Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padova (Padua), Italy, boasts a thrilling fresco cycle by Giotto, whose works were so delicate, that the viewers were limited to 10- to 20-minutes guided tours, and could only enter the chapel after a 15-minutes temperature and moisture modulation sessions.
That cycle was simply breathtaking - enormous scope, brilliant colors, remarkable compositions, "modern" technique of rendering volumes and understanding of human anatomy and perspectives, and above all, exotic and even bizarre visual symbols, not all of them could be understood readily by modern casual viewers, though that fault could hardly dampen visitors' collective awe.
One of my favorite was the Final Judgement Scene - restrained and classical, without baroque sentimental exaggeration of the later period. Giotto captured the essence of human conditions which were almost primordial and touching in its piety and simplicity.
Final Judgement
My second favorite depicted the scene of the Kiss of Judas — menacing yet becalming, with its ritualistic violence cloaked/contained in stylized manners, simultaneously timelessly still and dynamic. Unique and unforgettable.
Kiss of Judas (Lower)
My Favorite Museum Collection Series
>> My Favorite Museum Collection Series 112: My Favorite Paintings at Basilica di Sant'Antonio, Padova (Padua), Italy
<< My Favorite Museum Collection Series 110: My Favorite Sculptures at Musei Civici degli Eremitani, Padova (Padua)
List of My Favorite Artworks in the Museums I've Visited
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