This is a really excellent book for anyone researching the Giotto period, especially if they have an interest in the Arena Chapel, also known as the Scrovegni Chapel, and the motivation behind the building of this church. The name Scrovegni, at that time, was synonmyous with money-lending, and at high rates too, so much so, that the poet Dante made special mention of Reginaldo Scrovegni, Enrico's (builder of the Arena) father, in his epic poem 'The Divine Comedy, Vol.1, The Inferno'. Dante, on his journey through Hell and guided by Virgil, encountered Reginaldo suffering the torments of Hellfire for his sins of usury. It was to make atonement for his father's sinfulness that Enrico pledged to build a chapel dedicated to the Madonna of Charity and commissioned the greatest painter in Italy at that time, Giotto, to decorate the entire interior with frescoes of the life of Mary, and the life, passion and death of Jesus. The greatest of these frescoes has to be the 'Last Judgement', on the west wall, and Giotto excelled himself in showing both Heaven and Hell, with Enrico shown offering a model of the chapel to the Annunciate Virgin. I recommend this book very highly.
This is an excellent reference book on Giotto in particular and on frescoes in general. It describes the Renaissance period and how artists, including sculptors and architects, reacted to the new awakening of the artistic senses. I would recommend this book very highly to anyone studying this period.
