Giotto was an Italian painter and sculptor in the Late Medieval Ages. He was one of the most important artists of his time, symbolising the transition from the late Middle Ages to the early Renaissance with his style of painting. Giotto's masterpiece is the decoration of Padua's Scrovegni Chapel, often called the Arena Chapel, which was finished circa 1305. The life of Christ and the life of the Virgin are portrayed in the fresco cycle. It is recognized as one of the Early Renaissance's greatest works of art. The Arena Chapel, commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni, was built as a private oratory and funerary monument. It had a total of 38 narrative scenes. The fresco cycle is one of the largest ensembles surviving from the late Duecento / early Trecento. Enrico Scrovegni was the son of Rainaldo Scrovegni, a rich moneylender who was not from a noble family. Rainaldo tried to improve his social status, even by using a family coat of arms, but moneylenders were still looked down on by society and the Church. Church law said that usurers had to give back their profits or donate them to the poor. For a long time, people believed that Enrico built the Scrovegni Chapel to make up for his father’s sins.
I considered the Lamentation scene from this fresco cycle to be the best option, as it perfectly demonstrates why Giotto is such a significant artist. In the background, we see the classic Giottesque background with rocky titles with bright, clear blue sky. As we gaze at this rocky landscape, Giotto makes our eyes move towards the dead body of Christ framed by two figures whose backs are facing us. We see Mary twisting her body and supporting Christ with her knee. This level of naturalism was highly unusual for the Medieval era. We can also observe a wide variety of emotions. We see angels tearing their hair and screaming; St John the Baptist standing in an unusual way expressing his grief… He forms a sort of "bridge" between the earthly mourners and the weeping angels in the sky, who echo his intense physical expression of sorrow. Overall, Giotto is a perfect example of the art history moving forward from the medieval era to the Renaissance era, highlighting naturalism, the importance of background and emotions…
The level of naturalism that Giotto achieved in this painting is commendable. The emotions of grief and loss can be clearly understood by the expressions of angels with tears rolling down their cheeks.
