The Art Diary of Bartolomeo Tumicelli

The Nativity Lorenzo Monaco’s painting of the birth of Christ, titled The Nativity , is a classic portrayal of the scene. The night setting is lit by the light of the Christ Child and the angel in the background. The scene is divided into three sections by the supports of the manger, which also appears to support the upper edge of the painting. The Christ Child looks to be hovering with arms bent, a pose very much like Giotto’s depiction of Jesus. In Giotto’s piece, I think there is a striking similarity in the pose of the Christ Child, and the depth of the scene is much further extended. The position of the manger and the figures expanded the space of the scene, while Lorenzo’s depiction was more flattened. All in all, I find it easy to see the impact that Giotto’s piece had on Lorenzo’s depiction of The Nativity .

Pact of Judas, Betrayal I find that Barna da Siena’s rendition of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is yet another piece that echoes the influence of Giotto’s artwork. This piece can be directly compared to Giotto’s work, also known as The Pact of Judas. We can see quite clearly both pieces feature Judas accepting payment before a group of people. They are huddled near religious architecture, which emphasizes the evil that they are perpetrating. In Giotto’s piece, Judas stands to the side, away from the church, possibly indicating his disconnection from it. In Barna’s piece, all the conspirators are grouped together, their treachery bound within the sharp architecture. The Barna piece is noticeably darker, showing a gloomy, blue tinted scene that further elevates the seriousness of the moment. The expressions of all those present are also serious or downright angry. In contrast, Giotto used brighter, warmer colors that nevertheless conveys the tone of the scene. Judas, clad in the...

Resurrection of Lazarus Giotto’s painting of the Raising of Lazarus used bright pastel colors to depict the scene of a miracle. Lazarus is depicted emerging still bound in his funeral wrappings. Prostrated before Jesus are two figures who look to be fearful and reverent. Onlookers who bear no halos show incredulity and suspicion, while Lazarus, facing Jesus looks weakened or dazed. Giovanni’s painting uses darker colors that weigh down the moment. The onlookers share the same look of incredulity, though also mixed with contempt. The two figures are no longer prostrated, but rather kneeling in supplication. They look grateful rather than fearful. Lazarus emerges looking to be walking out of his tomb by his own strength. With his back turned to Jesus, he almost looks unhappy with his circumstance. Jesus’ clothing is also quite different. In Giotto’s painting, Jesus wore a red and blue robe. In Giovanni’s rendition, Jesus looks to be wearing a golden shirt with blue robes....

Madonna and Child with the Blessing Christ, and Saints Mary Magdalene and Catherine of Alexandria with angels The depictions of Madonna by Pietro Lorenzetti and Giotto have many similarities, including but not limited to the physical shape of the artwork. Both feature angled, pointed frames that serve to emphasize the importance of the illustrated Madonna and Christ. The motif of golden light and holy elegance is shared in both pieces, with Madonna in a similar dark robe while the Christ Child sits upon her lap. However, while Giotto depicted Christ in a simple garb, Pietro has him dressed in white and gold cloth with lace. There is detail in the halos, while Giotto preferred unadorned, solid disks of gold. Interestingly, the shape of the throne in which Madonna and Christ sits in Giotto’s painting is mirrored in the shape of Pietro’s triptych. The figures are also very naturalistic, and I believe the expressions are very similar to those of Giotto’s work.

Maesta Simone Martini’s Maesta is another depiction of Madonna with Christ. In this piece I can see the same angel figures kneeling at the base of a large, triangle tipped throne. All figures present have halos, but the holy golden background is now replaced with a deep blue. The contrast served to highlight the central figures even more. Gone are the dark robes, replaced with white and other colors. Many figures have straight on or 3/4th profile, but the figures in the foreground still feature Giotto’s signature profile.

Creation of Man This piece by Andrea Pisano looks to me to be a sculpture of one of Giotto’s paintings from the Arena Chapel. The pose and figures look almost identical, and may be simply a replication in a different medium. Other than compositional similarities, there is not much else that I could say about the piece in relation to Giotto, as the mediums are entirely different. Andrea’s piece looks to be much more complete than Giotto’s painting, however. The trees and background help even out the composition.

Annunciation to the Shepherds I find that this piece is fairly different from Giotto’s work, though the use of light and mystical sources is preserved. The scene does make use of depth and perspective like much of Giotto’s work, but it is relatively flat when compared to Giotto’s scenes. The angel, while appearing to be far away, is viewed by the shepherd as though it was right above him. The lighting of the whole scene is naturalistic, with the light source casting shadows throughout the piece.

Bigallo Triptych, Madonna and Child Enthroned Though on the surface, this work by Giotto’s protégé appears to represent and reflect Giotto’s painting of the same subject very well, they are not without differences. I find that the golden aura and halo, the pointed throne and detailed profile faces, and the kneeling figures in the foreground are all elements from Giotto’s piece. However, the depth of space that Giotto used in his work is gone. Instead of having the groups of figures clustered about the throne and pushing the background into the distance, Bernando positioned them in a flat arc around the central painting, flattening the image entirely.

St.Sylvester Resuscitating two deceased Romans Here we can see the similarities between Giotto’s compositions and the work of Maso di Banco . Giotto’s work often featured elements of architecture to establish structure in the composition, framing the focus of human figures interacting. These interactions in Giotto’s work often capture a moment of stillness, allowing the viewer to perceive the moment as a tableau. It is easy to see the same style reflected in Maso’s work St. Sylvester Resuscitating Two Dead Romans , with the numerous walls creating a layered atmospheric effect. The figures are reminiscent of Giotto’s work in both their rendering and position. Overall, it is clear to me that Maso was influenced, or even inspired by Giotto’s greatness.