Cartwright, Julia: The painters of Florence: from the Thirteenth to the Sixteenth century (London: John Murray, 1910)

1335] FRESCOES AT ASSISI 17
needed some courage to introduce on church walls
such incidents as the children throwing stones at
the rejected Saint, or the friar climbing into a
tree to enjoy a better view of the procession. Very
interesting are the details and accessories of the
separate subjects, irreparably ruined and re-painted
as they are. The figures stand out in solid relief
against the background, the gestures of the different
actors are natural and animated, and the draperies
fall in single, easy folds. Ignorant as Giotto was
alike of the laws of anatomy and perspective, his
instinctive feeling for form and accurate observation
enabled him to give an appearance of reality both to
his figures and buildings ; while his genius for archi-
tecture is seen in the noble Gothic facades and towers
which he introduces in several pictures. The classical
forms which he combines with these Gothic motives
and the inlaid marble decorations and mosaics which
adorn porticoes and loggias are evidently borrowed
from the artists of the Cosmati school, and prove how
much he had learnt from the Roman painters whom
he met at Assisi. The general conception and design
of these frescoes is probably wholly owing to Giotto,
but it is plain that several hands were employed upon
the work, and the last three subjects, representing the
miracles wrought by St. Francis after death, were
evidently the work of some clever assistant, who
was employed by the Friars to complete the
series after the Florentine master had been called
away.
In 1298, Giotto was invited to Rome by Cardinal
Stefaneschi, the Pope’s nephew, who had, no doubt,
heard of Cimabue’s able scholar from Rusutti, or some