File:Giotto (1905) (14776481455).jpg

Identifier: giotto00dese (find matches)
Title: Giotto
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors: De Selincourt, Basil, 1876-
Subjects: Giotto, 1266?-1337
Publisher: London : Duckworth and Co. New York, C. Scribner's Sons
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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racter of Giotto*s work ; and because thatpreconception, though the result in him of a very super-ficial study of the artist, is apt even now to pass toothers under his authority, and, mistaken as it is,represents a way of thinking into which a carelessobserver is still liable to fall. Indeed, Vasari must tosome extent be excused for his error, since the samemisunderstanding makes its appearance repeatedly inthe works of the less intelligent of Giottos followers,who believed they were faithful to their master in usinga serious subject as a means to the display of a realisticstudy of irrelevant or commonplace action. Now in thiscase Vasari, so far as his remark points only to thepresence of the servants and the lifelike treatment ofthem, has hit upon a trait characteristic of Giottoswork. But his description of their action, shows howcompletely he misunderstood the artisfs aim. Hisimpression had been, that here was a man with a queerpredilection for common things, and a habit, witty as
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^ O < O WU <Q ^ THE PERUZZI CHAPEL 193 he thought it, of inserting them in high places: heremembered babies sucking their thumbs, angels tearingtheir hair, disciples holding their noses ; all of whichstruck him as bold and bad, but enjoyable enough, (ifwe must paint sacred things,) and much to be com-mended. At Herods feast, when the Baptists head isbrought in, such an artist, he thinks, will naturallythink a great deal of how the servants manipulate theirdishes. The servants indeed are there, and conspicuoustoo, one with a napkin about his neck, both standingin the doorway of the queens boudoir, and useful to thedesign in filling it. But what is really remarkable aboutthem is that they have wholly forgotten their position ;their conduct, if we give it a detached consideration, isunseemly; they are clearly unaware that they areservants and in the presence of the king. But the causeof their forgetfulness is the appearance of the executionerand what he brings. They draw together,

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