There is not only one St.
Thomas to be convinced; there are five;--one to each wound. Of these,
four are intent only on satisfying their curiosity, and are peering or
probing; one only kisses the hand he has lifted. The rest of the
picture never was much more than a grey drawing of a noble burial
service; of all concerned in which, one monk, only, is worthy to see
the soul taken up to heaven; and he is evidently just the monk whom
nobody in the convent thought anything of. (His face is all repainted;
but one can gather this much, or little, out of it, yet.)
Of the composition, or "unity and harmony of the whole," as a burial
service, we may better judge after we have looked at the brighter
picture of St. Francis's Birth--birth spiritual, that is to say, to his
native heaven; the uppermost, namely, of the three subjects on this
side of the chapel. It is entirely characteristic of Giotto; much of it
by his hand--all of it beautiful. All important matters to be known of
Giotto you may know from this fresco.
'But we can't see it, even with our opera-glasses, but all
foreshortened and spoiled. What is the use of lecturing us on this?'
That is precisely the first point which is essentially Giottesque in
it; its being so out of the way! It is this which makes it a perfect
specimen of the master. I will tell you next something about a work of
his which you can see perfectly, just behind you on the opposite side
of the wall; but that you have half to break your neck to look at this
one, is the very first thing I want you to feel.
Pages:
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65