he proceeded to Assisi, a city of Umbria, being invited thither by Fra Giovanni of Muro in the March, who was then general of the fraternity of St. Francis. Here, in the upper church, and under the corridor which traverses the windows, he painted a series of thirty-two frescoes, representing passages from the life and acts of the saint; namely, sixteen on each side; a work which he executed so perfectly, as to acquire great fame from it. And, of a truth, there is singular variety in these frescoes; not only in the gestures and attitudes of each figure, but also in the composition of all the stories: the different costumes of those times are also represented; and, in all the accessories, nature is most faithfully adhered to. Among other figures, that of a thirsty man stooping to drink from a fountain, is worthy of perpetual praise: the eager desire with which he bends towards the water is pourtrayed with such marvellous effect, that one could almost believe him to be a living man actually drinking. There are many other parts of this work that well merit remark, but I refrain from alluding to them, lest I become too discursive. Let it suffice to say, that it added greatly to the fame of Giotto, for the beauty of the figures, the good order, just proportion, and life of the whole, while the facility of execution, which he had received from nature, and afterwards perfected by study, was made manifest in every part of the work. Giotto has indeed well merited to be called the disciple of nature rather than of other masters; having not only studiously cultivated his natural faculties, but being perpetually occupied in drawing fresh stores from nature, which was to him the never-failing source of inspiration.

When the stories above described were finished, Giotto continued to labour in the same place, but in the lower church, where he painted the upper part of the walls beside the high altar, together with the four angles of the vault, beneath which the remains of St. Francis repose. All of these display rich and original invention.^[14] In the first angle is St. Francis glorified in heaven, and surrounded by those virtues which are essential to him who desires fully to partake of the grace of God. On one side is Obedience, placing a yoke on the neck of a friar who kneels before her, the bands of the yoke being drawn towards heaven by hands above. The finger on the lip of Obedience imposes silence, while her eyes are fixed on Jesus, from whose side the blood is flowing: beside this Virtue, stand Prudence and Humility, to show that where there is true obedience, there are also humility and prudence, directing every action towards the right and good. In the second angle is Chastity, who, firm on a well-defended fortress, refuses to yield to any of the kingdoms, crowns, and glories, that are offered her on all sides. At the feet of Chastity is Purity, washing certain naked figures, while Force is conducting others towards her, to be also washed and purified. On one side of Chastity stands Penitence, driving away Love with the cord of discipline, and putting Incontinence to flight. The third compartment exhibits Poverty walking barefoot amidst thorns: a dog follows her, barking, and a boy throws stones at her, while a second gathers the thorns about her, and presses them into her legs with a stick. This Poverty is here seen to be espoused by St. Francis, while Christ himself is holding her hand; and Hope, not without significance, is present, together with Charity.^[15] In the fourth and last of these angles is a St. Francis, also glorified, as in the first compartment. He is dressed in the white tunic of the deacon,^[16] and is triumphant in Heaven, attended by a multitude of angels, who form a choir around him; they hold a standard, on which is a cross with seven stars; and over all is the Holy Spirit. In each of these angles are certain Latin words, explanatory of the events depicted. Besides the paintings in these four compartments, those on the walls are extremely fine, and well deserve our admiration, not only for their beauty, but also for the care with which they were executed, which was such that they have retained their freshness^[17] even to this day. The portrait of Giotto himself, very well done, may be seen in one of these pictures; and over the door of the sacristy is a fresco, also by him, representing St. Francis at the moment when he receives the stigmata^[18]; the expression of the saint being so full of love and devotion, that to me this seems to be the best picture that Giotto has produced in this work, which is nevertheless all truly beautiful and admirable.^[19]

When Giotto had at length completed this St. Francis, he returned to Florence, where, immediately after his arrival, he painted a picture to be sent to Pisa. This is also a St. Francis, standing on the frightful rocks of La Verna; and is finished with extraordinary care: it exhibits a landscape, with many trees and precipices, which was a new thing in those times. In the attitude and expression of St. Francis, who is on his knees receiving the stigmata, the most eager desire to obtain them is clearly manifest, as well as infinite love towards Jesus Christ, who from heaven above, where he is seen surrounded by the seraphim, grants these stigmata to his servant with looks of such lively affection, that it is not possible to conceive any thing more perfect. Beneath this picture are three others, also from the life of St. Francis, and very beautiful. The picture of the Stigmatae, just described, is still in the church of San Francesco^[20] in Pisa, close beside the high altar. It is held in great veneration for the sake of the master; and caused the Pisans to entrust him with the decoration of their Campo Santo. The edifice was scarcely completed,^[21] from the design of Giovanni Pisano, as we have said above, when Giotto was invited to paint a portion of the internal wails. This magnificent fabric, being encrusted externally with rich marbles and sculptures, executed at immense cost, the roof covered with lead, and the interior filled with antique monuments and sepulchral urns of Pagan times, brought to Pisa from all parts of the world, it was determined that the inner walls should be adorned with the noblest paintings. To that end Giotto repaired to Pisa, and on one of the walls of the Campo Santo he painted the history of Job, in six large frescoes; but, as he judiciously reflected, that the marble of that part of the building where he went to work, being turned towards the sea, and exposed to the southeast winds, was always humid, and gave out a certain saline moisture, as do nearly all the bricks of Pisa, which fades and corrodes the colours and pictures, so he caused a coating or intonaco to be made for every part whereon he proposed to paint in fresco, that his work might be preserved as long as possible, this intonaco was composed of lime, chalk, and powdered bricks, all so well mingled together, that the paintings which he afterwards executed on the surface thus prepared, remain in tolerable preservation to this day.^[22] Nay, they might have been in much better condition, if the neglect of those who ought to have taken care of them had not suffered them to sustain injury from the damp: but this not having been guarded against, as it might easily have been, has caused some of the paintings to be spoiled in certain places; the flesh tints having become blackened, and the plaster fallen off. It is, besides, the nature of chalk, when mingled with lime, to become corroded and peel off with time, when it inevitably ruins the colours ; although at first it seems to bind and secure them.^[23] In these stories, beside the portrait of Messer Farinata degli Uberti,^[24] there are many admirable figures, more particularly those of certain villagers, who bring the grievous news of his losses to Job : no faces could be more eloquently demonstrative of the grief they feel for the lost cattle and other calamities, than are these. There is likewise extraordinary grace in the figure of a servant, who, with a fan of branches in his hand, stands near the suffering Job, now abandoned by all else. Every part of his figure is beautiful ; but most of all to be admired is his attitude—as, driving the flies from his leprous and ill-odoured master with one hand, he guards himself from the pungent scents, from which he obviously shrinks, with the other. The remaining figures of these paintings, and the heads, those of the men as well as the women, are exceedingly beautiful ; the draperies also are painted with infinite grace ; nor is it at all surprising that this work acquired so much fame for its author as to induce Pope Benedict IX^[25] to send one of his courtiers from Treviso to Tuscany for the purpose of ascertaining what kind of man Giotto might be, and what were his works : that pontiff then proposing to have certain paintings executed in the church of St. Peter. The messenger, when on his way to visit Giotto, and to inquire what other good masters there were in Florence, spoke first with many artists in Siena,^[26] —then, having received designs from them, he proceeded to Florence, and repaired one morning to the workshop where Giotto was occupied with his labours. He declared the purpose of the pope, and the manner in which that pontiff desired to avail himself of his assistance, and finally, requested to have a drawing, that he might send it to his holiness. Giotto, who was very courteous, took a sheet of paper, and a pencil dipped in a red colour ; then, resting his elbow on his side, to form a sort of compass, with one turn of the hand he drew a circle, so perfect and exact that it was a marvel to behold. This done, he turned, smiling to the courtier, saying, “Here is your drawing”. “Am I to have nothing more than this?” inquired the latter, conceiving himself to be jested with. “That is enough and to spare,” returned Giotto : “Send it with the rest, and you will see if it will be recognized.” The messenger, unable to obtain any thing more, went away very ill-satisfied, and fearing that he had been fooled. Nevertheless, having despatched the other drawings to the pope, with the names of those who had done them, he sent that of Giotto also, relating the mode in which he had made his circle, without moving his arm and without compasses ; from which the pope, and such of the courtiers as were well versed in the subject, perceived how far Giotto surpassed all the other painters of his time. This incident becoming known, gave rise to the proverb, still used in relation to people of dull wits—“Tu sei piu tondo che l’O di Giotto”—the significance of which consists in the double meaning of the word “ tondo”, which is used in the Tuscan for slowness of intellect and heaviness of comprehension, as well as for an exact circle. The proverb has besides an interest from the circumstance which gave it birth.

Giotto was then invited by the above named pope to Rome, where his talents were at once appreciated by that pontiff, and himself treated very honourably. He was instantly appointed to paint a large picture in the sacristy of St. Peter’s, with five others in the church itself—these last being passages from the life of Christ ; all which he executed with so much care, that no better work in distemper ever proceeded from his hands:^[27] so that he well deserved the reward of 600 gold ducats, which the pope, considering himself well served, commanded to be paid him, beside conferring on him so many favours, that there was talk of them throughout all Italy.

At this time there lived in Rome—to omit nothing relative to art that may be worthy of commemoration—a certain Oderigi of Agobbio, an excellent miniature painter of those times, with whom Giotto lived on terms of close friendship ; and who was therefore invited by the pope to illuminate many books for the library of the palace : but these books have in great part perished in the lapse of time. In my book of ancient drawings, I have some few remains from the hand of this artist, who was certainly a clever man, although much surpassed by Franco of Bologna, who executed many admirable works in the same manner, for the same pontiff (and which were also destined for the library of the palace), at the same time with those of Oderigi. From the hand of Franco also, I have designs, both in painting and illuminating, which may be seen in my book above cited : among others, are an eagle, perfectly well done, and a lion tearing up a tree, which is most beautiful.^[28] Of these two excellent miniaturists, Dante makes mention in the eleventh canto of the Purgatorio, in the following lines :—

Oh, dissi lui, non se’ tu Oderisi
 L’onor d’Agobbio e l’onor di quell’ arte
Che alluminare e chiamata in Parisi?
 Frate, diss’ egli, più ridon le carte,
Che pennellaggia Franco Bolognese:
 L’onor è tutto or suo, e mio in parte.^[29]

The pope having seen these works of Giotto, whose manner pleased him infinitely, commanded that he should paint subjects, from the Old and New Testaments, entirely around the walls of St. Peter’s ; and, for a commencement, the artist executed in fresco, the Angel, seven braccia high, which is now over the organ : this was followed by many other pictures, of which some have been restored in our own days, while more have been either destroyed in laying the foundations of the new walls, or have been taken from the old edifice of St. Peter’s, and set under the organ ; as is the case with a Madonna, which was cut out of the wall that it might not be totally destroyed, and, being supported by beams and bars of iron, was thus carried away and secured, for its beauty, in the place wherein the pious love which the Florentine doctor, Messer Nicolo Acciainoli, has ever borne to the excellent in art, desired to see it enshrined, and where he has richly adorned this work of Giotto with a framework composed of modern pictures and of ornaments in stucco.^[30] The picture in mosaic, known as the Navicella, and which stands above the three doors of the portico in the vestibule of St. Peter’s, is also from the hand of Giotto,—a truly wonderful work, and deservedly eulogized by all enlightened judges ; and this not only for the merit of the design, but also for that of the grouping of the apostles, who labour in various attitudes to guide their boat through the tempestuous sea, while the winds blow in a sail, which is swelling with so vivid a reality, that the spectator could almost believe himself to be looking at a real sail. Yet it must have been excessively difficult to produce the harmony and interchange of light and shadows which we admire in this work, with mere pieces of glass, and that in a sail of such magnitude,—a thing which, even with the pencil, could only be equalled by great effort. There is a fisherman, also, standing on a rock and fishing with a line, in whose attitude the extraordinary patience proper to that occupation is most obvious, while the hope of prey and his desire for it, are equally manifest in his countenance.^[31] Beneath this work are three small arches, painted in fresco ; but as they are almost entirely destroyed, I will say no more of them ; but the praises universally bestowed by artists on the mosaic above described, were, without doubt, fully merited.

Giotto afterwards painted a large picture of the Crucifixion, in distemper, for the church of Minerva, belonging to the Preaching Friars, which was very highly praised at the time : he then returned to his native Florence, whence he had been absent six years. No long time after this, Benedict IX (XI) being dead, Clement V was elected pope at Perugia, when Giotto was obliged to depart again with that pontiff, who removed his court to Avignon, where our artist produced many admirable works ; and not there only, but in many other parts of France, he painted many beautiful pictures and frescoes which infinitely delighted the pontiff and his whole court, insomuch that, when all were finished, Giotto was graciously dismissed with many presents, so that he returned home no less rich than honoured and renowned. Among other things, he brought back with him the portrait of the pontiff, which he afterwards presented to his disciple Taddeo Gaddi. The return of Giotto to Florence took place in the year 1316 ; but he was not long permitted to remain in that city, being invited to Padua by the Signori della Scala, for whom he painted a most magnificent chapel in the Santo,^[32] a church just then erected.^[33] From Padua he proceeded to Verona, where he painted certain pictures for Messer Cane,^[34] the father of Francesca di Rimini, in the palace of that noble, more particularly the portrait of Cane himself : he also executed a picture for the Fraternity of St. Francis. Having completed these works, Giotto departed for Tuscany, but was compelled to halt at Ferrara, where he painted certain works for the Signori d’Este, as well in their palace as in the church of Sant’ Agostino, where they are still to be seen. Meanwhile, as it had come to the ears of Dante that Giotto was in Ferrara, he so contrived that the latter was induced to visit Ravenna, where the poet was then in exile, and where Giotto painted some frescoes, which are moderately good, in the church of San Francesco, for the Signori da Polenta.^[35] He then proceeded from Ravenna to Urbino, where he also painted some pictures. After this, as he was passing through Arezzo, he could not refuse to comply with the wishes of Piero Saccone, who had ever treated him with great kindness, and therefore painted a fresco for him in the principal chapel of the Episcopal church. The subject is St. Martin dividing his mantle in half, and bestowing one of the portions on a beggar, who stands before him almost entirely naked.^[36] Having then executed a large Crucifixion, in distemper, on panel, for the abbey of Santa Fiore, which is still in the middle of that church,^[37] he returned at length to Florence, where, among many other works, he painted pictures, both in distemper and fresco, for the convent of the Nuns of Faenza, all of which have been lost in the destruction of that convent. In the year 1322, his most intimate friend, Dante, having died, to his great sorrow, the year preceding ; Giotto repaired to Lucca, and, at the request of Castruccio, then lord of that city, which was the place of his birth, he executed a picture, in the church of San Martino, representing Christ hovering in the air over the four saints, protectors of Lucca, namely, San Piero, San Regolo, San Martino, and San Paulino ; they appear to be recommending to him a pope and an emperor, who, as many believe, are Frederick of Bavaria and the antipope, Nicholas V. Many also maintain that at San Frediano, in this same city of Lucca, Giotto likewise designed the castle and fortress of Giusta,^[38] which is impregnable.

Some time after this, and when Giotto had returned to Florence, Robert, king of Naples, wrote to his eldest son Charles, king of Calabria, who was then in Florence, desiring that he would, by all means, send Giotto to him at Naples, he having just completed the convent and church of Santa Clara, which he desired to see adorned by him with noble paintings.^[39] Giotto, therefore, being thus invited by so great and renowned a monarch, departed with the utmost readiness to do him service, and being arrived, he painted various subjects, from the Old and New Testaments, in the different chapels of the building. It is said that the passages from the Apocalypse, which he has painted in one of these chapels,^[40] were inventions of Dante, as were probably those so highly eulogized of Assisi, respecting which we have already spoken at sufficient length. It is true that Dante was then dead, but it is very probable that these subjects may have been discussed between Giotto and him : a thing which so frequently happens among friends.

But to return to Naples. Giotto executed many works in the Castel dell’Uovo, particularly in the chapel,^[41] which greatly pleased the king, by whom Giotto was indeed so much beloved, that while at his work he was frequently held in conversation by that monarch, who took pleasure in watching the progress of his labours and in hearing his remarks. Now Giotto had always a jest ready, and was never at a loss for a witty reply, so that he amused the king with his hand while he painted, and also by the acuteness of his pleasant conversation. Thus, one day, the king telling him that he would make him the first man in Naples, Giotto replied that he already was the first man in Naples, “for to that end it is that I dwell at the Porta Reale”, where the first houses of the city stand. Another time, the king saying to him, “ Giotto, if I were in your place, now that it is so hot, I would give up painting for a time, and take my rest.” “And so I would do, certainly,” replied Giotto, “if I were in your place.” Giotto being thus so acceptable to King Robert, was employed by him to execute numerous paintings in a hall (which King Alfonso afterwards destroyed to make room for the castle), and also in the church of the Incoronata.^[42] Among those of the hall, were many portraits of celebrated men, Giotto himself being of the number. One day the king, desiring to amuse himself, requested Giotto to depict his kingdom, when the painter, as it is said, drew an ass, bearing a pack-saddle loaded with a crown and sceptre, while a similar saddle lay at his feet, also bearing the ensigns of sovereignty : these last were all new ; and the ass scented them with an expression of desire to change them for those he then bore. The king inquired what this picture might signify ; when Giotto replied, “Such is the kingdom, and such the subjects, who are every day desiring a new lord.” Leaving Naples to proceed to Rome, Giotto was detained at Gaeta, where he was persuaded to paint certain subjects from the New Testament for the church of the Annunciation. These works are now greatly injured by time, but not to such a degree as to prevent us from clearly distinguishing the portrait of Giotto himself, which will be found near a large and very beautiful crucifix. These works being completed, he passed some days in Rome, in the service of the Signor Malatesta, to whom he could not refuse this favour : he then repaired to Rimini, of which city the said Malatesta was lord, and painted numerous pictures in the church of San Francesco ; but these works were afterwards destroyed by Gismondo, son of Pandolfo Malatesta, who rebuilt the entire edifice. He also painted a fresco on the cloisters in front of the church. This was the history of the Beata Michelina,^[43] one of the best and most beautiful works that Giotto ever produced ; for to say nothing of the grace and life of the heads, which are nevertheless wonderful, or of the draperies, which are admirably done, there is the evidence of so much varied thought in the composition, and care in the execution, that it cannot be too highly praised. The principal figure is a young woman, lovely as it is possible to conceive that a woman can be, and who is in the act of freeing herself by oath from the calumnious charge of adultery. She takes the oath on a book, while she keeps her eyes fixed on her husband in an attitude of inexpressible grace, and with the expression of the most assured innocence ; he having compelled her to make oath, from doubts respecting a black infant to which she had given birth, and which he can by no means persuade himself to believe his own. The distrust and indignation of the husband are clearly evident from his countenance ; while that of the wife makes her innocence and purity equally obvious. None can regard that candid brow and those truthful eyes with attention, but must perceive the wrong her husband does her in compelling her to affirm her innocence, and in publicly accusing her of unchastity. There is also extreme vividness of expression in a group, comprising a man suffering from various wounds, while all the women around him, offended by the exhalations emitted from these wounds, turn away in disgust with various contortions, but all with the most graceful attitudes. The foreshortenings which are to be observed in another picture, wherein is a crowd of lame beggars, have also great merit, and must have been highly appreciated by the artists of those days, since it was from these works that the commencement and first methods of fore-shortening were derived ; besides which they cannot be considered badly done, considering them as the first. But, more than all other parts of these frescoes, the gestures which the above-named Michelina makes towards certain usurers, whW are paying her the price of her possessions, which she has given to the poor, are the most wonderful. The contempt she feels for riches and all other earthly wealth is most manifest—nay, she seems to hold them in disgust and abhorrence ; while the usurers present the very personification of human avarice and greed. The figure of one, who, while counting the money, is making signs to the notary, who is writing, is extremely fine ; for though he has his eyes on the notary, he yet holds his hands over his money, betraying his love of it, his avarice, and his mistrust, in every feature. Again, the three figures personating Obedience, Patience, and Poverty, which are hovering in the air, and upholding the vestments of St. Francis, are worthy of infinite praise, and more particularly because there is a grace in the flow of the draperies, which makes it obvious that Giotto was born to be the light of painting. He has, besides, given the portrait of Malatesta in this work : he is in a boat, and so truly natural that he might be thought to breathe. Other mariners also, and other figures, in the vivacity of their actions, the grace of their attitudes, and the life of their expression, make manifest the excellence of this master ; one most especially, who, speaking with others, holds his hand before his face while he spits into the sea, deserves to be remembered. And without doubt this may be called one of the best of the works of Giotto ; for though the number of figures is so great, there is not one which does not display great perfection of art, and which has not a character peculiar to itself. It is not wonderful therefore that the Signor Malatesta should praise the painter highly, and reward him magnificently.

Having finished his labours for this noble, Giotto executed a painting at the request of a Florentine Prior, who was then at San Cataldo of Rimini: the subject is St. Thomas Aquinas reading to his monks ; and the work is without the door of the church. He then departed, and returned to Ravenna, where he painted a chapel in fresco in the church of St. John the Evangelist, which was highly celebrated.^[44] After this, Giotto returned to Florence, rich in honours, and with sufficient worldly wealth. He there painted a crucifix in wood,^[45] larger than the natural size, in distemper, on a ground of gold, for the church of St. Mark, and which was placed in the south aisle of the church. He executed a similar work for the church of Santa Maria Novella, being aided in this last by Puccio Capanna, his scholar : it may still be seen over the principal door of the church, on the right as you enter, and over the tomb of the Gaddi family. In the same church he painted a St. Louis, for Paolo di Lotto d’Ardinghelli, at the feet of which is the portrait of the donor and his wife, taken from nature.^[46]

In the year 1327, Guido Tarlati da Pietramala, Bishop and Lord of Arezzo, died at Massa di Maremma, when returning from Lucca, whither he had gone to visit the emperor, and his body was carried to Arezzo, where it received the honour of a most solemn and magnificent funeral. It was then resolved by Piero Saccone, and Dolfo da Pietramala, brother of the bishop, that a sepulchral monument in marble, worthy of the greatness of a man who had been lord spiritual and temporal of the city, as well as chief of the Ghibelline party in Tuscany, should be raised to his memory. They wrote accordingly to Giotto, requesting him to prepare designs for a very splendid tomb, adorned with whatever might most worthily enrich it ; and sending him the required measurements. They prayed him, at the same time, to procure them a sculptor, the most excellent, according to his opinion, that could be found in Italy, they referring the whole affair entirely to his judgment. Giotto, who was very obliging, made the design, and sent it them, when the monument was erected accordingly, as will be related in its proper place.^[47] Now the talents of Giotto were very highly appreciated by Piero Saccone, and he, having taken the Borgo di San Sepolcro, no long time after he had received the abovenamed design, took a picture thence, which had been formerly painted by Giotto, and which he carried to Arezzo. The figures were small, and the work afterwards fell to pieces, but the fragments were diligently sought by Baccio Gondi, a Florentine gentleman, and lover of the fine arts, who was commissioner of Arezzo : having recovered some of them, he took them to Florence, where he holds them in high estimation, and preserves them carefully, together with other works of the same artist, who produced so many, that, were all enumerated, their amount would seem incredible. And not many years since, when I was myself at the hermitage of Camaldoli, where I executed many works for the reverend fathers, I saw a small Crucifix by Giotto, in one of the cells, which had been brought thither by the very Reverend Don Antonio, of Pisa, then general of the congregation of Camaldoli. This work, which is on a gold ground, and has the name of Giotto inscribed on it by himself, is very beautiful, and is still preserved, as I was told by the Reverend Don Silvano Razzi, a monk of Camaldoli, in the monastery Degli Angeli, at Florence, where it is kept in the cell of the prior, together with a most exquisite picture by Raphael, as a rare and valuable relic of the master.^[48]

A chapel and four pictures were painted by Giotto, for the fraternity of the Umiliati d’Ognissanti, in Florence ; among these works, is a figure of the Virgin, surrounded by angels, and holding the child in her arms, with a large crucifix on panel,^[49] the design of which last being taken by Puccio Capanna, he executed great numbers in the same manner (having intimate knowledge of Giotto’s method), which were afterwards scattered through all Italy. When this book of the Lives of the Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, was first published, there was a small picture in distemper, in the transept of the church belonging to the Umiliati, which had been painted by Giotto with infinite care. The subject was the death of the Virgin, with the Apostles around her, and with the figure of Christ, who receives her soul into his arms. This work has been greatly prized by artists, and was above all valued by Michael Angelo Buonarotti, who declared, as we have said before, that nothing in painting could be nearer to the life than this was, and it rose still higher in the general estimation after these Lives had appeared ; but has since been carried away from the church, perhaps from love of art and respect to the work, which may have seemed to the robber to be not sufficiently reverenced, who thus out of piety became impious, as our poet saith.^[50] It may with truth be called a miracle, that Giotto attained to so great an excellence of manner, more particularly when we consider that he acquired his art in a certain sense without any master.^[51]

After completing these works, and on the 9th of July 1334, Giotto commenced the campanile of Santa Maria del Fiore ; the foundations were laid on massive stone, sunk twenty braccia beneath the surface, on a site whence gravel and water had previously been excavated : then having made a good concrete to the height of twelve braccia, he caused the remainder, namely eight braccia, to be formed of masonry. The bishop of the city, with all the clergy and magistrates, were present at the foundation, of which the first stone was solemnly laid by the bishop himself. The edifice then proceeded on the plan before mentioned, and in the Gothic manner of those times ; all the historical representations which were to be the ornaments, being designed with infinite care and diligence by Giotto himself, who marked out on the model all the compartments where the friezes and sculptures were to be placed, in colours of white, black, and red. The lower circumference of the tower is of one hundred braccia, twenty-five that is on each of the four sides. The height is one hundred and forty-four braccia. And if that which Lorenzo di Cione Ghiberti has written be true, as I fully believe it is, Giotto not only made the model of the campanile, but even executed a part of the sculptures and reliefs,—those representations in marble, namely, which exhibit the origin of all the arts. Lorenzo also affirms that he saw models in relief from the hand of Giotto, and more particularly those used in these works : an assertion that we can easily believe ; for design and invention are the parents of all the arts, and not of one only. This campanile, according to the design of Giotto, was to have been crowned by a spire or pyramid, of the height of fifty braccia : but as this was in the old Gothic manner, the modern architects have always advised its omission : the building appearing to them better as it is. For all these works, Giotto was not only made a citizen of Florence, but also received a pension of a hundred golden florins yearly—a large sum in those times—from the commune of Florence. He was also appointed superintendent of the work, which he did not live to see finished ; but which was continued after his death by Taddeo Gaddi. While this undertaking was in progress, Giotto painted a picture for the nuns of San Giorgio,^[52] and in the abbey of Florence, within the church, and on an arch over the door, he executed three half-length figures, which were afterwards whitewashed over, to give more light to the church. In the great hall of the Podesta in Florence, Giotto painted a picture, the idea of which was afterwards frequently borrowed. In this he represented the Commune seated, in the character of a judge, with a sceptre in the hand, and equally poised scales over the head, to intimate the rectitude of her decisions. The figure is surrounded by four Virtues : these are Force with generosity, Prudence with the laws, Justice with arms, and Temperance with the word. This is a very beautiful picture, of appropriate and ingenious invention.^[53]

About this time, Giotto once more repaired to Padua, where he painted several pictures, and adorned many chapels ; but more particularly that of the Arena, where he executed various works, from which he derived both honour and profit.^[54] In Milan also he produced many paintings, which are scattered throughout that city, and are held in high estimation even to this day.^[55] Finally, and no long time after he had returned from Milan, having passed his life in the production of so many admirable works, and proved himself a good Christian as well as excellent painter, Giotto resigned his soul to God in the year 1336,^[56] not only to the great regret of his fellow citizens, but of all who had known him, or even heard his name. He was honourably entombed, as his high deserts had well merited that he should be, having been beloved by all in his life, but more especially by the eminent men of all professions. Of Dante we have already spoken as his intimate friend ; his character and talents were equally admired by Petrarch, insomuch that this last poet, as we read in his testament, bequeathed to Francesco da Carrara, Lord of Padua, among other things which he highly valued, a picture of the Virgin by Giotto, as a rare and acceptable gift, which is thus distinguished in that clause of the will which relates to it :—

“Transeo ad dispositionem aliarum rerurn ; et praedicto igitur domino meo Paduano, quia et ipse per Dei gratiam non eget, et ego nihil aliud habeo dignum se, mitto tabulam meam sive historiam Beatae Virginis Mariae, opus Joeti pictoris egregii, quae mihi ab amico meo Michaele Vannis de Florentia missa est, in cujus puchritudinem ignorantes non intelligunt, magistri autem artis stupent : hanc iconem ipsi domino lego, ut ipsa Virgo benedicta sibi sit propitia apud filium suum Jesum Christum”, etc.

Petrarch further remarks, in a Latin epistle to be found in the fifth book of his familiar letters, to the following effect :

“ Atque (ut a veteribus ad nova, ab externis ad nostra transgrediar) duos ego novi pictores egregios, nec formosos, Jottum Florentinum civem, cujus inter modernos fama ingens est, et Simonem Senensem, novi scultores aliquot”, etc.

Giotto was buried in Santa Maria del Fiore, where an inscription on white marble to the memory of this great man was placed on the wall to the left of the entrance. The commentator of Dante, who was contemporary with Giotto, has spoken of him, as we have related in the life of Cimabue, in the following words : “Giotto was and is the most eminent of all the painters in the city of Florence, and to this his works bear testimony in Rome, Naples, Avignon, Florence, Padua, and many other parts of the world.”

The disciples of Giotto were Taddeo Gaddi, who, as I have said, was his godson, and Puccio Capanna, a Florentine. The latter painted an admirable fresco for the church of San Cataldo, in Rimini, belonging to the preaching friars. It represents the abandonment by her crew of a ship on the point of sinking ; men are casting the cargo overboard, and among these is the portrait of Puccio himself, drawn from nature. The same artist painted many pictures after the death of Giotto, at Assisi, in the church of St. Francis. In Florence also, in the church of the Holy Trinity, which stands beside the gate near the river, he painted the chapel of the Strozzi in fresco: the subjects are the Coronation of the Virgin, with a choir of angels, executed much in the manner of Giotto, with passages from the life of Santa Lucia, very well done.^[57] In the abbey of Florence, Capanna painted the chapel of St. John the Evangelist, near the sacristy, and belonging to the family of the Covoni. In Pistoja, he painted in fresco the principal chapel of the church of San Francesco, and the chapel of San Lodovico ; the subjects being stories from the lives of those saints, which are tolerably good.^[58] In the midst of the church of San Dominico, in the same city, is a Crucifixion, a Madonna, and a San Giovanni, painted with much sweetness. At the feet of these figures is an entire skeleton, from which it may be perceived that Puccio sought to discover the first principles of art, a thing very unusual in those times. On this work the name of the artist, written by his own hand, may be read as follows: “Puccio di Fiorenza me fece.” Three half figures in the same church are also by this painter. They are in the arch over the door of Santa Maria Nuova,^[59] and represent the Virgin holding the child, with St. Peter on one side and St. Francis on the other. In the city of Assisi, moreover, and in the lower church of San Francesco, Capanna painted the Passion of our Lord in fresco, in a bold and masterly manner. In a chapel of the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli he also painted a fresco of Christ in glory, with the Virgin offering up her prayers to him for the whole Christian community. This work, which is a tolerably good one, has been blackened by the smoke of the lamps and wax candles which are constantly burning before it in great numbers. It appears to be certain, so far as we can judge, that Puccio had very much the manner of his master Giotto, and was deeply versed in all his methods, which he turned to very good account in the works he executed, although, as some assert, lie did not live long, having injured his health by working too much in fresco, which caused his death. The frescoes, representing passages from the life of St. Martin, in the same chapel, are said to have been painted by Puccio Capanna for Cardinal Gentile. Many works of this master are to be found in different places. In the midst of the street called Portico, in Assisi, for example, there is a Christ at the Column by his hand, with the figure of the Virgin between St. Catherine and St. Clara. In Bologna also there is a picture in the nave of the church,^[60] representing the Passion of Christ, with stories from the life of St. Francis ; besides others which I refrain from enumerating for the sake of brevity. I will not, however, omit to mention that in Assisi, where are the greater number of his works, and where it appears to me that he must have taken part in the paintings of Giotto, I have discovered that they consider him as their fellow-citizen, and that there are still certain branches of the Capanna family in that city. The probability seems to be that Puccio was born in Florence, since he has himself written to that effect, but that he afterwards married at Assisi, where his children were born, and where his descendants still remain. As all this is, nevertheless, of very little importance, let it suffice us to know that he was a good master.

Ottaviano da Faenza, also a clever painter, was likewise a disciple of Giotto. He painted many pictures in the church of St. George at Ferrara, belonging to the monks of Monte Oliveto ; and in Faenza, where he lived and died, he painted a figure of the Virgin with St. Peter and St. Paul, in the arch above the door of San Francesco, with other works in the same city and in Bologna.

Another disciple of Giotto, who remained with him many years, and frequently assisted him in his works, was Pace da Faenza, one of whose paintings in fresco may be seen on the façade of San Giovanni-decollato (St. John decapitated) in Bologna. This Pace was a man of considerable talent, more particularly in the execution of small figures, as may be seen to this day in the church of San Francesco at Forli, where there is a picture in distemper, with four small historical scenes from the life of Our Lady, which are all extremely well done. He is also said to have painted certain frescoes in the chapel of St. Antonio in Assisi ; the subjects are taken from the life of that saint, and they were executed for a duke of Spoleto, who lies buried in that place, together with his son, both having been slain in battle in one of the suburbs of Assisi, as may be seen from a long inscription on the sarcophagus of their sepulchre.^[61] In the old Book of the Company of Painters, there is another scholar of Giotto, designated as Francesco di Maestro Giotto, but of whom I know nothing more.

Guglielmo of Forli was also a pupil of Giotto ; and among many other works, he painted the chapel of the high altar in the church of St. Dominick, in his native city. Pietro Laureati and Simon Memmi, of Siena, Stefano, a Florentine, and Pietro Cavallini a Roman, were in like manner disciples of the same master ; but as these painters will be sufficiently discussed when we treat of the life of each, it shall suffice here to say that they were the scholars of Giotto. That Giotto drew extremely well for his day, may be proved from the various sketches on vellum, some in water-colour, others in ink, and in chiaro oscuro, with the lights in clear white, which are collected into our book of drawings before alluded to, and which are a veritable wonder, when compared with the drawings of the masters who preceded him.

Giotto, as we have said before, was of an exceedingly jocund humour, and abounded in witty and humorous remarks, which are still well remembered in Florence.^[62] Examples of these may be found, not only in the writings of Messer Giovanni Boccaccio, but also in the three hundred stories of Franco Sacchetti, who cites many amusing instances of his talent in this way. And here I will not refuse the labour of transcribing some of these stories, giving them in Franco’s own words, that my readers may be made acquainted with the peculiar phaseology and modes of speech used in those times, together with the story itself. He says, then, in one of these, to set it forth with its proper title :

“To Giotto, the great painter, is given a buckler to paint, by a man of small account. He, making a jest of the matter, paints it in such sort, that the owner is put out of countenance.

“Every one has long since heard of Giotto, and knows how greatly he stood above all other painters. Hearing the fame of this master, a rude artizan, who desired to have his buckler painted, perhaps because he was going to do watch and ward in some castle, marched at once to the work-shop of Giotto, with one bearing the shield behind him. Having got there, he speedily found Giotto, to whom he said, 'God save thee, master! I would fain have thee paint me my arms on this shield.’ Giotto, having examined the man and considered his manner, replied nothing more than—'When wilt thou have it finished?’ which the other having told him, he answered, 'Leave the matter to me ;' and the fellow departed. Then Giotto, being left alone, began to think within himself, 'What may this mean? Hath some one sent this man to make a jest of me? However it be, no man ever before brought me a buckler to paint ; yet here is this simple fellow, who brings me his shield, and bids me paint his arms upon it, as though he were of the royal family of France. Of a verity, I must make him arms of a new fashion.’ Thinking thus within himself, he takes the said buckler, and having designed what he thought proper, called one of his scholars, and bade him complete the painting. This was a tin skullcap, a gorget, a pair of iron gauntlets, with a cuirass, cuishes and gambadoes, a sword, a dagger, and a spear. Our great personage, of whom nobody knew anything, having returned for his shield, marches forward and inquires, 'Master, is this shield painted?’ 'To be sure it is,’ replied Giotto ; 'bring it down here.’ The shield being brought, our wise gentleman that-would-be, began to open his eyes and look at it, calling out to Giotto, 'What trumpery is this that thou hast painted me here?’ 'Will it seem to thee a trumpery matter to pay for it?’ answered Giotto. 'I will not pay five farthings for it all,’ returned the clown. 'And what didst thou require me to paint,’ asked Giotto. ‘My arms.’ 'And are they not here,’ rejoined the painter ; ‘is there one wanting?’ ‘Good, good!’ quoth the man. ‘Nay, verily, but ’tis rather bad, bad!’ responded Giotto. ‘Lord help thee, for thou must needs be a special simpleton : why, if a man were to ask thee, ’who art thou?’ ’t would be a hard matter for thee to tell him ; yet here thou comest and criest, ‘paint me my arms.’ If thou wert of the house of the Bardi, that were enough ; but thou!—what arms dost thou bear? who art thou? who were thy forefathers? Art thou not ashamed of thyself! Begin at least to come into the world before thou talkest of arms, as though thou wert Dusnam of Bavaria at the very least. I have made thee a whole suit of armour on thy shield : if there be any other piece, tell me, and I’ll put that too.’ ‘Thou hast given me rough words, and hast spoiled my shield,’ declared the other; and going forth, he betook himself to the justice, before whom he caused Giotto to be called. The latter forthwith appeared ; but on his side summoned the complainant for two florins, the price of the painting, and which he demands to be paid. The pleadings being heard on both sides, and Giotto’s story being much better told than that of our clown, the judges decided that the latter should take away his buckler, painted as it was, and should pay six livres to Giotto, whom they declared to have the right. Thus the good man had to pay and to take his shield ; whereupon he was bidden to depart, and not knowing his place, had it taught to him on this wise.^[63]

It is said that Giotto, when he was still a boy, and studying with Cimabue, once painted a fly on the nose of a figure on which Cimabue himself was employed, and this so naturally, that when the master returned to continue his work, he believed it to be real, and lifted his hand more than once to drive it away before he should go on with the painting.^[64] Many other jests and witty retorts might be recorded of Giotto ; but these, which appertain to art, shall suffice me to tell in this place ; and for the rest I refer my reader to Franco and other writers.

The memory of Giotto is not only preserved in his own works, but is also consecrated in the writings of the authors of those times, he being the master by whom the true art of painting was recovered, after it had been lost during many years preceding his time : wherefore, by a public decree, and by command of the elder Lorenzo de’ Medici, of glorious memory, who bore him a particular affection, and greatly admired the talent of this distinguished man, his bust was placed in Santa Maria del Fiore, being sculptured in marble by Benedetto da Majano, an excellent sculptor, and the following verses, by that divine poet, Messer Angelo Poliziano, were engraved thereon, to the end, that all who should distinguish themselves in any profession might have hope of receiving such memorials at the hands of others, his successors, as Giotto deserved and received from the hands of Lorenzo :—

“Ille ego sum, per quem pictura extinta revixit,
Cui quam recta manus, tam fuit et facilis
Naturae deerat nostrae quod defuit arti :
Plus licuit nulli pingere, nec melius
Miraris turrim egregiam sacro aere sonantem?
Haec quoque de modulo crevit ad astra meo,
Denique sum Jottus, quid opus fuit ilia referre?
Hoc nomen longi carminis instar erit.”

And that those who shall come after, may better know the excellence of this great man, and may judge him from drawings by his own hand, there are some that are wonderfully beautiful preserved in my book above-mentioned, and which I have collected with great diligence, as well as with much labour and expense.

---

1. For the sum of all that the many commentators have given us in extenso, as to the claims of Giotto, see Lanzi, History of Painting, vol. i, book 1. See also Rumohr, Ital. Forsch. Part ii, No. 10.
2. The Chapel of the Podesta was taken to make one of the offices of the Florentine prisons, and the paintings of Giotto were barbarously whitened over, in which state they remained until 1841, when the Government, desiring to repair so disgraceful a wrong, and yielding to the wishes of those who were zealous for the glory of art and of their country, caused them to be restored; this has been done with great care by Professor Antonio Marini, and we have now the portraits of Dante, Brunetto to Latini, and Corso Donati, from the hand of him who had the opportunity of painting them from nature.—Ed. Flor., 1846.
3. But all unhappily lost.—Ed. Flor., 1846.
4. This picture was afterwards removed, but as Vasari has not named the subject, it becomes difficult to trace it.—Ed. Flor.
5. Or rather of her daughter.
6. All the paintings of these four chapels were whitened over at no very distant period, but the Dance of Herodias’s daughter, in the chapel of the Peruzzi, has been lately brought to light: let us hope that its beauty, and the success of this first essay, will cause the restoration of the whole.—Ed. Flor.
7. This picture is still to be seen in the Chapel of the Baroncelli. The inscription is opus magistri jocti; there is no date.—Ibid.
8. These pictures have long been hidden under whitewash.
9. The pictures of the old Refectory, now unhappily reduced to a carpet manufactory, are white-washed over, with the exception of the Last Supper; but Rumohr assigns many reasons for doubting their being by Giotto.—See Ital. Forsch., vol. ii, p. 57, note 1.
10. “Tree of the Cross” (Albero di Croce). This is a crucifix, from which proceeds the genealogical tree of the Saviour, with the prophets and patriarchs, on medallions.—Schorn.
11. These paintings on the presses were in all twenty-six, twelve belonging to the life of Christ, the remaining fourteen to that of St. Francis. The first series, and ten of the second, are still preserved in the Academy of the Fine Arts of Florence; the four wanting have passed into the hands of dealers in exchange for other pictures.
12. The church of the Carmine was nearly destroyed by fire in the year 1771; but six of these stories, with five heads from others, remained uninjured, and came into the hands of the engraver, Patch (see Bryan’s Dictionary of Painters and Engravers, London, 1849), by whom they were published. Waagen informs us, that two of these fragments are now in Liverpool: one is in the collection of Mr. Rogers, and other fragments of the frescoes are preserved in the Campo Santo of Pisa.
13. The use which Vasari makes of this phrase “ taken from nature,” makes it evident that he uses the words in a very extended sense, and is not to be understood literally, since St. Dominick died in 1221, and St. Francis in 1226.—Ed. Flor. 1846.
14. See Lanzi, History of Painting, vol. i. Florentine School, Epoch 1.
15. It appears that Giotto painted this allegorical fresco under the instruction or influence of Dante; the passage describing the espousals of St. Francis with “Holy Poverty”, occurs in the Paradiso, c. xi.
16. St. Francis was represented in this dress because he would never enter the priesthood, but remained always a deacon from pure humility.
17. * These paintings cannot now be said to have retained their freshness, either in the upper or lower church; those of the latter are perhaps, upon the whole, less injured than those of the upper church.
18. Late events have made the word “Stigmata” familiar to English readers, and few will now, perhaps, require to be told, that this word signifies the five wounds of the Saviour, impressed by himself on the persons of certain saints, male and female, in reward for their sanctity and devotion to his service.
19. Della Valle is doubtful whether these pictures really be by Giotto. Rumohr and Förster declare them to have been painted a century later than the time of Giotto.
20. This picture was removed from the church of St. Francis to that of St. Nicholas, and afterwards to the principal chapel of the Campo Santo, where it was seen by Morrona, who discovered the name of Giotto on it, much injured by restorations. It is now at Paris, in the Louvre, whither it was transported by Napoleon; the name of the painter is on the cornice, in letters of gold, thus: “opus jocti florentini”
21. For the long discussions to which the question as to the date of the Campo Santo has given rise, the reader is referred to Lanzi and other writers, who treat the subject at great length.
22. Only two of these paintings remain visible, and these are not wholly uninjured; the other four have perished.
23. See Morrona, Pisa Illustrata.
24. Commander of the Ghibelline forces at the Battle of Arbia, and to whose interposition it was owing that Florence was not after the battle razed to the ground ; hence his frequent commemoration in Florentine poetry and works of art, though Dante has placed him in hell, c. x.
25. Here Vasari evidently meant to say, Benedict XI ; but Baldinucci shows that it was Boniface VIII who summoned Giotto to Rome.— Schorn.
26. For the many good artists then flourishing in Siena, see Lanzi, History of Painting, vol. i, School of Siena.
27. Rumohr tells us that certain fragments of a painting in the sacristy of St. Peter’s at Rome, the subjects of which were Christ, the Madonna, figures of the Apostles, and the decapitation of St. Paul, are attributed to Giotto ; but the assertion does not seem to be supported by any authentic testimony : still, they are certainly in the manner of Giotto, and though displaying more beauty than is common to his works, may be from his hands.—Ed. Flor. 1846.
28. Lanzi tells us that there are specimens of this master in the Malvezzi Gallery of Bologna ; see also Malvasia—Felsina Pittrice.
29.         “O!” I exclaimed,
        “Art thou not Oderigi? art not thou
        Agobbio’s glory, glory of that art
        Which they of Paris call the limner’s skill?”
         “Brother!” said he, “with tints that gayer smile,
        Bolognian Franco’s pencil lines the leaves.
        His all the honour now ; my light obscured.”— Cary.
    
    
30. This picture, as well as those preceding it, have all perished—as have those of St. John of the Lateran, excepting only the portrait of Pope Boniface VIII, which is preserved under glass in the church, with an inscription placed beneath it, in 1776, by the Gaetani family.—Ed. Flor.
31. For the many dissertations on this mosaic—its restorations, changes of locality, etc., see Lanzi and other writers. It is at present placed within the portico of St. Peter s, over the centre arch and opposite the principal door, where, unless sought for, it must escape attention.
32. The church of St. Anthony, of Padua, is so called par eminence—St. Anthony being the patron saint of that city.
33. Of these paintings there remains only a miserable relic, which scarcely suffices to give an idea of its composition.—Ed. Flor. 1846.
34. The Can grande della Scala, famous in Dante.—Par. c. xvii.
35. These pictures, as well as those painted in Verona, have all perished.—Ibid.
36. In the time of Bottani, this picture was still in existence, though much decayed ; but the latest Florentine edition of Vasari declares it to have perished.
37. This work is still in good condition.
38. Properly called Augusta, and corrupted to Gosta or Giusta.—Ed. Flo. 1846.
39. Vasari has here omitted to mention, that Giotto, in his way to Naples, went to see the sculptures in Orvieto,—and what resulted from that visit, which is afterwards alluded to in the lives of Agostino and Agnolo of Siena.—Ed. Flor. 1846.
40. All these works have since been whitewashed.—Roman ed. 1759.
41. These paintings are also lost.
42. For the many controversies to which these paintings, which are for the most part in tolerably good preservation, have given rise, see Waagen, Kestner, Kugler, Rumohr, Nagler, Forster, Count Vilani XIV, and others, who maintain that these works are by Giotto ; see also Aloe, of Berlin, and Domenico Ventimiglia, on the same side. Riccio, on the contrary, Saggio Storico, ecc., Naples, 1845, denies them to be by Giotto— and his opinion he supports by arguments to which the reader is referred.
43. The story of the Beata Michelina has been whitewashed ; but is supposed to have been by a pupil of Giotto, rather than by himself, since Michelina lived twenty years after Giotto, who is thus not likely to have painted her history.—See Marcheselli, Pitturi di Rimini. Rimini, 1754.
44. Other frescoes by Giotto are still to be seen in Ravenna ; in the chapel of St. Bartholomew, in the church of San Giovanni della Sagra, for example, where are the Holy Evangelists, with their symbols, together with the doctors of the church—St. Gregory, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome. These pictures were restored by Francesco Zanoni, of Padua, towards the close of the last century. There are, besides, others in the convent of Santa Chiara, near the palace of Theodoric, and in the presbytery of Santa Maria in Porto.
45. The admirable crucifix of St. Mark’s, as well as that in Santa Maria Novella, are still in good preservation.
46. The fate of this St. Louis is not known ; but it is supposed to have been destroyed in repairing the church.
47. See the lives of Agostino and Agnolo, of Siena.
48. Nothing is now known of this work.
49. This crucifix still remains ; it may be seen on the wall of the chapel belonging to the Gondi-Dini family. The picture of the Virgin with the Child and Angels, was removed to the Gallery of the Florentine Academy.
50. Dante, Paradiso,—

    “Come Almeone, che di cio pregato
      Dal padre suo la propria madre spense.
      Per non perder pietà, si fè spietato.”
    
    “E’en as Alemaeon, at his father’s suit,
      Slew his own mother ; so made pitiless,
      Not to lose pity.” —Cary.

    This picture reappeared at a later period, and after various vicissitudes, became the property of Mr. N. Ottley, where I (Schorn) saw it in 1826.

51. See Lanzi, History of Painting, vol. i. Florentine School, Epoch 1, Section 1.
52. This picture, which Ghiberti declares to have been perfect, was still existing in Cinelli's day, but cannot now be found.—Ed. Flor. 1846.
53. This picture is also lost. —Idem.
54. For a minute description of these works, see Baldinucci, Cicognara, etc.. ; see also a small work by the Marquis Selvatico, Sulla Cappellina degli Scrovegni e su i freschi di Giotto, Padua, 1836.
55. The pictures painted in Milan by Giotto, who was invited thither by Azzo Visconti, were unworthily destroyed ; the only one now known to exist there is a Virgin and Child in the Brera, and which bears the name of the painter,written thus :—“opus magistri jocti florentini” But Masselli tells us, that this is but a portion of the original work, the two remaining parts of which are now in the Gallery of Bologna : on these are depicted St. Peter, St. Paul, the archangels Michael and Gabriel, with the figures of the Redeemer, the Virgin, and three other saints on the socle.
56. Villani, book ix, chap. 12, has registered his death in the following words :—“Maestro Giotto, having returned from Milan, whither our commune had sent him for the service of the signore of Milan, departed this life on the 8th of January 1336.”
57. The pictures painted by Capanna, in Assisi, are in good preservation, but those in the chapel of the Strozzi are lost.
58. The pictures in San Francesco were whitewashed, with the exception of a Santa Maria Egyptiaca, which is still in one of the presses of the church. Those of San Lodovico, are still well preserved.
59. Or rather over the door of San Francesco.
60. Vasari does not say in what church, but it may be conjectured to be San Francesco.—Ed. Flor. 1846.
61. Lanzi tells us that he saw a figure of the Virgin in the church of the Templars, which was pointed out to him as a work of Pace.— See History of Painting.
62. He was a poet also.—See Rumohr, Ital Forsch. vol. ii, p. 51.
63. The “Novelle” of Saechetti were not printed in the time of Vasari, whose version differs from that of Boccaccio, which is much more to the credit of Giotto ;—compare Baldinucci with Iiumohr for other relations concerning Giotto.
64. Stories of this kind are related of most celebrated painters.— Ed. Flor. 1846.