Giotto's Arena Chapel and the Triumph of Humility

In this book, Henrike Lange takes the reader on a tour through one of the most beloved and celebrated monuments in the world - Giotto's Arena Chapel. Paying close attention to details that have been overlooked, she offers an entirely new reading of the stunning frescoes and their spatial configuration. Lange also asks fundamental questions that define the chapel's place in Western art history. Why did Giotto choose an ancient Roman architectural frame for his vision of salvation? What is the role of painted reliefs in the representation of personal integrity, passion, and the ego's struggle between pride and humility familiar from Dante's Divine Comedy? How can a new interpretation regarding the influence of ancient reliefs and architecture inform the famous 'Assisi controversy' and cast new light on the question of Giotto's authorship of the Saint Francis cycle? Illustrated with almost 200 color plates, this volume enables scholars and students to rediscover a key monument of art and architecture history and to see it with new eyes.