by Tom Gurney
Tom Gurney BSc (Hons) is an art history expert with over 20 years experience
Published on June 19, 2020 / Updated on November 1, 2026
Email: tomgurney1@gmail.com / Phone: +44 7429 011000
Resurrection: Giotto's Noli me tangere: Introduction
Resurrection is another Giotto fresco found in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua , Italy.
Its more specific title, Noli me tangere, brings us close to the encounter at the heart of the painting: Mary Magdalene kneels and reaches towards the risen Christ, who turns towards her while moving away. To the left, two angels sit at the empty tomb; below them, five guards sleep. Those three kinds of presence give the scene its unusual rhythm. The angels announce, the soldiers remain unresponsive, and Mary recognises someone she had thought lost. Padova Musei catalogues the fresco at approximately 200 by 200 centimetres, in the lower register of the left nave wall, the third compartment from the right in its orientation. [1]
At a Glance
- SubjectNoli me tangere, Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Christ. [1]
- Other figuresTwo angels at the empty tomb and five sleeping guards. [1]
- FormatFresco, approximately 200 × 200 cm, in the lower register of the left nave wall. [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]Resurrection / Noli me tangere — 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
Composition
The composition features two very clear sections of figures, as indicated by the different colored garments that they wear. Three figures sit in the upper half of the work in white robes, whilst a further section sit on the ground just below, wearing brighter tones.
More precisely, the white garments belong to two seated angels and the standing Christ. The leftmost angel is cut by the edge of the compartment; the other sits above the guards, with pink and white wings opening against the rock. Christ occupies the opposite side. The separation between these white figures matters as much as their shared colour: the open space between the tomb and Christ gives Mary room to kneel, lift her head and extend her arms.
Christ stands triumphantly, holding a flag aloft as his followers react in shock to his return. Giotto’s Resurrection would inspire and influence how many other artists would later tackle the same topic, with religious art being dominant during this period in Italy.
The men gathered beneath the tomb are sleeping guards, however, rather than followers reacting to Christ. Their closed eyes and supported heads make the distinction visible. Mary Magdalene is the wakeful human participant in the meeting. Comparison with later paintings can reveal the durability of motifs such as a banner and sleeping soldiers, but shared motifs alone do not establish that a particular artist directly copied this fresco.
A meeting carried by hands and feet
Mary's red mantle spreads broadly over her kneeling body. The cloth reaches the ground in folds, giving her a substantial base, while her forearms project almost horizontally towards Christ. Her hands stop short of his robe. Giotto leaves that small interval plainly visible, allowing the space between the figures to become an active part of the encounter. The reach is easy to follow even at a distance; a closer view reveals the separate fingers and the slight difference in the height of her two hands.
Christ's body answers hers with a different set of directions. His bare feet and the lower edge of his garment carry him towards the right border, while his face turns back to Mary. One hand holds the tall banner staff; the other extends low towards her, palm inclined towards the ground. His movement away and his continued attention to her coexist in the same figure. The exchange feels suspended because the feet, head and hand do not all point along a single line.
At the left, an angel extends a hand across the open tomb, initiating another movement towards the right. The pale rock falls diagonally behind the figures. Along with the angels' gesture and Mary's reach, it helps the eye travel towards Christ, whose white robe stands clearly against the darker blue. Yet the composition never becomes a simple procession. The solid tomb holds the left side in place, and the sleeping bodies form a low, tangled counterweight to Christ's upright silhouette.
What the Gospel supplies
John 20 begins with Mary finding the tomb open and telling Peter and another disciple. After their visit, she remains weeping outside. She sees two angels where the body had lain, then turns to Jesus without recognising him. She initially takes him for the gardener; recognition follows when he speaks her name. Jesus then sends her to his disciples, and she reports that she has seen him. [21]
The Latin phrase Noli me tangere, from John 20:17, is commonly rendered as “Do not touch me”; the Knox version gives “Do not cling to me thus.” The verse connects the instruction with Christ's return to the Father and Mary's mission to the disciples. It supplies no statement that she is being rejected for sinfulness. [21] In the painting, her lifted face, extended hands and Christ's answering gesture sustain their relationship across the interval between them. The encounter gives Mary an active place in the story.
Matthew's account is different. It includes guards, an earthquake and an angel whose appearance leaves the guards like dead men; it also describes women taking hold of Jesus's feet. John supplies the two angels and Mary's individual encounter, while Matthew provides a separate scriptural context for guards at the tomb. [22] Giotto's sleeping soldiers and the meeting with Mary therefore belong to a composed image drawing together elements associated with the Resurrection. Its arrangement should not be mistaken for a literal transcription of one continuous Gospel passage.
Part of the Scrovegni Chapel
The painting itself is loosely dated to circa 1304-1306, though this time frame is used to cover all of the artist’s work within the chapel, and it is unclear as to the order in which he completed them in.
The chapel's official account now dates the fresco cycle to 1303–1305. That range describes the campaign as a whole, rather than recording an exact year for this individual compartment. [23] Evidence for the order of work is also more substantial than the broad dating might suggest. Michael Viktor Schwarz discusses overlapping giornate, the plaster areas prepared for successive working sessions. He argues that these support execution in horizontal rows, broadly from the upper registers downwards, with interruptions and exceptions. Such physical evidence helps reconstruct a campaign without assigning a precise calendar date to Noli me tangere. [24]
This project would become one of the most significant periods in Giotto’s career . He beautifully captured scenes from the Bible within the chapel, and laid them out in a grid structure, with additional artworks spreading across the lowest level of each wall. Despite making use of assistants for this work, there is still an impressive stylistic consistency across each series of works, with Resurrection smoothly sitting alongside its nearest neighbours.
The contribution of individual assistants to this scene remains uncertain. A unified narrative language can be seen in the large gestures, weighty draperies and carefully spaced bodies, but visual consistency does not identify a particular painter's hand in every face or fold. The fresco is best approached as part of Giotto's chapel undertaking without dividing its details into unsupported assignments.
From the Passion to the Ascension
Placed late in the Christ sequence, the scene changes the direction of the narrative. The Passion has brought Christ's body into human hands: at the Last Supper, he sits among his companions; in the events surrounding his death, people seize, wound, support and mourn him. Here Mary's hands reach into open space. Christ is present and recognisable, but already moving beyond the grouping that might have enclosed him. The subsequent Ascension carries that departure upwards, exchanging this intimate meeting for a larger gathering looking towards heaven.
The Ascension in the same chapel, a different scene from Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Christ. Image source. Public domain. Proportionally reduced reproduction; no colour or content enhancement.
The surrounding decoration gives the meeting another meaning. Schwarz identifies a nearby framing medallion of a lioness reviving her cubs with her roar, a story from medieval bestiary tradition. He reads its relationship to Noli me tangere as a signal that this encounter also represents the Resurrection within the cycle. [24] The animal story belongs to medieval symbolic interpretation, rather than to zoological observation or the Gospel narrative. It helps explain why an image focused on Mary and Christ can carry the broader title Resurrection: the main compartment and its framing imagery work together.
Description
The pained expressions on the faces of those in the bottom section of the work will remind some of the work of Piero della Francesca, and it was a key part of Giotto’s innovative art that emotion was starting to appear within his work. Indeed, the artist created his own version of Resurrection in which the angles are altered, with Christ holding a flag square on to us, with the other figures placed below him.
The later, frontal Resurrection mentioned here is Piero della Francesca's mural at Sansepolcro, a fifteenth-century work, rather than another version by Giotto. [25] The comparison is useful for identifying different choices within the subject, but the guards in Giotto's painting are best understood through their sleeping postures. Two seated men prop their heads on their hands, while the foreground figures recline across one another. Their faces tilt at different angles, making the head appear as a weight that needs support. Their inactivity is carefully varied.
The guards also keep the foreground from becoming an empty strip beneath the sacred figures. Sleeves, bent elbows, extended legs and decorated clothing make a dense band across the foot of the tomb. One body stretches towards Mary's knees, almost bridging the two halves of the picture at ground level. Above this crowded area, the space around her hands remains clear. Giotto gives very different kinds of legibility to the soldiers' bodily collapse and to her concentrated reach.
A closer inspection reveals the original colors used by the artist, with sandy tones used for the foreground, capturing this geographical location, with some additions of plants dotted about. The barren nature of this environment is underlined by these plants’ less than healthy appearance.
The sandy ground is a painted setting, rather than evidence for the actual appearance of Jerusalem. Nor does the form of a small painted shrub establish that it is unhealthy. The vegetation is especially noticeable beside Mary and Christ, where branching stems, leafy bushes and little ground plants articulate the otherwise open earth. Schwarz connects this concentration around Christ with the gardener motif. [24] That reading gives the plants a narrative purpose without treating the landscape as a botanical survey.
The colours visible today also belong to a surface with a long history. A photograph cannot establish that every hue retains its original intensity or identify the substance of every gold-coloured detail. The chapel underwent a general conservation campaign between July 2001 and March 2002, followed by monitoring and planned maintenance, according to Padova Musei. [26] This history matters when looking at the uneven blue, worn passages and fine details: the image survives through the combined effects of original workmanship, age and conservation.
Christ himself gestures to his followers who are overcome with emotion as he wanders off. He holds a flag high up, perhaps symbolizing his return. A halo wraps a golden tone around his head, and the color continues into details on his clothing, with strips of gold paint lining his white robe.
His gesture is directed specifically towards Mary Magdalene. The banner functions as an emblem of the risen Christ, while the white robe and radiant halo distinguish him from the coloured clothing of the guards. Gold-coloured edging gives the garment a clear outline at the neckline and hem, but the visible effect should be distinguished from a technical identification of paint or metal leaf. The folds are equally important: broad curves across the torso resolve into longer, hanging lines below, maintaining the body's volume while allowing the robe to register movement.
An encounter worth comparing closely
Schwarz's comparison with the Noli me tangere in the Magdalene Chapel at Assisi offers a more specific relationship than a general claim about Renaissance influence. He argues that the Padua kneeling figure provided a starting point for the Assisi scene, where Mary's upper body reaches further forward. He also observes that the Assisi composition omits the guards. [24] These comparative judgments leave questions of authorship in the Assisi decoration open.
The comparison brings the distinctive balance at Padua into focus. Mary's torso remains comparatively upright, her mantle forming a tall red shape between the reclining soldiers and the standing Christ. Her arms carry the action out from that stable body. Removing the guards would change more than the subject's supporting cast: it would remove the foreground weight against which her alert, purposeful gesture becomes so clear. The scene's intimacy depends on its wider arrangement.
Conclusion
Whilst Resurrection is not one of the most celebrated additions to the Scrovegni Chapel, it is still an important piece within Giotto’s career. We can compare his interpretation on this theme with other Renaissance artists, such as della Francesca . It also continues the overall success and consistency of his work within the chapel, albeit aided by some highly skilled assistants.
The Scrovegni Chapel looking towards the entrance wall in a 2017 photograph: the Last Judgement closes the interior, with narrative tiers at either side beneath the blue vault. Derbrauni. Image source. CC BY-SA 4.0. Proportionally reduced reproduction; original composition, colour and photographic lighting retained.
Giotto remains well known for his incorporation of emotion into his work, and we see some great examples of that within this fresco. There is also a connection between Christ and his nearest follower, with his gaze directed at the figure who kneels before him. Previously, art within Italy could often lack this level of connection, making Giotto an important influence on the early stages of the Renaissance.
The broad contrast with earlier Italian art needs qualification: expressive gesture has a longer history than this fresco. Giotto's particular achievement here is the precision of the exchange. Mary has a name and a role; she is more than an anonymous follower placed before a triumphant figure. Her extended hands, Christ's turned head and the gap between them give the encounter its shape. The angels remain seated, the guards remain asleep, and the landscape opens around a meeting that is already becoming a departure. Looking at these distinct responses allows the fresco's emotional force to emerge from the painting itself.
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 Resurrection: Giotto's Noli me tangere. These editorial prompts invite your observations.
Reader Insights
How does Christ’s movement away alter the meaning of Mary’s outstretched hands?
How do the sleeping guards and seated angels create different rhythms within the scene?
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References
- Padova Musei Civici, “Noli me tangere. La resurrezione di Cristo,” Scrovegni Chapel collection record, undated, description, dimensions and location: institutional object record. Figure identifications and compositional observations also follow the institution's full-scene photograph. 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, “Noli me tangere. La resurrezione di Cristo,” Scrovegni Chapel collection record, undated, description, dimensions and location: . Figure identifications and compositional observations also follow the institution's full-scene photograph. 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).
- Gospel according to John, 20:1–18, especially 20:11–18; Latin text and Ronald Knox English translation, New Advent, John 20. View source.
- Gospel according to Matthew, 28:1–10, especially 28:2–4 and 28:9; New Advent, Matthew 28. View source.
- Comune di Padova, “La Cappella di Giotto,” official Scrovegni Chapel website, undated, paragraph on the 1303–1305 campaign: chapel overview. View source. (in Italian).
- Michael Viktor Schwarz, Giottus pictor, vol. II, Giottos Werke, with the collaboration of Michaela Zöschg (Vienna, Cologne and Weimar: Böhlau, 2008), pp. 91–92 on plaster overlaps and execution sequence; p. 132 on the lioness medallion; pp. 378–379 and fig. 210 on the Padua and Assisi scenes and the gardener motif. Open-access volume. View source. (in German).
- Opificio delle Pietre Dure, “Piero della Francesca, La Resurrezione, 1458–1468, Museo Civico, Sansepolcro (Arezzo),” conservation record, undated, “Informazioni storico-descrittive”: institutional conservation record. Its discussion acknowledges uncertainty over the precise dating; the comparison here requires only its fifteenth-century identity. View source. (in Italian).
- Padova Musei Civici, “Il restauro dal 2000 ad oggi,” undated, opening paragraphs on the 2001–2002 campaign and subsequent maintenance: conservation history. View source. (in Italian).
- Splash image, Resurrection: Giotto's Noli me tangere
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