Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Giotto - Frescoes in the Baptistery of Padua (early 14th century)




The paintings were created by Giotto and his assistants,
See more in this flickr collection.

"Enrico Scrovegni of Padua, ambitious son of the rich Reginaldo, whom Dante Alighieri had consigned to hell as a usurer in his "Divine Comedy", was planning to build a palace and a private chapel. To this end, in the year 1300, he purchased a large piece of land in the area around the Roman amphitheatre - known as the Arena. Of these impressive buildings, only the single-nave church remains. Constructed using clear, simple forms, it is referred to mostly as the "Arena Chapel" after its location, or as the "Scrovegni Chapel" after its donor. The redemption of his father and the saving of his own soul were his foremost considerations when making this donation. The church was therefore dedicated on 16 March 1305 to Saint Mary of Charity. " - quote source

1 comment:

Kolleander said...

It's so fabulous! I love Giotto's simple colors, forms, compositions... everything.