Giotto's Frescoes in the Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel - Some Questions and Suggested Answers

Giotto's frescoes in the Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel - some questions and suggested answers

What are the three "cycles" (sets of stories) told by Giotto's paintings in the Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel?

1. The Life of Mary (which begins with the story of her parents, Joachim and Anna, who are older and have not been able to have a child). 2. The Life of Jesus (which includes the Nativity, the presentation of Jesus to the Temple, the Flight to Egypt to escape Herod's execution order, the raising of Lazarus, and so forth). 3. The Passion of Jesus (which begins with his return to Jerusalem and goes through all the events of the final phase of his life leading up to his crucifixion, then through the lamentation of Mary et al. over his body, his resurrection, and the Pentecost (speaking in tongues: a "positive" New Testament reconfiguration of the Old Testament Tower of Babel story).

Why is the Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel sometimes called by one name (Scrovegni) and sometimes by another? What is the significance of each name, and from what does each derive?

Scrovegni is the family name of Enrico Scrovegni, who was the patron of the chapel. One key purpose for which the chapel was built was to serve as the burying place for members of Scrovegni's family. In ancient Roman times, there had been an amphitheatre on the site of the chapel (which is actually very large for a private chapel: this caused some controversy). Italians were very conscious of, and during the Renaissance seemed to become even more proud of, their connection to the classical Roman past. In fact, the uncovering and rediscovery of elements from that past -- including more extensive translations of classical texts and literal digging up of sculptures and other artworks -- was a key aspect of Humanism and of the idea of Renaissance in general.

What is a fresco?

A fresco is a painting made on plaster. True fresco involves applying paint while the plaster, specially applied one patch at a time, is just the right dampness. Such application results in a very permanent painting, with the pigment bonding chemically with the plaster. Some pigments are not water soluble, and such pigments cannot be applied with true fresco, but must be applied after the plaster is dry. Many areas painted with such pigments have suffered decay: you can see large areas of frescos in the Scrovegni Chapel that should, for example, be blue, but where we now see through to an underlying layer of drawing.

What is a register?

A register is a horizontal band: a row of paintings. In the Scrovegni Chapel, the viewer is intended to read the three "cycles" (main stories) in sequence, starting from the uppermost register and proceeding (from just to the right of the apse/altar area) clockwise around the chapel, then going down one register and continuing in the same fashion. The format of registers helps to organize the sequences of paintings.

Where is the scene of the Annunciation to Mary painted in the Scrovegni Chapel, and what is the significance of this placement?

This scene is presented in two sections, with the angel Gabriel on the left side of the chancel arch (the arch just in front of the apse/altar area) and Mary on the right side of the same arch. The placement thus leads the viewer to make a visual connection right across the empty space of the arch. The Annunciation is one of the most sacred and important moments in Christian theology, and represents the beginning of Christianity in the important sense that it represents the beginning of Jesus' life. (According to some Christian theology, Jesus was conceived at the instant of the Annunciation.) It makes sense, in line with the directional symbolism of the Church, to place this sacred beginning in the east of the church, virtually right at the altar.

Where is the Last Judgement painted in the chapel, and what's the signficance of that?

The Last Judgement is painted on the west wall of the chapel. West is commonly associated with endings: the sun sets in the west, of course. Putting the Last Judgement on the west wall ensures that visitors will be reminded of this most important of all moments (to believers) when they leave to re-enter the world.

What is one reason why Giotto is seen as perhaps the first Renaissance painter?

Here are several reasons, which relate to each other to some degree: His paintings moved in the direction of greater realism and naturalism. Figures and faces in his paintings convey more intense and more subtly nuanced emotion than one saw in most art of the medieval period. He is perceived as a real innovator in terms of extended storytelling, and he told stories in very human terms, in ways that allow the viewer to relate to the characters, even though many are saints.

What is the meaning of the term "grisaille," and which parts of the Scrovegni Chapel frescoes were painted in this style?

Grisaille refers to paintings made in shades of gray. The intent is to imitate the "look" of sculpture. In Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel frescoes, the lowest register, representing virtues (south wall) and vices (north wall) are painted in grisaille, as sculptures in architectural niches (recesses).

This depiction of sculpture using the medium of paint can be related to the concept of "paragone" -- a Greek term referring to competition between the arts. This concept became very important later in the Renaissance, as both artists and other humanists speculated upon which was the greatest of the arts. In fact, the Renaissance was a period defined in part by its intense interest in arts generally, and many aesthetic ideas were explored in this period. The other aspect of "paragone" that is important is its competitive aspect. The Italian (especially the Florentine) Renaissance really picked up on this particular aspect of classical (perhaps especially Greek) culture: competition was seen as a good in itself.

In what way is the idea of typology, which we encountered in the medieval period (e.g., in Chartres Cathedral) evident in Giotto's murals in the Scrovegni Chapel?

In many cases, the figures and/or scenes depicted in small quatrefoil (four-lobed) shapes between the main panels of the fresco cycles derive from the Old Testament. Sometimes, there's a very direct connection between the Old Testament scene or figure and the main New Testament scene nearby. For example, the crucifixion of Jesus is accompanied at right by a quatrefoil depiction of Jonah being swallowed by a whale. (This is a story from the Old Testament.) Jonah was, in typological thought, seen as a precursor to Jesus: like Jesus, he suffered a sort of death for three days; just as Jonah was spit out by the whale (or great fish) after three days, so Jesus was resurrected on the third day after his entombment. Another important example is contained within that single panel showing the crucifixion: one can see, in the ground directly beneath the cross holding Jesus, a skull. This is intended to be the skull of Adam, the first man. Jesus, in typological thinking, is the more perfect "new man" who redeems the sin (original sin) of Adam, who ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. (Some believed that a drop of Jesus' blood trickled on to Adam's remains and brought Adam back to life.) How are the virtues and vices (personifications) arranged and located in the chapel, in terms of compass point orientation?

See above: virtues on the south side, vices on the north. The southerly direction is generally perceived more positively because the sun transits through the south on its daily journey from its rising in the east to its setting in the west. The sun is never seen in the northern sky. (Had you noticed that? This is why, paradoxically, artists like studios with northern facing windows: light from the north is always indirect, so you don't get shadows that keep changing, since you don't get strong shadows at all from northern light.)

Masaccio (and Masolino and Lippi) - Brancacci Chapel fresco cycle: some questions and suggested answers

What is continuous narrative? A continuous narrative is a painting that seems to show a single moment/scene, but which actually depicts two or more different moments, or episodes, within a single story. The large paintings from the Brancacci Chapel fresco cycle all use this technique, with St. Peter being shown more than once, and at different moments, in each. Paintings that are continuous narratives generally seem to our eyes to show a single moment because they are optically "realistic" scenes. They seem to, and do actually, depict just one place. However, the repetition of one or more characters signals to the astute viewer that more than one moment is being depicted. Recall that there is one (and only one) instance of continous narrative in Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel fresco cycles, involving the birth of Mary.

How does Masaccio deal with both real and illusionistic sources of light in his frescoes? Both sources coincide. That is, Masaccio uses shadows to indicate a light source coming from the wall to the right of the first panels (including the Tribute Money and the Raising of the Son of Theophilus), and coming from the wall to the left of the later panels (including the crucifixion of St. Peter). (That is one and the same wall: the wall between the two main walls upon which the fresco cycle is painted.

What is linear perspective, and in what way does Masaccio use linear perspective for a symbolic effect? Linear perspective is a system for representing what an eye (or the lens of a camera) "sees" from a fixed vantage point. In this system of representation, all lines that are, in reality, parallel to each other are shown in the picture as converging towards a common "vanishing point." Lines which are, in reality, perpendicular to the picture plane are called "orthogonals": artists of the Renaissance made significant use of such lines in organizing their paintings and conveying the sense of rationally-ordered space.

What is the overall subject of the Brancacci Chapel fresco cycle? The subject of this fresco cycle is the life of St. Peter. (Since Peter became a follower of Jesus when he (Peter) was already advanced in years, he's never shown as a young man.)

In what way is Masaccio’s use of cast shadows symbolic and very fitting or apt for his subject? One of the fresco panels shows St. Peter healing a series of cripples with his shadow: as Peter walks past them, they are cured, by the shadow itself! Masaccio's consistent and effective use of cast shadows is one of the ways in which he created art that was more optically realistic and lifelike than previous art: like perspective, it was a kind of magic. It is therefore fitting that he used this tool to depict the miraculous effects of the shadow of a saint.

What is one example of the rising importance of the individual in this early Renaissance period, based on one or more of these paintings? In a couple of the fresco panels from the Brancacci Chapel, there are recognizable portrait heads. Some seem to be those of eminent citizens. Some are (same thing?!) of artists: Masaccio included a self-portrait with some of his peers. To combine closely observed portraits that clearly were intended to celebrate and single out certain individuals, and to do so in a setting such as a Chapel, and in the context of the stories of St. Peter, confers high status on these individuals, it would seem.

How do Masaccio and the other two artists of the Brancacchi Chapel frescoes help us to identify St. Peter? As noted above, he is always shown as of a certain age. He is also shown, always, in a yellow robe.

Additional important information:

The term giornate (daily task) refers to the patches of plaster prepared for each fresco painting session. Fresco painting was developed and perfected by generations of artists, and a workshop system helped with the transmission of knowledge, as well as with the sharing of tasks. One of the skills a painter and his assistants needed to develop was that of accurately predicting how large an area they’d be able to paint in one session. The plaster the artist would paint on had to be just the right dampness to ensure colors matched from one giornate to another. But certain areas, such as faces, would demand much more time than others, such as landscape and architectural areas. In fact, artists would devote different amounts of time to different faces: important characters, such as Jesus, Mary and Joseph, would be painted with greater care and attention to detail. The Powerpoint file that presents analysis of Giotto’s Expulsion of Joachim includes a diagram of the giornate into which this work was divided for its creation.

A final question, with no answer (but a hint is provided): How could you go about determining whether a given painting was created using linear perspective? Hint: Check out the analysis slides involving straight lines superimposed on the image, in the same Powerpoint file referred to just above, on Giotto’s Expulsion of Joachim.