Giorgio Vasari

“ In the same church is a fresco of the Virgin with the Child in her arms, from the hand of Giottino; this is in an arch, which has remained uninjured, over the door of the sacristy; the work is a very good one, having been executed with great care. [10] By these and other productions, Giottino had acquired so much renown, that the spirit of his master Giotto was declared to have descended on this disciple, the correctness of his design, the vivacity of his colouring, and his close imitation of the elder master’s composition and manner, being all cited in support of that opinion. ”

“ These all bewail the death of the departed, some bitterly weeping and wringing their hands, others more subdued in the expression of their grief; but all, both in countenance and attitude, evincing the most profound sorrow, as they look on the sacrifice that has been made for our sins. ”

“ The most astonishing circumstance respecting this work is not so much that the master has been able to attain so high a region of thought, as that he has found means to realize his conceptions so admirably with the pencil. ”

“ The disciples of Giottino, who left more fame than riches, were Giovanni Tossicani, of Arezzo, Michelino, [20] Giovanni dal Ponte, and Lippo: [21] they were all tolerably good masters in their art, but Giovanni Tossicani was greatly superior to the rest: he executed many works after the death of Tommaso, and in his manner, for different cities and churches throughout all Tuscany. In the capitular church of Arezzo, more particularly, Giovanni painted the chapel of Santa Maria Maddalena, belonging to the Tuccerelli [22] family ”

“ In his early youth, Giottino painted in the church of Santo Stefano al Ponte Vecchio in Florence, where he decorated a chapel near the side door, which still gives proof of great ability on the part of the artist, although the work is now much injured by the humidity of the place. ”

“ This master also painted a picture in the lower church of San Francesco, at Assisi. The only place not already occupied by other artists, was an arch over the pulpit; and there Giottino depicted the Coronation of Our Lady, with numerous angels around her, all exhibiting so much grace in the outlines, beauty in the heads, and harmony in the colouring (which last was a quality peculiar to this painter) , that the work suffices to prove Giottino fully equal to any master that had then appeared. [16] Around the arch of the Coronation, Tommaso painted stories from the life of St. ”