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April 16, 2009
Giotto and the 14th Century
Of course the title in the show is one of those cross cultural problems - "Giotto e il Trecento." That's 1300s, not 13th Century. Always confuses beginning art historians. Big show - and at a big venue, the Vittoriano. All in all I didn't learn as much as I did from the Futurism show, but the exhibition itself was much better done - lots of explanatory text, clearer juxtapositions by hanging. But really, Giotto was better at fresco than at panel painting, and they only had a couple of detached Giotto frescoes.
Amazing, though - they had a panel painting out of the Arena Chapel, the Enthroned God the Father, which is painted on a shutter. That was splendid! Some of the loans were pretty amazing!
Again, I'm having trouble finding a link to the show itself.
I was amused at the scientific committee for the exhibition. Every single professor, including the American (Herbert Kessler at Johns Hopkins) is a medievalist. Though there were lots of claims of novelty in the wall text, the show made it very clear how Giotto is transitional from Gothic, not so much revolutionary.
Oh - and Giotto's hands are pretty unconvincing up close. His martyr saints hold palms convincingly, evangelists hold books pretty well, but St. Peter always looks like he's about to drop the keys. This problem is more conspicuous when you move into room fulls of paintings by followers, many of whom paint convincing hands. So - all volumetric bodies, little emphasis on hands.
Posted by CrankyProfessor at April 16, 2009 5:10 PM
Comments
Have you been to see the Fra Angelico exhibition in the Capitoline?
Posted by: Zadok the Roman at April 21, 2009 12:51 AM