Tag Archives: Giotto

Men on walls

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Giotto outside the Uffizi Gallery.

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Aretino beside an Uffizi arch.

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The four crowned (martyred) saints, Orsanmichele.

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Machiavelli outside the Uffizi.

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Angel on Orsanmichele south wall (all right, not an man, but definitely  male)

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OK, Perseus is not technically on a wall… But he is not technically a man either, so…
Anyway he’s in the Loggia dei Lanzi… with Medusa’s head… so finally one woman, although vicious and decapitated… 😉

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Giotto

Giotto. Giotto di Bondone, born in Vespignano 1266 or 67, dead in Florence on January 8th, 1337. On my grandmother’s birthday, 561 years later. That is of no relevance whatsoever. But it’s nice for me to think about. Because I really like them both.

This is Giotto sculptured outside of the Uffizi in 1845 by Giovanni Dupre. 508 years after Giotto died. So he probably didn’t look like this at all. But I like that he is portrayed as a sensitive man. Because I’m sure he was. Just look at this:

Joachim och Anna, the parents of Virgin Mary. This fresco not in Florence but in Padua. So lovely.
Giotto was one of the first painters to place biblical scenes into landscapes and architechture, introducing sceneries and perspective which was a novelty.

(This fresco from Assisi)

In Santa Croce, the great Franciscan basilica in Florence, Giotto and his pupils decorated the many chapels with bright frescoes. Many of them were badly damaged by the flood in 1966, but also from history’s moodswings. Here an example of a fresco being whitewashed, then covered by a tomb monument, then restored again.

Of course Giotto is known not only as the father of the Renaissance painting but as a great architect.

The Campanile by the Florence Duomo bears his name, although he died in the middle of the build and it wasn’t completed exactly according to his design.

The design which is visible on the drawing in Giotto’s hand.

…and speaking of design, who can make me a gorgeous tunic like that? 😉