by Tom Gurney
Tom Gurney BSc (Hons) is an art history expert with over 20 years experience
Email: tomgurney1@gmail.com / Phone: +44 7429 011000
Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple by Giotto: Introduction
A little girl stands near the top of a steep white staircase. Her mother has followed closely, one hand reaching beneath her arm; a white-bearded priest bends towards her from the entrance. Around these three figures Giotto builds an imposing Temple, with coloured marble panels, slender columns and a high canopy. The building occupies much more space than the child, yet everything turns on her arrival. Her small body has become the meeting point between a family outside and a religious community within.
Giotto's Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple belongs to the childhood of Mary in the Scrovegni Chapel, Padua. The child is Mary herself, brought by her parents, Anna and Joachim, for dedication to God. The fresco is distinct from the later presentation of the infant Christ. Padova Musei catalogues it as an early fourteenth-century fresco, approximately 208 by 220 centimetres, in the upper register of the nave's left wall, second compartment from the left in the institution's orientation. [1] Within that nearly square field, Giotto makes the ascent feel substantial: entering the Temple requires crossing a height, passing other people and moving away from the space occupied by the family.
At a Glance
- IdentityThe young Mary’s dedication, distinct from the presentation of the infant Christ. [1]
- SettingUpper register of the Scrovegni Chapel’s left nave wall. [1]
- FormatEarly-fourteenth-century fresco, approximately 208 × 220 cm. [1]
This work across Giotto’s career
Santa Maria Novella Crucifix
Late 13th century; c.1288–89 or 1298–1301; disputed; track: c.1288–89 [2]Life of Saint Francis — Upper Church cycle, Assisi
Traditionally Giotto; late 13th–early 14th century; authorship and date disputed; track: c.1290–95 convention [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]Ognissanti Madonna
c.1300–05 (Uffizi); c.1310 also proposed; track: c.1300–05 [8]Scrovegni Chapel — painted decoration
c.1303–05 (chapel campaign); Giotto and workshop (painted decoration) [9] [10] [11]Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua (current article)
c.1303–05 (chapel campaign); Giotto and workshop [12] [9]Madonna and Child — Washington / Goldman Madonna
c.1310–1315 (National Gallery of Art) [13]Stefaneschi Triptych
c.1320; 1315–20 (Vatican Museums); Giotto and workshop [14]Bardi Chapel — painted decoration
After 1317, usually the 1320s; disputed; Giotto and workshop / Giottesque painters; individual hands disputed [15] [16]Baroncelli Polyptych
After 1328; completion uncertain; band continues to axis edge; Giotto and workshop [17]Giotto’s Campanile — Florence Cathedral bell tower
Giotto’s phase 1334–37; completed 1359 by successors [18] [19] [20]Contents
- Mary between her mother and the priest
- The childhood legend and its different staircases
- How the Temple makes the climb matter
- The people who keep us outside
- A family returns to the Temple
- Annotated details
Mary between her mother and the priest
Mary wears a pale, gold-edged garment whose long folds give her a composed, upright outline. Her halo separates her head from the patterned marble behind it. She looks upwards towards the priest, holding her hands close to her chest. He leans down with an open hand, bringing his face and gesture into the small interval above her. Their exchange takes place just to the left of a column. The architecture almost presses upon the encounter, while that narrow opening keeps it visible.
Anna is the large red-cloaked figure immediately behind Mary on the staircase. Her mantle expands into a broad curve, filling much of the lower left half of the painting. It makes her presence unmistakable even at a distance. The cloak's heavy folds and gold border follow the rising steps, while her upper body inclines towards her daughter. Her extended hand maintains a physical connection at the very moment when Mary faces another adult. Giotto holds together the child's forward movement and the mother's continued attendance.
Joachim stands farther left, identifiable by his halo and grey beard. Other figures intervene between him and the staircase. This unequal distribution matters: the scene does not arrange two parents symmetrically on either side of their child. Anna has advanced with Mary; Joachim remains among the arriving company. The procession narrows as it reaches the steps, and the story becomes concentrated in the mother, daughter and receiving priest.
Behind the priest, a row of women looks over the marble enclosure. Their heads overlap, some faces fully visible and others partly concealed. They make the Temple feel inhabited before Mary enters it. The apocryphal narratives describe her joining other virgins, but the fresco does not label every person or supply a reliable count of a particular textual group. [21] [22] What can be seen is a community looking towards the newcomer. Their closely gathered heads contrast with the isolated full-length figures outside the building.
Anna supports the young Mary as she approaches the receiving priest at the Temple steps. Image source. Public domain. Cropped and proportionally reduced reproduction; no colour or content enhancement.
The priest's white sleeve, Mary's light dress and Anna's red mantle form a compact sequence of colours and gestures. The surviving surface has cracks and losses, especially across the blue background, but these broad relationships remain legible. Farther down, the eye follows the staircase towards the foreground. The movement can also be read in reverse: from the base of the stairs, along the mother's expansive garment, up to the child's face. Giotto gives the viewer a route into the episode before any knowledge of its written sources is required.
The childhood legend and its different staircases
Mary's childhood dedication belongs to apocryphal Christian narratives rather than the canonical Gospels. These texts explain why a very young girl is entering the Temple and why the event fulfils a promise made by her parents. They are traditions through which medieval Christians imagined Mary's early life; their descriptions do not establish a verified practice of the historical Jerusalem Temple. Their differences also matter, because the familiar story of fifteen steps is only one form of the narrative.
In the Protoevangelium of James, Joachim proposes taking Mary to the Temple when she is two. Anna asks to wait until the third year so that the child will be less likely to seek her parents. When the time comes, girls carrying burning lamps accompany her, directing her attention forward. The priest receives and blesses Mary, then places her on the third step of the altar. She dances, and the people of Israel love her. Her parents leave marvelling that she has not turned back; the next chapter describes her dwelling in the Temple and receiving food from an angel. [21] Here the third step follows the priest's reception. The narrative does not describe the same fifteen-step ascent as the Latin versions.
The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew gives a swifter, more startling departure. After being weaned in her third year, Mary is set down before the Temple doors and climbs fifteen steps without looking back. Her parents search anxiously until they find her inside, to the astonishment of the priests. Anna then speaks a song of thanksgiving, celebrating the child she can offer and the failure of her enemies to prevent that gift. The following chapter extends the wonder into Mary's daily life: prayer, weaving, generosity and angelic nourishment present a child endowed with extraordinary maturity. [22]
In the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary, the fifteen steps are explicitly associated with the fifteen Psalms of Degrees. The parents place Mary on a step, then change from their travelling clothes into cleaner garments. During this interval she climbs unaided, displaying an ability beyond her age. After completing their offering and vow, the parents leave her to be educated among other virgins. [23] This version makes their momentary distraction part of the miracle. Giotto instead brings Anna conspicuously alongside her daughter, keeping maternal care within the central action.
These accounts help explain the fresco without reducing it to a literal transcription. Mary is a small child with an unusually assured bearing; the stair makes her progress visible, while Anna's presence recalls the parental vow. Yet there are no clearly displayed burning lamps, no dancing episode and no continuous picture of the parents searching through the Temple. Giotto has concentrated the narrative in a reception at the threshold. The fresco gives the beholder one legible encounter from a tradition that could be told in several ways.
How the Temple makes the climb matter
The white steps rise diagonally from the lower left towards Mary. Their edge is set against a green-sided support with a red triangular panel beneath it. Beside them, a large rectangular slab of pinkish marble fills the lower centre. The painted surfaces turn a small staircase into part of a much larger elevated structure. Mary reaches the entrance at a height noticeably above the ground on which the surrounding figures stand.
The painted flight does not display fifteen individually visible steps. Some of the stair is concealed by Anna's garment and the figures around her. Michael Viktor Schwarz, discussing the fresco, observes that Giotto has accommodated no more than ten, despite the fifteen in Pseudo-Matthew. His larger point concerns the effect of height: the viewpoint makes the completed ascent impressive even when the written number has been reduced. [24] Fifteen belongs to particular texts; the visible stair belongs to Giotto's composition.
Look above Mary's head and the building becomes still more commanding. A decorated boxlike platform projects over the entrance, supported on fine columns. Its underside is visible. To the right, an arched canopy rises beneath a pale pyramidal roof, while a steep stair rail cuts across the opening. Smaller mouldings and red horizontal bands repeat the changes of level. The building can be followed as a set of connected parts, but its supports, screens and stairs also obstruct a complete view through it.
Schwarz reads this as a deliberate use of the spectator's position. A low viewpoint makes the enclosure rise like a barrier against the advancing figures, giving Mary's ascent narrative force. At the same time, people with their backs towards us hold the ceremony at a distance. [24] That combination is particularly apt here. We can understand where the child is going, yet we remain outside, looking upwards and past others towards the entrance.
The Temple's marble is as important as its height. Cream, green, pink and red surfaces distinguish panels, frames and supports. Slender columns balance the breadth of the enclosing walls; ornamental foliage fills the upper panels. Padova Musei relates the varied marble and fine supports to Roman architecture interpreted through the work of Arnolfo di Cambio. [1] This is an architectural comparison, rather than documentary proof that Giotto visited a particular building to prepare this fresco. The forms give his imagined Jerusalem a material language recognisable within medieval Italy.
The people who keep us outside
At the lower left, a figure in a pale tunic carries a basket high against the shoulder. The burden hides the head, and the bent arms describe the effort of carrying it. The figure helps make the family's arrival a physical undertaking. Clothes, provisions or possessions must travel with people; the conspicuous load brings that practical world into an episode of sacred childhood. Schwarz interprets it as Mary's trousseau, although the painted basket does not reveal its contents. [24]
The carrier's full-length body also stands between us and Joachim, leaving the father's head and halo visible above the burden. On the opposite side, two men face one another beside the Temple wall. The nearer man's broad ochre cloak turns towards us, concealing most of his body and part of the space beyond; his companion wears blue. Their exchange of glances and a raised hand give the right side a conversation of its own.
These men do not look towards Mary with the clear attention of the women inside. Their position permits several readings, and the institution describes them as priests. [1] Schwarz, following an interpretation by Max Imdahl, considers whether they represent the enemies overcome in Anna's speech in Pseudo-Matthew. He presents the identification conditionally. [24] Their conversation alone cannot prove hostility or identify particular historical individuals. This proposed literary role sits alongside the priest's welcome to Mary: the Christian legend imagines her holy childhood within the Temple and its community.
Even without assigning the men a precise role, their effect on the viewing experience is clear. Their bodies occupy the space in front of the architecture; we see the central encounter beyond their shoulders. Together with the basket carrier, they prevent the company from becoming a row of faces exhibited equally for inspection. Some people are visible from the front, some in profile, some from behind. The ceremony seems to continue within a space whose inhabitants have their own positions and business.
Annotated Details from Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple
The numbered points identify visible features discussed in this article. Return from each detail to the numbered overview. Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple. Image source. Public domain. Numbers added to a separate resized overview; detail crops made from the unchanged native source. No upscaling, recolouring, retouching or reconstruction.
Details from PRESENTATION OF THE VIRGIN IN THE TEMPLE
Compare each detail with the complete source overview. The article and captions retain the stated source, identity and attribution qualifications.
Mary, Anna and the priest
Mary wears a pale, gold-edged garment whose long folds give her a composed, upright outline. Her halo separates her head from the patterned marble behind it. She looks upwards towards the priest, holding her hands close to her chest. He leans down with an open hand, bringing his face and gesture into the small interval above her. Their exchange takes place just to the left of a column. The architecture almost presses upon the encounter, while that narrow opening keeps it visible. Anna is the large red-cloaked figure immediately behind Mary on the staircase. Her mantle expands into a broad curve, filling much of the lower left half of the painting. It makes her presence unmistakable even at a distance. The cloak's heavy folds and gold border follow the rising steps, while her upper body inclines towards her daughter. Her extended hand maintains a physical connection at the very moment when Mary faces another adult. Giotto holds together the child's forward movement and the mother's continued attendance. The painted flight does not display fifteen individually visible steps. Some of the stair is concealed by Anna's garment and the figures around her. Michael Viktor Schwarz, discussing the fresco, observes that Giotto has accommodated no more than ten, despite the fifteen in Pseudo-Matthew. His larger point concerns the effect of height: the viewpoint makes the completed ascent impressive even when the written number has been reduced. Fifteen belongs to particular texts; the visible stair belongs to Giotto's composition.
The projecting platform
Look above Mary's head and the building becomes still more commanding. A decorated boxlike platform projects over the entrance, supported on fine columns. Its underside is visible. To the right, an arched canopy rises beneath a pale pyramidal roof, while a steep stair rail cuts across the opening. Smaller mouldings and red horizontal bands repeat the changes of level. The building can be followed as a set of connected parts, but its supports, screens and stairs also obstruct a complete view through it.
The burdened carrier
At the lower left, a figure in a pale tunic carries a basket high against the shoulder. The burden hides the head, and the bent arms describe the effort of carrying it. The figure helps make the family's arrival a physical undertaking. Clothes, provisions or possessions must travel with people; the conspicuous load brings that practical world into an episode of sacred childhood. Schwarz interprets it as Mary's trousseau, although the painted basket does not reveal its contents.
A family returns to the Temple
The building acquires a further meaning when the fresco is considered alongside Joachim's expulsion from the Temple. In that earlier scene, a priest extends an arm towards Joachim at the edge of an enclosure, while Joachim holds his lamb and turns away. Here a priest reaches towards the child whom the family has brought. The relation between clerical gesture and family member has changed: Mary's reception answers the earlier exclusion through a visible act of admission.
The architecture helps sustain the connection. Both scenes include coloured marble screens, columns, a raised platform and a roofed canopy. Their arrangement changes substantially. In the expulsion, the broad front of the enclosure occupies the left side, and the decisive confrontation occurs at its outer edge. In Mary's presentation, the stair brings the arriving family up into the building, while the canopy and platform cluster above the reception. A familiar sacred setting has been reorganised around a different action. [24]
The earlier Expulsion of Joachim from the Temple in Padua. Image source. Public domain. Proportionally reduced reproduction; no colour or content enhancement.
The Meeting at the Golden Gate provides another useful comparison. There the parents embrace before an immense angled gateway. The masonry rises above them, and the cropped companion at the left edge suggests a company extending beyond the painted field. Schwarz connects the commanding architecture and management of the spectator in that fresco with the solutions developed in Mary's presentation. [24] In each painting, the family story gains force from a structure too large to serve merely as a small identifying sign for Jerusalem.
The emotional centre has shifted, however. At the gate, Anna and Joachim close the distance between themselves. At the Temple, Anna accompanies a child towards another community. Her hand remains close to Mary while the priest's open palm approaches from the other side. That small interval, surrounded by marble and crowded faces, gives the fresco its lasting interest. Giotto allows the dedication to remain both a public religious event and a moment enacted through the bodies of a mother and daughter.
Watch: Explore Giotto’s Art
Choose an overview or a closer look at three major works. These films provide wider Giotto context alongside this article.
Artworks directory
This directory brings together 209 records for paintings, ensembles, individual scenes and components, architectural work, an associated disputed design, and reported or lost projects connected with Giotto. Ensembles and their parts appear separately, so 209 is a count of records rather than independent paintings or commissions. Attributions and dates remain qualified where disputed; inclusion does not establish Giotto’s own hand throughout.
| Name | Date | Medium, attribution and status |
|---|---|---|
| Expulsion of Joachim from the Temple — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Joachim among the Shepherds — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Annunciation to Saint Anne — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Sacrifice of Joachim — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Joachim’s Dream — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Meeting at the Golden Gate — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Birth of the Virgin — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Delivery of the Rods — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Prayer of Joseph and the Suitors — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Marriage of the Virgin — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Wedding Procession of Mary — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Annunciation on the triumphal arch — complete ensemble (Scrovegni Chapel, Padua) | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Wall painting with a central painted wooden panel. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble. Includes the Mission of Gabriel and the lower Annunciation pair; the original central wooden panel is in the Musei Civici agli Eremitani, with a conservation copy in the chapel. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Scholarly study. Chapel overview. |
| Visitation — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Nativity — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Adoration of the Magi — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Presentation of Christ at the Temple — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Flight into Egypt — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Massacre of the Innocents — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Christ among the Doctors — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Baptism of Christ — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Marriage at Cana — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Raising of Lazarus — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Entry into Jerusalem — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Expulsion of the Money Changers — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Judas Receiving the Payment — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Last Supper — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Washing of the Feet — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Arrest of Christ — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Christ before Annas and Caiaphas — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Mocking of Christ and Flagellation — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Road to Calvary — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Crucifixion — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Lamentation — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Resurrection / Noli me tangere — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Ascension — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Pentecost — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Coretto — right painted recess (Scrovegni Chapel, Padua) | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / painted fictive architecture. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Scholarly study. Chapel overview. |
| Coretto — left painted recess (Scrovegni Chapel, Padua) | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / painted fictive architecture. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Scholarly study. Chapel overview. |
| Envy — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Despair — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Prudence — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Fortitude — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Temperance — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Justice — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Faith — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Charity — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Hope — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Folly — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Inconstancy — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Wrath — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Injustice — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Infidelity / Idolatry — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Starry vault — complete ensemble (Scrovegni Chapel, Padua) | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Vault painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. |
| Last Judgement — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. |
| Prophet Malachi — vault medallion — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. |
| Prophet Baruch — vault medallion — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. |
| Prophet Isaiah — vault medallion — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. |
| Prophet Daniel — vault medallion — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. |
| Christ Pantocrator — vault medallion — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. |
| Virgin and Child — vault medallion — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. |
| Prophet Ezekiel — vault medallion — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. |
| Prophet Micah — vault medallion — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. |
| Saint John the Baptist — vault medallion — Scrovegni Chapel, Padua | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. |
| Scrovegni Chapel — painted decoration | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting, with a painted wooden panel. Giotto and workshop (painted decoration). Ensemble. Includes separately listed scenes and components. The original central God the Father panel is in the Musei Civici agli Eremitani; a conservation copy is in the chapel. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Source. Source. Source. Padova Musei. Scholarly study. |
| Vices and Virtues — complete fourteen-figure programme | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Grisaille fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble. Fourteen figures: seven virtues and seven opposed vices. Padova Musei. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. |
| Coretti — paired fictive chapels | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / painted fictive architecture. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble. Two separate painted recesses, also listed individually. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Scholarly study. |
| Mission of Gabriel — heavenly assembly | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Wall painting with central painted wooden image. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Central wooden God the Father panel preserved at the Musei Civici agli Eremitani; conservation copy in the chapel. Chapel overview. Padova Musei. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| Annunciation — Gabriel and Mary in facing chambers | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Chapel overview. Scholarly study. Padova Musei. |
| God the Father — central wooden panel of the Mission of Gabriel | c.1303–05 (chapel campaign) | Painting on wood. Associated with Giotto. Ensemble component. Original at the Musei Civici agli Eremitani, Padua; conservation copy in the Scrovegni Chapel. Padova Musei. Padova Musei. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Life of Saint Francis — Upper Church cycle, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Fresco / wall-painting cycle. Traditionally associated with Giotto; Giotto, Roman-school and other attributions disputed. Ensemble. Twenty-eight-scene nave cycle; scenes also listed individually. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. Basilica catalogue. Source. Source. |
| Homage of a Simple Man — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Gift of the Mantle — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Dream of the Palace Full of Arms — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Prayer before the Crucifix at San Damiano — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Renunciation of Worldly Goods — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Dream of Innocent III — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Confirmation of the Rule — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Vision of the Flaming Chariot — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Vision of the Thrones — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Expulsion of Devils from Arezzo — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Trial by Fire before the Sultan — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Ecstasy of Saint Francis — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Nativity at Greccio — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Miracle of the Spring — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Sermon to the Birds — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Death of the Knight of Celano — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Sermon before Pope Honorius III — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Apparition at the Chapter of Arles — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Stigmatisation — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Death and Ascension of Saint Francis — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Apparition to Brother Augustine and Bishop Guido — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Zeri catalogue. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Verification of the Stigmata — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Mourning of the Poor Clares — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Canonisation of Saint Francis — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Apparition to Pope Gregory IX — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Zeri catalogue. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Healing of John of Lerida — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Resurrection of a Woman — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Liberation of the Prisoner Peter — Upper Church, Assisi | Late 13th–early 14th century; dating disputed | Wall painting. Traditionally associated with Giotto; authorship and dating disputed. Scene within a cycle. Source. Source. Scholarly study. Source. Source. Source. |
| Santa Maria Novella Crucifix | Late 13th century; c.1288–89 or 1298–1301; disputed | Tempera and gold on a shaped wooden cross. Giotto. Source. |
| Death of the Virgin / Dormition — Berlin | c.1310 | Tempera and gold on poplar; gabled dossal. Giotto. Source. Source. |
| Peruzzi Altarpiece | c.1311–1315 (North Carolina Museum of Art) | Tempera and gold on panel. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble. Source. |
| Bologna Polyptych | c.1330 | Tempera and gold on panel. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble. Source. |
| Death of Saint Francis, Bardi Chapel | After 1317, usually the 1320s; disputed | Wall painting with wet-plaster and dry-applied passages. Giotto. Scene within a cycle. Source. |
| Bardi Chapel — painted decoration | After 1317, usually the 1320s; disputed | Wall painting with wet-plaster and dry-applied passages. Giotto and workshop / Giottesque painters; individual hands disputed. Ensemble. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Badia Polyptych | c.1300; proposed dates include 1295–1300 and 1301–02 | Tempera and gold on panel; five cusped compartments. Giotto. Ensemble. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Baroncelli Polyptych | After 1328; detached pinnacle c.1328–35 | Tempera and gold on panel; later altered framing. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble. Detached central pinnacle in San Diego. Santa Croce. |
| Adoration of the Magi / Epiphany — Metropolitan Museum panel | Possibly c.1320; c.1310–18 also proposed for the group | Tempera and gold on wood. Giotto. Part of the dispersed seven-scene board; original function disputed. Met catalogue. Source. |
| Franciscan Allegories | Early 14th century, often c.1315; disputed | Vault wall painting. Giotto and workshop / Giottesque painters; individual hands disputed. Ensemble. Basilica catalogue. |
| Navicella — lost / reworked original mosaic | Late 13th–early 14th century; date disputed | Mosaic. Original attributed to Giotto. Original lost / reworked; fragments and later remakes survive. Scholarly study. |
| Pentecost — London panel | Possibly c.1310–18 (Gordon) | Egg tempera on poplar. Giotto and workshop. Part of the dispersed seven-scene board; original function disputed. National Gallery. Source. |
| Saint Stephen — Horne panel | c.1330–1335 (Museo Horne) | Tempera and gold on panel. Giotto. Proposed association with the Washington and Chaalis panels remains hypothetical. Source. |
| Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata — Louvre altarpiece | 1300–25 (Louvre) | Tempera and gold on poplar. Giotto. Louvre catalogue. |
| Stefaneschi Triptych | c.1320; 1315–20 (Vatican Museums) | Tempera and gold on panel; painted on both sides. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble. Vatican Museums. |
| Crucifixion, Berlin | c.1315–1320 | Tempera and gold on poplar. Giotto. Source. |
| Madonna and Child — Washington / Goldman Madonna | c.1310–1315 (National Gallery of Art) | Tempera and gold on poplar. Giotto. Washington panel, distinct from San Giorgio alla Costa; proposed Horne/Chaalis companions remain hypothetical. NGA catalogue. |
| Ognissanti Madonna | c.1300–05 (Uffizi); c.1310 also proposed | Tempera and gold on panel. Giotto. Uffizi. |
| Madonna of Borgo San Lorenzo | c.1290–95; dating and attribution debated | Tempera and gold on a fragment of a wooden panel. Giotto. Fragmentary. Source. |
| Madonna of San Giorgio alla Costa | c.1288–95 (Opera del Duomo); later dates also proposed | Tempera and gold on panel; cut edges. Giotto. Damaged in 1993 and treated in 1995. Source. |
| Magdalene Chapel — painted decoration | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Wall painting with wet-plaster and dry-applied passages. Giotto and workshop / Giottesque painters; individual hands disputed. Ensemble. Basilica catalogue. |
| Ognissanti Crucifix | c.1315–1320 (Opificio) | Painting on a shaped wooden cross. Giotto and workshop. Workshop participation and alternative attributions debated. Source. |
| Padua Crucifix | c.1303–05 (Zeri catalogue) | Tempera and gold on a shaped wooden cross. Giotto. Zeri catalogue. |
| Peruzzi Chapel — painted decoration | c.1310–11 (Santa Croce); 1334–36 proposed by Schwarz | Wall painting with substantial dry-applied work and loss. Giotto and workshop / Giottesque painters; individual hands disputed. Ensemble. Santa Croce. |
| Rimini Crucifix | c.1300; late 13th century also proposed | Tempera and gold on a shaped wooden cross. Giotto. Source. |
| Giotto’s Campanile — Florence Cathedral bell tower | Begun 1334; completed 1359 under successors | Marble-clad masonry bell tower. Begun under Giotto; continued by Andrea Pisano and Francesco Talenti. Successive building and sculptural campaigns. Source. Scholarly study. Scholarly study. |
| Tower elevation on parchment, Siena — disputed relation to Giotto | 14th century; date and design context disputed | Brown ink and coloured washes over incised construction on three parchment skins. Attribution disputed; possibly a Giotto design transmitted through another hand. Associated design; autograph attribution unestablished. Alternative attributions include Lando di Pietro. Scholarly study. Source. Source. |
| Seven scenes of Christ — dispersed painted board | Possibly c.1310–18 (Gordon); component dates vary | Tempera and gold on a single wooden board, subsequently divided. Giotto and workshop; individual attributions vary. Reconstructed dispersed ensemble. Common board supported by matching wood grain; predella or dossal function disputed. Source. Source. |
| Presentation of Christ at the Temple — Boston panel | Possibly c.1310–18 (Gordon’s group dating) | Tempera and gold on wood. Giotto and workshop; individual attribution varies within the group. Ensemble component. Source. Source. |
| Last Supper — Munich panel | Possibly c.1310–18 (Gordon’s group dating) | Tempera and gold on wood. Giotto and workshop; individual attribution varies within the group. Ensemble component. Source. Source. Source. |
| Crucifixion — Munich panel | Possibly c.1310–18 (Gordon’s group dating) | Tempera and gold on wood. Giotto and workshop; individual attribution varies within the group. Ensemble component. Source. Source. Source. |
| Descent into Limbo — Munich panel | Possibly c.1310–18 (Gordon’s group dating) | Tempera and gold on wood. Giotto and workshop; individual attribution varies within the group. Ensemble component. Source. Source. Source. |
| Entombment — Villa I Tatti panel | Possibly c.1310–18 (Gordon’s group dating) | Tempera and gold on wood. Giotto and workshop; individual attribution varies within the group. Ensemble component. Source. Source. |
| God the Father with Angels — detached Baroncelli pinnacle | c.1328–1335 (San Diego Museum of Art) | Tempera and gold on wood. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Detached in later remodelling; collection home in San Diego. Source. Source. |
| Saint John the Evangelist — Chaalis panel | c.1320 (INHA/RETIF) | Painting on wood. Giotto (INHA/RETIF attribution). Collection: Musée Jacquemart-André, Fontaine-Chaalis. Chantilly’s exhibition announcement, as of 1 November 2026, gives temporary display from 24 January 2026 with no end date. Association with the Washington/Horne altarpiece remains hypothetical. NGA catalogue. Source. Source. Source. Source. |
| Saint Lawrence — Chaalis panel | c.1320 (INHA/RETIF) | Painting on poplar. Giotto; possible execution by a collaborator (INHA/RETIF). Collection: Musée Jacquemart-André, Fontaine-Chaalis. Chantilly’s exhibition announcement, as of 1 November 2026, gives temporary display from 24 January 2026 with no end date. Association with the Washington/Horne altarpiece remains hypothetical. NGA catalogue. Source. Source. Source. Source. |
| Allegory of Poverty — Lower Church crossing vault, Assisi | Early 14th century, often c.1315; disputed | Vault wall painting. Giotto’s workshop / Giottesque painters; alternatives include Stefano. Ensemble component. Basilica catalogue. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Allegory of Chastity — Lower Church crossing vault, Assisi | Early 14th century, often c.1315; disputed | Vault wall painting. Giotto’s workshop / Giottesque painters; alternatives include Stefano. Ensemble component. Basilica catalogue. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Allegory of Obedience — Lower Church crossing vault, Assisi | Early 14th century, often c.1315; disputed | Vault wall painting. Giotto’s workshop / Giottesque painters; alternatives include Stefano. Ensemble component. Basilica catalogue. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Saint Francis in Glory — Lower Church crossing vault, Assisi | Early 14th century, often c.1315; disputed | Vault wall painting. Giotto’s workshop / Giottesque painters; alternatives include Stefano. Ensemble component. Basilica catalogue. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Renunciation of Worldly Goods — Bardi Chapel, Florence | After 1317, usually the 1320s; disputed | Wall painting: fresco with extensive dry-applied passages. Giotto and workshop; individual hands uncertain. Scene within a cycle. Source. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Confirmation of the Rule — Bardi Chapel, Florence | After 1317, usually the 1320s; disputed | Wall painting: fresco with extensive dry-applied passages. Giotto and workshop; individual hands uncertain. Scene within a cycle. Source. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Apparition at the Chapter of Arles — Bardi Chapel, Florence | After 1317, usually the 1320s; disputed | Wall painting: fresco with extensive dry-applied passages. Giotto and workshop; individual hands uncertain. Scene within a cycle. Source. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Trial by Fire before the Sultan — Bardi Chapel, Florence | After 1317, usually the 1320s; disputed | Wall painting: fresco with extensive dry-applied passages. Giotto and workshop; individual hands uncertain. Scene within a cycle. Source. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Apparitions to Brother Augustine and Bishop Guido — Bardi Chapel, Florence | After 1317, usually the 1320s; disputed | Wall painting: fresco with extensive dry-applied passages. Giotto and workshop; individual hands uncertain. Scene within a cycle. Source. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata — Bardi Chapel, Florence | After 1317, usually the 1320s; disputed | Wall painting: fresco with extensive dry-applied passages. Giotto and workshop; individual hands uncertain. Scene within a cycle. Source. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Saint Louis of Toulouse — Bardi Chapel niche | After 1317; campaign date disputed | Wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Saint Clare — Bardi Chapel niche | After 1317; campaign date disputed | Wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Saint Elizabeth of Hungary — Bardi Chapel niche | After 1317; campaign date disputed | Wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Franciscan virtues — Bardi Chapel vault programme | After 1317; campaign date disputed | Vault wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Group of ensemble components. Santa Croce. Source. |
| Annunciation to Zacharias — Peruzzi Chapel, Florence | c.1310–11 (Santa Croce); 1334–36 proposed by Schwarz | Wall painting with substantial dry-applied work. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Santa Croce. |
| Birth and Naming of John the Baptist — Peruzzi Chapel, Florence | c.1310–11 (Santa Croce); 1334–36 proposed by Schwarz | Wall painting with substantial dry-applied work. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Santa Croce. |
| Feast of Herod — Peruzzi Chapel, Florence | c.1310–11 (Santa Croce); 1334–36 proposed by Schwarz | Wall painting with substantial dry-applied work. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Santa Croce. |
| Vision of John on Patmos — Peruzzi Chapel, Florence | c.1310–11 (Santa Croce); 1334–36 proposed by Schwarz | Wall painting with substantial dry-applied work. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Santa Croce. |
| Raising of Drusiana — Peruzzi Chapel, Florence | c.1310–11 (Santa Croce); 1334–36 proposed by Schwarz | Wall painting with substantial dry-applied work. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Santa Croce. |
| Death and Ascension of John the Evangelist — Peruzzi Chapel, Florence | c.1310–11 (Santa Croce); 1334–36 proposed by Schwarz | Wall painting with substantial dry-applied work. Giotto and workshop. Scene within a cycle. Santa Croce. Scholarly study. Santa Croce. |
| Evangelist symbols — Peruzzi Chapel vault | c.1310–11 (Santa Croce); 1334–36 proposed by Schwarz | Wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Group of ensemble components. Santa Croce. |
| Eight prophets — Peruzzi Chapel entrance arch | c.1310–11 (Santa Croce); 1334–36 proposed by Schwarz | Wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Group of ensemble components. Santa Croce. |
| Mystic Lamb — Peruzzi Chapel fragment | c.1310–11 (Santa Croce); 1334–36 proposed by Schwarz | Wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component; fragmentary. Santa Croce. |
| Meal in the Pharisee’s House — Magdalene Chapel, Assisi | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop; individual hands debated. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Raising of Lazarus — Magdalene Chapel, Assisi | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop; individual hands debated. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Noli me tangere — Magdalene Chapel, Assisi | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop; individual hands debated. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Miracle of the Ruler of Marseille — Magdalene Chapel, Assisi | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop; individual hands debated. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Angelic Elevation of Mary Magdalene — Magdalene Chapel, Assisi | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop; individual hands debated. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Mary Magdalene Clothed by a Hermit — Magdalene Chapel, Assisi | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop; individual hands debated. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Last Communion and Ascent of the Magdalene’s Soul — Magdalene Chapel, Assisi | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop; individual hands debated. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Christ — Magdalene Chapel vault medallion | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Vault wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Mary Magdalene — Magdalene Chapel vault medallion | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Vault wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Martha — Magdalene Chapel vault medallion | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Vault wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Lazarus — Magdalene Chapel vault medallion | c.1307–08 (basilica); disputed | Vault wall painting. Giotto and workshop. Ensemble component. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Teobaldo Pontano before Saint Rufinus — Magdalene Chapel donor image | c.1307–08 (chapel campaign) | Wall painting. Giotto and workshop; donor identified by Schwarz. Ensemble component. Scholarly study. |
| Teobaldo Pontano before Mary Magdalene — Magdalene Chapel donor image | c.1307–08 (chapel campaign) | Wall painting. Giotto and workshop; donor identified by Schwarz. Ensemble component. Scholarly study. |
| Penitential saints — Magdalene Chapel entrance programme | Early 14th century; associated with the c.1307–08 campaign | Wall painting. Giotto and workshop / associated chapel programme. Group of ensemble components. Scholarly study. |
| Life of Mary Magdalene — stained-glass window | Early 14th century; exact date uncertain | Stained glass. Associated chapel programme; designer and maker uncertain. Associated programme. Eleven-episode stained-glass window, distinct from the wall paintings. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Childhood of Christ and Franciscan miracles — Lower Church north transept | Early 14th century, often c.1315; disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto and workshop; Stefano proposed by Schwarz; individual hands disputed. Ensemble. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Flight into Egypt — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop / Giottesque painters; Stefano proposed by Schwarz. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. Source. Zeri catalogue. |
| Adoration of the Magi — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop / Giottesque painters; Stefano proposed by Schwarz. Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. Source. Zeri catalogue. |
| Angel medallion from the Navicella — Vatican | Late 13th–early 14th-century original; later restoration | Mosaic. Associated with Giotto’s Navicella; medieval material and later restoration. Fragmentary and restored. Scholarly study. |
| Angel medallion from the Navicella — Boville Ernica | Late 13th–early 14th-century original; later restoration | Mosaic. Associated with Giotto’s Navicella; medieval material and later restoration. Fragmentary and restored. Scholarly study. |
| Dream of Innocent III — Louvre Stigmatisation predella | 1300–25 (Louvre’s dating of the altarpiece) | Tempera and gold on wood. Part of the signed Giotto altarpiece; individual hand uncertain. Ensemble component. Louvre catalogue. Louvre catalogue. |
| Approval of the Rule — Louvre Stigmatisation predella | 1300–25 (Louvre’s dating of the altarpiece) | Tempera and gold on wood. Part of the signed Giotto altarpiece; individual hand uncertain. Ensemble component. Louvre catalogue. Louvre catalogue. |
| Saint Francis Preaching to the Birds — Louvre Stigmatisation predella | 1300–25 (Louvre’s dating of the altarpiece) | Tempera and gold on wood. Part of the signed Giotto altarpiece; individual hand uncertain. Ensemble component. Louvre catalogue. Louvre catalogue. |
| Possible wall decoration at San Francesco, Rimini — lost | c.1300; exact date uncertain | Possibly fresco / wall painting. Possible association with Giotto. Possible lost commission. Programme and extent unknown. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Works at the Basilica of Saint Anthony, Padua — reported, lost | By c.1313 (reported activity); exact date unknown | Painting; wall or panel support uncertain. Giotto’s activity reported by Riccobaldo. Lost works reported in historical accounts. Scholarly study. Scholarly study. |
| Painted heaven / celestial decoration, Palazzo della Ragione — lost | Early 14th century (Giovanni da Nono’s account) | Painting; wooden-vault tempera or wall fresco disputed. Associated with Giotto in historical accounts. Lost. Wooden-vault interpretation proposed by Schwarz; present astrological murals follow the 1420 fire. Scholarly study. |
| Great chapel decoration, Castel Nuovo — disputed / largely lost | Documented 20 May 1331; Neapolitan service 1328–33 | Wall painting with metal decoration and mixed materials. Giotto-led documented commission. Largely lost; attribution of fragments disputed. Other masters participated; surviving window fragments leave the programme uncertain. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Private chapel decoration, Castel Nuovo — documented, lost | Documented 20 May 1331; execution dates unknown | Wall painting / chapel decoration; technique uncertain. Giotto. Documented commission; lost. Separate from the great chapel; programme unknown. Scholarly study. |
| Royal cona made in Giotto’s house, Naples — documented, lost | Recorded 20 May 1331 | Panel painting (cona); exact technique uncertain. Documented in Giotto’s house. Documented object; lost. Movable panel; subject, dimensions and composition unknown. Scholarly study. |
| Calvary and Lamentation / decoration — Santa Chiara, disputed fragments | Late 1320s–early 1330s; exact date uncertain | Wall painting and painted architectural furnishings. Associated with Giotto and collaborators; individual attributions disputed. Fragmentary programme. Extent of surviving decoration disputed. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Apocalypse paintings, Naples — reported, lost | Undated; associated in later accounts with Naples | Painting; support unknown. Attributed to Giotto in later accounts. Lost works reported in historical accounts. Programme uncertain. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Gloria mondana / Worldly Glory — disputed identification | Undated; proposed Milanese context disputed | Painting; support and format unknown. Association with Giotto and identity disputed. Lost; identity and location disputed. Scholarly study. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Marian cycle, Tosinghi-Spinelli Chapel — lost interior | Undated; reported by Ghiberti and Vasari | Wall painting. Attributed to Giotto by Ghiberti and Vasari. Lost cycle reported in historical accounts. Interior cycle distinct from the damaged entrance Assumption. Scholarly study. Scholarly study. |
| Assumption of the Virgin — Tosinghi-Spinelli entrance, badly preserved | Undated; associated with the Santa Croce decoration | Wall painting. Associated with Giotto in scholarship; attribution uncertain. Badly preserved trace reported in scholarship. Trace distinguished from the lost interior cycle by Schwarz and Theis. Scholarly study. Scholarly study. |
| Apostolic histories, Giugni Chapel — reported, lost | Undated; described by Vasari | Wall painting. Attributed to Giotto by Vasari. Lost cycle reported in historical accounts. Scholarly study. |
| Life of John the Baptist, Santa Maria del Carmine — reported, lost | Undated; attributed by Vasari | Wall painting. Attributed to Giotto by Vasari. Lost cycle reported in historical accounts. Scholarly study. |
| Marian wall decoration — Badia Fiorentina, disputed fragments | Undated; attribution disputed | Wall painting. Association with Giotto disputed. Fragmentary programme. Separate from the Badia Polyptych. Source. Scholarly study. |
| Allegory of the Commune Being Robbed — reported, lost | Undated; reported by Ghiberti | Wall painting / civic allegory. Attributed to Giotto by Ghiberti. Lost work reported in historical accounts. Composition uncertain. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Chapel decoration, Castello di Galliera, Bologna — reported, lost | Before 1334; chapel traces reported in 1560 | Wall painting. Associated with Giotto in historical accounts. Lost cycle reported in historical accounts. The chapel survived the fortress’s 1334 demolition; traces reported in 1560; date of final loss unknown. Scholarly study. Source. |
| Crucifixion — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop (Zeri); alternative attributions disputed. Scene within a cycle. Zeri catalogue. |
| Young Man of Sessa Recovered from the Ruins — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop (Zeri); alternative attributions disputed. Scene within a cycle. Separate scene from the Resurrection of the Young Man of Sessa. Zeri catalogue. Source. |
| Saint Francis Revives a Child Fallen from a Palace Window — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop (Zeri); alternative attributions disputed. Scene within a cycle. Revival in Zeri’s title; the child’s identity and alternative harmless-fall interpretation remain disputed. Zeri catalogue. |
| Resurrection of the Young Man of Sessa — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop (Zeri); alternative attributions disputed. Scene within a cycle. Separate scene from the Recovery of the Young Man of Sessa from the Ruins. Zeri catalogue. Source. |
| Saint Francis with Death — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop (Zeri); alternative attributions disputed. Ensemble component. Zeri catalogue. |
| Visitation — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop (Zeri); alternative attributions disputed. Scene within a cycle. Zeri catalogue. |
| Nativity — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop (Zeri); alternative attributions disputed. Scene within a cycle. Zeri catalogue. |
| Presentation of Christ at the Temple — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop (Zeri); alternative attributions disputed. Scene within a cycle. Zeri catalogue. |
| Massacre of the Innocents — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop (Zeri); alternative attributions disputed. Scene within a cycle. Zeri catalogue. |
| Return of the Holy Family after the Temple Episode — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; c.1308–11 (Zeri); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giotto’s workshop (Zeri); alternative attributions disputed. Scene within a cycle. Also titled Return to Bethlehem or Return to Nazareth; one physical painting. Zeri catalogue. |
| Annunciation — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | c.1310 (basilica); disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Collaborator of Giotto (basilica attribution). Scene within a cycle. Basilica catalogue. Scholarly study. |
| Christ among the Doctors — Lower Church north transept, Assisi | Early 14th century; disputed | Fresco / wall painting. Giottesque workshop; Stefano proposed by Schwarz. Scene within a cycle. Scholarly study. |
Discussion
Look again at the images and ideas explored in Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple by Giotto. These editorial prompts invite your observations.
Reader Insights
How does Anna’s hand connect the child’s ascent with the family below?
How does the Temple’s scale make the small figure of Mary consequential?
Join the Conversation
Share a detail, comparison or question about Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple by Giotto below.
References
- Padova Musei Civici, “La presentazione di Maria al Tempio,” Scrovegni Chapel collection catalogue, undated, full object record and accompanying image, consulted 1 November 2026. Catalogue fields give early fourteenth century, fresco, approximately 208 × 220 cm, and nave, left wall, upper register, second compartment from the left. Official record. View source.
- Opera per Santa Maria Novella, “The Crucifix by Giotto,” current church account, undated, accessed 31 October 2026, . Its early dating, colour symbolism and theological interpretation are identified here as the institution's account. View source.
- Basilica Papale di San Francesco in Assisi, “Chiesa Superiore,” institutional description, accessed 1 November 2026, . Building, decorative registers and explicitly competing Giotto/Roman-school attributions. View source. (in Italian).
- Michael Viktor Schwarz, with Michaela Zöschg, Giottus Pictor, vol. II, Giottos Werke (Vienna, Cologne and Weimar: Böhlau, 2008), pp. 331–344, especially pp. 333–334 on programme relationships, 335–337 on campaigns, 338–342 on comparisons and proposed borrowing, and 343–344 on work sequence and the proposed chronology; . Schwarz's reconstruction is presented as his argument. View source. (in German).
- Felice Autieri, OFMConv, “Il Presepe di Greccio nella Basilica superiore,” Basilica Papale di San Francesco in Assisi, accessed 1 November 2026, . Episode identity, institutional dating and discussion of represented liturgical furniture. View source. (in Italian).
- Miklós Boskovits, “Giotto di Bondone,” Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, vol. 55 (2001), sections on the Upper Church biblical paintings, the twenty-eight Storie della leggenda di s. Francesco and the 1307–09 Assisi connection; . The account's attribution and chronology are distinguished from later alternatives. View source.
- Directorio Franciscano, “Vida de San Francisco de Asís: Textos de San Buenaventura e ilustraciones de Giotto,” complete twenty-eight-episode index with paired Legenda maior references, , accessed 1 November 2026; narrative details checked against the Salter edition cited in note 3. View source. (in Spanish).
- Daniela Parenti, “Virgin and Child enthroned, surrounded by angels and saints (Ognissanti Maestà),” Uffizi Galleries, current collection record, accessed 1 November 2026. View source.
- Comune di Padova, Cappella degli Scrovegni, “La Cappella di Giotto,” official overview, programme, dedication, vault and Giovanni Pisano sculpture. View source. (in Italian).
- Padova Musei Civici, Vita di Maria, collection inventory. View source. (in Italian).
- Padova Musei Civici, Dio Padre incarica l’arcangelo Gabriele di dare l’annuncio a Maria, collection record. View source. (in Italian).
- Padova Musei Civici, “La presentazione di Maria al Tempio,” Scrovegni Chapel collection catalogue, undated, full object record and accompanying image, consulted 1 November 2026. Catalogue fields give early fourteenth century, fresco, approximately 208 × 220 cm, and nave, left wall, upper register, second compartment from the left. View source.
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, “Madonna and Child,” Giotto, c. 1310/1315, accession 1939.1.256, current artwork overview and object details, accessed 1 November 2026. View source.
- Vatican Museums, “Giotto di Bondone and assistants, Stefaneschi triptych,” Pinacoteca, Room II, current object description, consulted 1 November 2026; date 1315–1320, commission, two-sided arrangement and principal figures. View source.
- Michael Viktor Schwarz, with Michaela Zöschg, Giottus Pictor, vol. 2, Giottos Werke, Vienna, Cologne and Weimar: Böhlau, 2008, pp. 412–14, on the proposed chronology, and pp. 418–26: chapel status and liturgical memoria, pp. 418–19; Ridolfo, burial evidence and patronage, pp. 419–20; programme and memorial interpretation, pp. 420–26. View source. (in German).
- Opera di Santa Croce, , historical dossier, 11 September 2026, on programme, probable patron, post-1317 dating and the conservation history. View source.
- Opera di Santa Croce, “Incoronazione della Vergine tra angeli e santi (Polittico Baroncelli), Giotto,” current institutional catalogue, object information and introductory account, accessed 1 November 2026. View source. (in Italian).
- Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, “Giotto's Bell Tower,” current institutional monument record, sections on structure, building chronology, sculpture and bells, consulted 1 November 2026. . The specialist museum records cited below control the early sculptors' names. View source.
- Michael Viktor Schwarz, with Michaela Zöschg, Giottus Pictor II: Giottos Werke (Vienna, Cologne and Weimar: Böhlau, 2008), “Der Campanile: Nachleben im Bau,” pp. 599–603 and 613–614: site sequence, design experience, structural breaks and sculptural attribution. View source. (in German).
- Michael Viktor Schwarz and Pia Theis, Giottus Pictor I: Giottos Leben (Vienna: Böhlau, 2004), pp. 58–62; appointment of 12 April 1334, pp. 267–269, transcribing Florence, Archivio di Stato, Provvisioni Registri 26, fols. 100v–101r. Foundation, 1335 witness and modern conversion of the death year: pp. 60–61. View source. (in German).
- The Protoevangelium of James, chapters 7–8, translated by Alexander Walker, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 8, edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson and A. Cleveland Coxe, Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886; text reproduced by New Advent. Chapters 7–8. View source.
- The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, chapters 4–6, translated by Alexander Walker, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 8, edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson and A. Cleveland Coxe, Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886; text reproduced by New Advent. Fifteen-step ascent and parents' search: chapter 4; Anna's thanksgiving: chapter 5; Mary's maturity and Temple life: chapter 6. Text. View source.
- The Gospel of the Nativity of Mary, chapters 6–7, translated by Alexander Walker, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 8, edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson and A. Cleveland Coxe, Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886; text reproduced by New Advent. Fifteen steps, Psalms of Degrees, changing garments and dedication: chapter 6; subsequent Temple upbringing: chapter 7. Text. View source.
- Michael Viktor Schwarz, with the collaboration of Michaela Zöschg, Giottus Pictor, vol. II: Giottos Werke, Vienna, Cologne and Weimar: Böhlau, 2008, pp. 95–98, “Bilderfindung als fortschreitende Bastelarbeit.” Stair count, height and viewpoint: p. 95; basket carrier, back-turned men and conditional Imdahl interpretation: pp. 96–97 and note 148 on p. 95; Golden Gate comparison: pp. 97–98. Open-access volume. View source. (in German).
- Splash image, Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple Image source. Public domain. Proportionally reduced reproduction; no colour or content enhancement.
 Giotto.jpg)
 Giotto.jpg)
