File:Giotto (1905) (14796288763).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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t as to turn its very perplexities intotriumphs. Facing Chastity is the Allegory of Obedience. Un-doubtedly Giottos chief difficulty here was to connecthis subject with its fellows. Poverty and Chastityseemed naturally to adapt themselves to the rocky hill-tops, which the curves of the vaulting must have con-tributed to suggest. Obedience is a virtue which itwould be more natural to associate with the valley.But Giotto could not completely sacrifice his rockyforeground, allowing it, however, to pass almost imme-diately into a marble platform of the same colour. Afurther, and perhaps the chief, difficulty of the picturewas to to provide a suitable counterpiece to the towerof Chastity. How complete was Giottos success maybe inferred from Mr. Frys description of the frescoesalready quoted. His method was extremely bold :S. Francis himself forms the tower, standing upon theroof of the loggia where Obedience sits, immediatelyabove her, and dressed like her in black. The angels, :#? i4^. %T
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^ ^ •^ h wu■/, r-rl I—I QtoOQO o>^ Oi, o ou < w h THE ALLEGORIES 69 that kneel on either side of him, are again in azure, and,with the angel groups below, complete the connectingbalance of the design. This fresco was easier to unifythan the Chastity^ and the artists sympathy is perhapsmore perfectly maintained. That the attendant angelsshould be represented kneeling seems obvious onlybecause it is inevitable. The foremost of them oneither side restrains or presents figures typical of thosewho desire or resent obedience. The latter are imagedin the shape, but without the dignity, of a centaur,whose lower quarters more closely resemble those of adog than of a horse. Reckless of the angel who seemsintended to hold him back, this lawless intruder ischecked only by the vision of Prudence herself. ButPrudence, who sits on Obedience** right hand, isoccupied like Humility, who is at her left, in bestowingher gifts upon the aged monk in the centre, whoreceives the yoke from Obedien

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