In focus: Medieval art in Padua and Giotto

Discover the artistic and cultural flourishing of Padua in the late medieval period, when the city became a centre of innovation, patronage and spiritual expression, in this special in focus session with Siân Walters.

In this two-hour online session, art historian Siân Walters introduces the richly decorated churches and chapels of Padua, from the intimate oratory of San Giorgio to the frescoed Baptistery of the Cathedral.

The Carraresi family, who ruled Padua from 1318 to 1405, were prominent art patrons, commissioning works from renowned artists such as Giotto and Guariento. Other influential families in Padua, as well as the clergy and the city commune, also contributed to the flourishing of art during the late medieval period. For example, the Oratory of San Giorgio, a hidden jewel, was covered in magnificent frescoes by Altichiero, a follower of Giotto, who also worked in the nearby Basilica di Sant’ Antonio.

We will also examine the role of female patronage, with reference to the frescoes by Giusto de’ Menabuoi in the Baptistery, commissioned by Fina Buzzaccarini.

After the break, we focus on Giotto’s paintings in the Scrovegni Chapel. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the chapel was commissioned by a local merchant Enrico Scrovegni to atone for the sins of his father, and the patron himself appears prominently in an act of dedication on the west wall.

The frescoes constitute one of the most important picture cycles of the trecento and represent a major turning point in Western painting. Why was this? Together, we will examine what exactly makes Giotto’s art so innovative, exploring not only his radical approach to pictorial space and execution but also storytelling, by which perhaps for the first time in Western art, people could witness their own emotions and experiences in the scenes depicted before them.

If you enjoyed this session, find out more about 'Stories of art' and upcoming modules

Siân Walters is an art historian and the director of Art History in Focus. She studied at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge, and has been a lecturer at the National Gallery for over 20 years. Her specialist areas of research are Italian painting, Spanish art and architecture, Flemish and Dutch painting and the relationship between dance and art. Siân also lectures for The Arts Society and leads specialist art tours abroad. She was a lecturer at University of Surrey for many years and has lived and worked in France and Venice. She is currently writing a book on still-life paintings in the National Gallery Collection.

Can't make the session but don't want to miss out? No problem, you can watch again.

The session is recorded and made available to you for 2 weeks.

A video of the week's lecture will be uploaded and available for you to watch via your National Gallery account on Friday.

This is an online ticketed course hosted on Zoom. Please book a ticket to access the course.

Only one ticket can be booked per account.

You will be emailed an E-ticket with instructions on how to access the course via your National Gallery account. All course information including your Zoom link, weekly handouts, and recordings will be available here.