The figures are the most eye-catching part of a Giotto painting. At first glance it appears they have none of the grace of a classical sculpture and all of the solidity. They have been described as ‘tubby.’ According James Barry, a neoclassical artist, "all the parts of the body are much confounded together... they are (particularly in their flexures) as inartificially drawn as if copied from the bending’s of a sandbag." There is truth in that. None of the figures have any unnecessary angles. Yet there is something compelling about the figures- a quality of sincerity which draws the viewer. All of the onlookers radiate happiness and goodwill and their lightness of expression is, if anything, emphasized by contrast with their bulk.
Another attraction of Giotto’s was the way he used space. Giotto moved away from the flatness of stylized Byzantine period art by painting scenes which had depth. He had taken the first step toward the more realistic Renaissance era. In his paintings, however, objects diminish eccentrically into the distance, and the backgrounds are often difficult to understand. For example, study the blue background of this painting. If it is sky, it comes down far too low. If it is an indoor backdrop, the wall would cut the white enclosure. In contrast to all the criticism, however, the evidence stands. Giotto’s anatomically and spatially unsophisticated paintings have retained their appeal for many centuries.
