The mark of Giotto may be present in the frescoes at the Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua – not his signature as such, but a fingerprint. This much was revealed by the director of the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro, Giuseppe Basile, during the presentation of the book “ Giotto: volti e mani della Cappella degli Scrovegni” by Lorenzo Cappellini and Ronald Recht. An exceptional fact, considering that no other example exists in painting circles or other important circles in which restorers have revealed a similar fact. An international conference dedicated to this and other issues “Giotto e la Cappella Scrovegni dopo i recenti restauri”, is set to take place 21, 22 and 23 November at the Abbazia di Santa Giustina in Padua, an event which concludes a series on Giotto for 2002.

During the three days looking at Giotto the focus will therefore be on the refined painting techniques used by the great master analysed with the highly advanced scientific methods and techniques used during the recent restoration work. These have for example allowed to ascertain how Giotto did not use marble powder in the plaster and how then its compactness is the result of a technique of compressing and smoothing of the plaster, in as much that the marks of the tools used can be seen, including fingerprints.

Padua is also offering an overall look at the fresco work of Giotto, from those at Assisi to those in Padua up until the later works. Finally, there will be an analysis on the time the artist spent in Naples and Milan, with various archive documents, examining the history and the little traces which remain, mostly indirect.

21-23.11.2002
Giotto e la Cappella Scrovegni dopo i recenti restauri
Basilica di S. Giustina, Aula Magna
Via Giuseppe Ferrari, 2/A, Padua

Cappella degli Scrovegni
Piazza Eremitani 8, Padua
T +39-049-8204550-8204551
http://www.giottoagliscrovegni.it/