Giotto’s Arena Chapel and the Triumph of Humility (Cambridge, 2023)

In Giotto's Arena Chapel and the Triumph of Humility (Cambridge, 2023) Henrike Lange (History of Art and Italian) 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 previously overlooked details, Lange offers an entirely new reading of the stunning frescoes in their spatial configuration. She 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 human struggle between pride and humility familiar from Dante's Divine Comedy? How can a new interpretation regarding the influence of ancient reliefs and architecture cast new light on the debate around Giotto's authorship of the Saint Francis cycle? Lange invites the reader to rediscover a key monument of art and architecture history and to see it with new eyes.