Art and Science

The illusion of realityWhile stained-glass windows reached their apogee in Francetowards the end of the thirteenth century, in Southern Europemosaic was replaced by painting partly due to cost. In the wakeof Gothic cathedral building, mural painting found fertileground in Italy where windows were kept small because of thehot sun, thus leaving large wall surfaces to fill.C o n f ronted with the Gothic style, dignified Byzantinerepresentation came to an end. Giotto (1266–1337) broke withtradition by introducing the illusion of spacial recession inpainting for the first time in centuries; he reinvented the meansof creating depth on a flat surface. A shepherd in his youth, anda keen observer of his surroundings, Giotto found his way empiric a l l y. He was able to re p resent three-dimensional space and volumesoccurring in nature, despite the fact that perspective andanatomy would not be developed for at least another century.Skillful in many arts, Giotto was mainly active as a frescodesigner. Despite the restrictions of this technique, he managedto introduce radical new expressions of space and movement. Asa symbolic turning point for painters, he was named headmasterof the Florence Cathedral workshop, where he designed the belltower, a privilege until then reserved for sculptors and architects.The multi-talented Giotto experimented with various conceptsand media.THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS,FRESCO BY GIOTTO, 1303–5Each scene of Giotto’s series seems to bepainted for a single observ e r, placed at aspecific spot. Harmonious volumes andp ro p o rtions, single fig u res versus tightlyc l u s t e red groups, and a unique balance betweenthe depicted architectural setting andn a rrative drama, were among the characteristicsof his painting style.Capella Degli Scrovegni, Padua. Commune di Padova SettoreMusei e Biblioteche144