Artistic sins parochialism: Giotto and Dante

The name of Giotto from Bondone (1267–1337) certainly said very low to common reader because the Italian painter has seen from half word but study, above all in Italy, very short, anyway he has been a Italian painter very famous in art history, and in the second part of Divine Comedy the verses of Dante Alighieri(1265-1321), author of this sublime poem, describes his met to Oderisi from Gubbio, a painter of miniatures, very know during his time, Dante that in circle of haughty recognized Oderisi and he asked: “Are you a great artist? Are you Oderisi from Gubbio?” and he: “Yes, yes”, and Oderisi he regrets it and he condemn the sin the pride. Nothing that can excite us, but the interest regard Dante at last is in the parochialism of sin of haughtiness, Dante condemn Oderisi because haughty for his capacity in the miniature, but he forgotten Giotto, that known for otherwise sin, the question is: “in what occasion?”, a courtier of pope Benedict 11^th, that come to Tuscany for to search an artist necessary to Vatican so Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574): “After that he has had drawings from them(from the artists of Sinise) he come to Florence, and he come to store of Giotto while he was working, the courtier explained the think of pope, and how he wanted use the his capacity, and he asked also a drawing for to send it to his Sanctity. Giotto very polite he was, took a sheet and on it he drawn a circle perfect, and when he made it, he smiling said: “There is it to you the drawing”, and the courtier: “I must have other thing that this drawing?”, and Giotto: “Much more, but unfortunately it is so, send it gather other and you are going to ascertain if it is known”; it is a praise of herself, this is of Giotto to herself, that is more than justified, because Giotto merits it and other eulogy, certainly, but I want stress that Dante has condemned the highly of Oderisi, that he not known because the last documents that remembers Oderisi is dated 11^th March 1271, Dante had then 6 years, and Oderisi was born in Gubbio distant from Florence because in other region, instead Dante didn’t condemn the highly of Giotto, that given a drawn circle to a courtier of pope, the man powerful in Europe, hence if Oderisi was condemned to Purgatory for his sin, Giotto should condemned to Hell, but Giotto had a justification for this lacked condemn, what is? Simple Giotto was Tuscan as Dante, and he written the Purgatory when Giotto was again life, and in other canto Dante, making a confront between Giotto and Cimabue(1240-1302) written: “Cimabue has believed to have the in the painting the success but now Giotto has fame…”; it is a declaration of cowardice of Dante, because Giotto was very much famous in his art, and Cimabue was died, therefore Giotto by now was the champion of the painting, and much famous for to be condemn; inasmuch Oderisi from Gubbio could also condemn but Giotto not. It is certainly the subjection to the fame of a painter, typical for the Middle Age, but also the parochialism that Dante has had.

Alessandro Lusana