DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.57409#0127
GIOTTO.
Ill
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 Aqui-
nas 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.* After this, Gi-
otto returned to Florence, rich in honours, and with sufficient
wrorldly wealth. He there painted a crucifix in wood,f 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.^
In the year 1327, Guido Tarlati da Pietramala, Bishop
and Lord of Arezzo, died at Massa di Maremma, when re-
* 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. Augus-
tine, 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 Theo-
doric, and in the presbytery of Santa Maria in Porto.
f The admirable crucifix of St. Mark’s, as well as that in Santa
Maria Novella, are still in good preservation.
I The fate of this St. Louis is not known; but it is supposed to have
been destroyed in repairing the church.
Ill
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 Aqui-
nas 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.* After this, Gi-
otto returned to Florence, rich in honours, and with sufficient
wrorldly wealth. He there painted a crucifix in wood,f 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.^
In the year 1327, Guido Tarlati da Pietramala, Bishop
and Lord of Arezzo, died at Massa di Maremma, when re-
* 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. Augus-
tine, 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 Theo-
doric, and in the presbytery of Santa Maria in Porto.
f The admirable crucifix of St. Mark’s, as well as that in Santa
Maria Novella, are still in good preservation.
I The fate of this St. Louis is not known; but it is supposed to have
been destroyed in repairing the church.