GIOTTO. THE FRESCOES OF THE SCROVEGNI CHAPEL IN PADUA

This sumptuous and stunning monograph is the official book of the ICI’s (Institute of Restoration of Rome) restoration of the Scrovegni Chapel adorned with breathtaking frescoes painted by Giotto, in the years 1303-1305. Compiled by Giuseppe Basile, Director of the restoration project, the volume presents the results of the long and complex restoration of Giotto’s work.

The frescoes are presented in cycles from the life of Christ beginning with earlier events (such as the lives of Mary’s parents Joachim and Anna) to the stories of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, ending with the last Judgment.

In illustrating this epochal story Giotto decided to incorporate human drama into his work, including elements and people from his contemporary world. Figures appeared dressed in 14th-century garb and housed in gothic architecture, drawing the viewer of the time into a familiar environment. In addition to the realistic rendering of the setting, Giotto also incorporated a daring use of spatial illusion by creating a false sense of depth, a groundbreaking event for Medieval painting.

Equally revolutionary was his use of colour, clear and bright with an extraordinary array of tones and chiaroscuro, softening the outlines and rendering the figures more voluminous and majestic.

The text presents enlarged colour close-ups of the restored frescoes offering exceptionally detailed images, as well as important photographs of the restoration process. Giotto is a unique and impressive testimonial to a rediscovered landmark

of the pre-Renaissance art era.