Preaching to the birds by Giotto

This work is part of the “problematic” Assisian cycle – “problematic” in the sense that there are still disputes over the authorship of Giotto. Be that as it may, these murals stand out against the backdrop of the then art, distinguished by its clarity, uncomplicated narrative, the presence of everyday details that impart vitality and naturalness to the scenes depicted.

The characters of the scenes “fall out” from the church canon: they have squat bodies, round, regular cut of the eyes.

The plot for this picture was a very characteristic episode from the life of St. Francis of Assisi. One day, when he was about to preach in the forest, where birds were singing in all his voice, Francis politely addressed them: “Sisters of my birds, if you said you wanted to, let me tell you.”