Giorgio Vasari

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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] ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Rogers, and other fragments of the frescoes are preserved in the Campo Santo of Pisa. ↑ 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. ↑ See Lanzi, History of Painting, vol. i. Florentine School, Epoch 1. ↑ It appears that Giotto painted this allegorical fresco under the instruction or influence of Dante ”