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Giotto Di Bondone's Lamentation

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Giotto di Bondone’s Lamentation: Subject and Symbolism
Giotto Di Bondone’s Lamentation depicts the mourning of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Virgin Mary is pictured holding her son’s body, mourning his death. Saint John the Evangelist is seen with his arms thrown back, dramatizing his grief (Kleiner 409). Mary Magdalene is seen at his feet, in sorrow, looking at the wounds of the crucifixion. Four other disciples are seen with the golden halos above their head, two expressing outward grief, while the remaining two Surrounding the Virgin Mary, Saint John, and Mary Magdalene are several other mourners. Their bodies are slouched while their faces express their similar feelings of despair. Above the mortals mourning on Earth are several angels “darting about in hysterical grief” (409). Behind the group is a rocky background, with a barren tree perched atop the seemingly arid land. The sky, while blue, is still dark and gloomy. The representation of lamentation expressed both by the angels and humans connects both the heavens and the Earth with a shared sorrow. The …show more content…

Giotto makes use of an implied line to direct the viewer’s attention from the tree representing Adam and Eve’s original sin to the lifeless body of Jesus Christ. This diagonal line signals that Jesus Christ is the focal point of the painting. In order to portray three dimensions in his two-dimensional painting, Giotto relies on varying values of color on the clothing and bodies of the observers and angels, as well as on the rocky background. Darker shades indicate shadows and lighter shades imply light, such as the sun. A diagonal balance is seen from the dead tree, down to the seated mourner in tan, following the line of the rocks in the background. Giotto also blurs the ends of the robes worn by the angels. This technique he employs suggests the implied motion, or flight, of the angels over the mourning congregation

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